| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. | 1In the eighteenth year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah |
| 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. | 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. |
| 3And Abijah set 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. | 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. |
| 4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; | 4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. |
| 5Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? | 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? |
| 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. | 6But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. |
| 7And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. | 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. |
| 8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. | 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. |
| 9Have ye 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 consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. | 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. |
| 10But 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 upon their business: | 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. |
| 11And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. | 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. |
| 12And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. | 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." |
| 13But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. | 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. |
| 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. | 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, |
| 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. | 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. |
| 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. | 16So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them. |
| 17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. | 17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 choice men of Israel were killed. |
| 18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. | 18The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the LORD, the God of their ancestors. |
| 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. | 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. |
| 20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died. | 20Jeroboam no longer retained his power during Abijah's reign; ultimately, the LORD struck him and he died. |
| 21But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. | 21However, Abijah grew strong, acquired 14 wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. |
| 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. | 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. |
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