1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years 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. 5Should ye not know that LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, 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 ye think to withstand the kingdom of LORD in the hand of the sons of David, and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have ye not driven out the priests of LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for you after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? So that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven r 10But as for us, LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And [we have] priests ministering to LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work. 11And they burn to LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense. Also [they set] the showbread in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps of it to burn every evening. For we kee 12And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O sons of Israel, fight ye not against LORD, the God of your fathers. For ye shall not prosper. 13But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come around behind them, so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them. And they cried to LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout. And as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And the sons 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 down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18Thus the sons of Israel were brought under at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon LORD, the God of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns of it, and Jeshanah with the towns of it, and Ephron with the towns of it. 20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And LORD smote him, and he died. 21But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and begot 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.