| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1In the eighteenth year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah | 1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. |
| 2and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. | 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
| 3Abijah set his army of warriors in order with 400,000 choice men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of 800,000 choice men in battle formation against him. | 3Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors. |
| 4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. | 4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: |
| 5Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? | 5"Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? |
| 6But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. | 6"Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, |
| 7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them. | 7and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them. |
| 8"And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the LORD's kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David's sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. | 8"So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. |
| 9Didn't you banish the priests of Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to ordain himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods. | 9"Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods. |
| 10"But as for us, Yahweh is our God. We have not abandoned Him; the priests ministering to the LORD are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks. | 10"But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. |
| 11They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and every evening, and they set the rows of the bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table. They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of Yahweh our God, while you have abandoned Him. | 11"Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. |
| 12Look, God and His priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don't fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed." | 12"Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." |
| 13Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. | 13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. |
| 14Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, | 14When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both front and rear; so they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. |
| 15and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. | 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. |
| 16So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them. | 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. |
| 17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 choice men of Israel were killed. | 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. |
| 18The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the LORD, the God of their ancestors. | 18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. |
| 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. | 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. |
| 20Jeroboam no longer retained his power during Abijah's reign; ultimately, the LORD struck him and he died. | 20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died. |
| 21However, Abijah grew strong, acquired 14 wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. | 21But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. |
| 22The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, along with his ways and his sayings, are written in the Writing of the Prophet Iddo. | 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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