1In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,[ † ]1 Kings 15:11 Kings 12:17
2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.
4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel![ † ]Joshua 18:22 5Do you not know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?[ † ]2 Samuel 7:8-16Leviticus 2:13Numbers 18:19 6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.[ † ]1 Kings 11:281 Kings 12:20 7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.[ † ]Judges 9:42 Chronicles 12:13
8And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.[ † ]1 Kings 12:281 Kings 14:92 Chronicles 11:15Hosea 8:4-6 9But did you not drive out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.[ † ]2 Chronicles 11:13-15Exodus 29:29-33Jeremiah 2:11Jeremiah 5:7
10But as for us, the Lord is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.[ † ]Joshua 24:15 11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the Lord our God, while you have forsaken Him.[ † ]Exodus 29:382 Chronicles 2:4Exodus 25:30Leviticus 24:5-9Exodus 27:20-21Leviticus 24:2-3
12Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”[ † ]Joshua 5:13-15Hebrews 2:10Numbers 10:8-10
13Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the Lord. Then the priests blew the trumpets,[ † ]Joshua 24:72 Chronicles 6:34-352 Chronicles 14:11 15and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.[ † ]1 Kings 14:142 Chronicles 14:12
16So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. 17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.[ † ]1 Chronicles 5:202 Chronicles 14:11Psalms 22:5
19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.[ † ]Joshua 15:9
20Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the Lord struck him down and he died.[ † ]1 Samuel 2:61 Samuel 25:38Acts 12:231 Kings 14:20
21But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.[ † ]2 Chronicles 9:29