1 ¶ Now Abijah began to reign over Judah in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam.

2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah prepared for battle with an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also prepared to fight against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor.

4 And Abijah stood on mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam, and all Israel;

5 Shouldn’t you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the sovereignty 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, has risen up, and has rebelled against his lord.

7 And there have gathered around him vain men, the children of Belial, who have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced, and could not withstand them.

8 And now you expect to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; because you are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, that Jeroboam made to be your gods.

9 Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, may be a priest of idols that are no gods.

10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests, ministering to the LORD, who are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are doing their work:

11 And every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: they set the showbread in order upon the table of pure gold; and attend to the golden lampstand that its lamps may be lighted every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken him.

12 And, behold, God himself is with us as our leader, and his priests with battle trumpets to sound the call to fight against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.

13 ¶ But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come around them from behind: so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 And when Judah looked back, they saw themselves attacked in front and behind: and they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.

15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

17 And Abijah and his people struck them down in a great slaughter: so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.

18 Thus the children of Israel were humbled at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers.

19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.

20 Nor did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.

21 But Abijah grew mighty, and married fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, how he lived, and what he said, are written in the record of the prophet Iddo.