1Abijah became king of Judah in Jeroboam’s eighteenth year as king of Israel. 2His mother was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. He ruled from Jerusalem for three years when war broke out between Abijah of Judah and Jeroboam of Israel. 3Abijah raised an army of four hundred thousand soldiers. Jeroboam opposed him with an army of eight hundred thousand soldiers. 4The armies met in the hill country of Ephraim. King Abijah went up Mount Zemaraim and called out to Jeroboam and the Israelites: »Listen to me!« He shouted. 5»Do you not know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, made an unbreakable covenant with David, giving him and his descendants kingship over Israel from generation to generation? 6»Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against Solomon, his king. 7»Later he organized a group of worthless scoundrels. They forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too young and inexperienced to resist them. 8»Now you plan to fight against the royal authority Jehovah gave to David’s descendants. You have a huge army! You have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. 9»You drove out Jehovah’s priests! You evicted the descendants of Aaron and the Levites. In their place you appointed priests in the same way that other nations do. Anybody who comes along with a bull or seven sheep can get himself consecrated as a priest of those so-called gods of yours. 10»We still serve Jehovah our God! We have not abandoned him. Priests descended from Aaron perform their duties, and Levites assist them. 11»Every morning and every evening they offer him incense and animal sacrifices burned whole. They present the offerings of bread on a table that is ritually clean, and every evening they light the lamps on the gold lamp stand. We do what Jehovah has commanded! But you have abandoned him! 12»God is with us as our leader. His priests will sound their trumpets to call the army to fight you. Men of Israel do not wage war against Jehovah the God of your ancestors. You will not succeed.« 13Jeroboam set an ambush to attack them from behind. So Jeroboam’s army was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14Judah’s soldiers looked around and found the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to Jehovah! The priests blew the trumpets, 15The men of Judah shouted! When they shouted God attacked Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah. 16The Israelites fled from Judah’s army. God handed them over to Judah. 17Abijah and his men defeated them decisively. Five hundred thousand of the best men of Israel were killed. 18The Israelites were humbled at that time. The people of Judah won because they trusted Jehovah God of their ancestors. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. 20Jeroboam never regained power during Abijah’s time. Jehovah caused Jeroboam to become sick, and Jeroboam died. 21Abijah became strong. He married fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22The history of Abijah, including how he lived, is written by the prophet Iddo.