| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. | 1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. |
| 2He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel 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 launched the attack with 400,000 well-trained warriors, while Jeroboam deployed against him 800,000 well-trained warriors. | 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. |
| 4Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, in the Ephraimite hill country, and said: "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! | 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 realize that the LORD God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? | 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? |
| 6Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. | 6"Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, |
| 7Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist 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. |
| 8Now you are declaring that you will resist the LORD's rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold 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. |
| 9But you banished the LORD's priests, Aaron's descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake 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. |
| 10But as for us, the LORD is our God and we have not rejected him. Aaron's descendants serve as the LORD's priests and the Levites assist them with the work. | 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 burnt sacrifices to the LORD every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly we are observing the LORD our God's regulations, but you have rejected 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. |
| 12Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. You Israelites, don't fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, for you will not win!" | 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 some men to ambush the Judahite army from behind. The main army was in front of the Judahite army; the ambushers were behind it. | 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. |
| 14The men of Judah turned around and realized they were being attacked from the front and the rear. So they cried out for help to the LORD. The priests blew their 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 gave the battle cry. As the men of Judah gave the battle cry, the LORD struck down 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. |
| 16The Israelites fled from before the Judahite army, and God handed them over to the men of Judah. | 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. |
| 17Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated them; 500,000 well-trained Israelite men fell dead. | 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. |
| 18That day the Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD 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 chased Jeroboam; he seized from him these cities: Bethel and its surrounding towns, Jeshanah and its surrounding towns, and Ephron and its surrounding towns. | 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. |
| 20Jeroboam did not regain power during the reign of Abijah. The LORD struck him down and he died. | 20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him and he died. |
| 21Abijah's power grew; he had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen 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, including his deeds and sayings, are recorded in the writings 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. |
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