| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1During the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. | 1Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. |
| 2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Uriel's daughter Micaiah from Gibeah. A war started between Abijah and Jeroboam. | 2He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. Then war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
| 3Abijah started the battle with an army of 400,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers, but Jeroboam opposed him with 800,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers. | 3Judah, led by King Abijah, fielded 400,000 select warriors, while Jeroboam mustered 800,000 select troops from Israel. |
| 4Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and announced: "Listen to me, Jeroboam and Israel! | 4When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and all Israel: “Listen to me! |
| 5Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel assigned the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a salt covenant? | 5Don’t you realize that the LORD, the God of Israel, made a lasting covenant with David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever? |
| 6Even so, Nebat's son Jeroboam, who used to serve David's son Solomon, rose in rebellion against his own master! | 6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a mere servant of David’s son Solomon, rebelled against his master. |
| 7Useless troublemakers soon gathered around him, who turned out to be too strong for Rehoboam, because he was young, timid, and unable to withstand them. | 7Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them. |
| 8"So now you think you'll be able to withstand the LORD's kingdom as controlled by David's descendants, just because you have a large crown and have brought with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. | 8“Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the LORD that is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods. |
| 9Haven't you already driven away the LORD's priests, the descendants of Aaron and the descendants of Levi? Haven't you established your own priests like the people of other lands? | 9But you have chased away the priests of the LORD (the descendants of Aaron) and the Levites, and you have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these so-called gods of yours! |
| 10"Now as far as we're concerned, the LORD is our God, and we haven't abandoned him. The descendants of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the descendants of Levi continue their work. | 10“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the LORD as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work. |
| 11Every morning and evening, they're offering burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD, the showbread is set out on the pure table, and they take care of the golden lamp stand so its lamps can continue to burn every evening. We continue to be faithful over what the LORD our God entrusted to us, but you have abandoned him. | 11They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him. |
| 12Now listen! God is with us to lead us, and his priests are about to sound their battle trumpets against you. Descendants of Israel, don't fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, because you won't succeed!" | 12So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!” |
| 13But Jeroboam had sent an ambush to attack from the rear, so Israel was in front of Judah, with the ambush set in place behind them. | 13Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them. |
| 14When the army of Judah turned around to look, they were being attacked from both front and rear, so they cried out to the LORD while the priests sounded their trumpets. | 14When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the LORD for help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, |
| 15Then the army of Judah sounded a war cry, and God routed Jeroboam and the entire army of Israel in front of Abijah and Judah. | 15and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah. |
| 16When the descendants of Israel ran away from the army of Judah, God handed them over to the army of Judah. | 16The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah in defeat. |
| 17Abijah and his army defeated them in a tremendous slaughter that resulted in 500,000 special forces from Israel being slain. | 17Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of Israel’s select troops were killed that day. |
| 18And so the descendants of Israel were defeated at that time. The descendants of Judah were victorious because they trusted in the LORD God of their ancestors. | 18So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their ancestors. |
| 19After this Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. | 19Abijah and his army pursued Jeroboam’s troops and captured some of his towns, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their surrounding villages. |
| 20Jeroboam never recovered his strength for the rest of Abijah's life. The LORD struck Jeroboam, and he died, | 20So Jeroboam of Israel never regained his power during Abijah’s lifetime, and finally the LORD struck him down and he died. |
| 21but Abijah continued to grow more powerful. He took fourteen wives for himself and fathered 22 sons and sixteen daughters. | 21Meanwhile, Abijah of Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. |
| 22The rest of Abijah's accomplishments, his lifestyle and his memoirs are recorded in the Midrash of the Prophet Iddo. | 22The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, including his words and deeds, are recorded in The Commentary of Iddo the Prophet. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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