1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2Three years he reigned in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor. 4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel: 5Ought you not to know that Yehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. 7And there were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. 8And now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have you not driven out the priests of Yehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those who are no gods. 10But as for us, Yehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to Yehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: 11and they burn to Yehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread also they set in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of Yehovah our God; but you have forsaken him. 12And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against Yehovah, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper. 13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come around behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. 17And Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Yehovah, the God of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns. 20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Yehovah struck him, and he died. 21But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.