The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 13
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem.
Hismother’sname wasMicaiahthedaughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war
between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 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.
4 Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim,
which is in the hill country of Ephraim,
and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
5 Ought you not to know that Yahweh,
the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over
Israel to David forever, even to him and to
his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up,
and rebelled against his lord.
7 Worthless men were gathered to
him, wicked fellows who strengthened
themselves against Rehoboam the son of
Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and
tender hearted, and could not withstand
them.
8 “Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of
David. You are a great multitude, and the
golden calves which Jeroboam made you
for gods are with you.
9 Haven’t you driven out the priests
of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the
Levites, and made priests for yourselves
according to the ways of the peoples of
other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven
rams may be a priest of those who are no
gods.
10 “But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and
we havenotforsakenhim. We have priests serving Yahweh,the sons of Aaron, and the
Levites in their work.
11 They burn to Yahweh every morning
and every evening burnt offerings and
sweet incense. They also set the show
bread in order on the pure table, and care
for the gold lamp stand with its lamps,
to burn every evening; for we keep the
instruction of Yahweh our God, but you
have forsaken him.
12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and
his priests with the trumpets of alarm to
sound an alarm against you. Children of
Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God
of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”
13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to
come about behind them; so they were
before Judah, and the ambush was behind
them.
14 When Judah looked back, behold, the
battle was before and behind them; and
they cried to Yahweh, and the priests
sounded with the trumpets.
15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout.
As the men of Judah shouted, God struck
Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and
Judah.
16 The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their
hand.
17 Abijah and his people killed them with
a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.
18 Thus the children of Israel were
brought under at that time, and the
children of Judah prevailed, because they
relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took
cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with
its villages.
20 Jeroboam didn’t recover strength
again in the days of Abijah. Yahweh struck
him, and he died.
21 But Abijah grew mighty and took
for himself fourteen wives, and became
the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen
daughters.
22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways,
andhis sayings are writteninthe commentary of the prophet Iddo.