THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles 13 ©

Abijah wars against Jeroboam, king of Israel, v. 1, etc. Setting forth the justness of his cause, 4. Trusting in God, gets the victory, 13. The wives and children of Abijah, 21.

1

NOW in thea eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

2

He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was 1Michaiah the daughter of 2Uriel of 3Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3

And Abijah 4set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.

4

¶And Abijah 5stood up upon mount 6Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

5

Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David 7for ever, even to him and to his sons by a 8covenant of salt?

6

Yetb Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

7

And there are gathered unto him 9vain men, the 10children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was 11young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

8

And now 12ye think to withstand the 13kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are 14with you golden calves, whichc Jeroboam made you for gods.

9

Have yed not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to 15consecrate himself 16with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait 17upon their business:

11

Ande18they burn unto the LORD 19every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and 20sweet incense: the 21shewbread also set they in order upon the 22pure table; and the 23candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, 24to burn every evening: for we 25keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken 26him.

12

And, behold, God himself is with us 27for our captain, and his priests with 28sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD 29God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13

¶But Jeroboam caused 30an ambushment to come about behind 31them: so 32they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind 33them.

14

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests 34sounded with the trumpets.

15

Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God 35smote 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 slew them 36with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18

Thus the children of Israel were 37brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.

19

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, 38Beth-el with the 39towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and 40Ephrain with the towns thereof.

20

Neither did Jeroboam recover 41strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD 42struck him, and he died.

21

¶But Abijah waxed mighty, and married 43fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his 44ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet 45Iddo.