2 Chronicles 13

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand chosen men, mighty warriors. Jeroboam drew up his battle line against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor. Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave David the kingdom over Israel forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. Worthless men, scoundrels, gathered around him and prevailed against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and fainthearted and could not stand against them. Now you intend to stand against the kingdom of the LORD in the hands of David's sons. You are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves Jeroboam made for you as gods. 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? Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of those that are no gods. But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. The priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their work. They burn burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and every evening, arrange the bread on the pure table, and tend the gold lampstand with its lamps to burn every evening. We keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him. Look, God is with us at our head, and his priests have the alarm trumpets to sound against you. Israelites, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed!” But Jeroboam sent the ambush around to come behind them. His forces were in front of Judah, with the ambush behind them. When Judah turned, the battle was before them and behind them. They cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets. The men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hands. Abijah and his people struck them a great blow, and five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain. The Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. Jeroboam did not regain strength in the days of Abijah. The LORD struck him, and he died. But Abijah grew strong. He took fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. The rest of Abijah's acts, his ways, and his words are written in the account of the prophet Iddo.

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