1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3Abijah went into battle with an army of brave warriors, 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam prepared for battle against him with 800,000 chosen men, who were mighty and courageous.
4Abijah 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David forever, to him and his descendants, through an enduring covenant?
6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.
7Worthless men, corrupt individuals, gathered around him. They strengthened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced, and he could not stand against them.
8“Now you intend to oppose Yahweh’s kingdom, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are a vast multitude, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
9Haven’t you driven out Yahweh’s priests, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites, and made your own priests like the people of other lands do? Anyone who comes to dedicate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those who are not gods.
10“But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites performing their duties;
11they burn burnt offerings and fragrant incense to Yahweh every morning and every evening. They also arrange the show bread on the pure table, and the solid gold lampstand with its lamps to burn every evening. We keep the commands of Yahweh our God, but you have abandoned him.”
12Look, God is with us at our head, and his priests are here with trumpets to sound an alarm against you. People of Israel, don't fight against Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, because you will not succeed.
13But Jeroboam set an ambush to attack Judah from behind, so Judah was caught between Jeroboam’s army in front and the ambush behind them.
14When Judah looked back, they saw the battle was in front of them and behind them. So they cried out to Yahweh, and the priests blew their trumpets.
15Then the men of Judah shouted. As they shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all of Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16The people of Israel ran away from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah.
17Abijah and his people killed a large number of them; five hundred thousand of Israel’s best soldiers were killed.
18So at that time, the people of Israel were defeated, and the people of Judah won because they trusted in Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.
19Abijah chased Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its surrounding villages, Jeshanah with its surrounding villages, and Ephron with its surrounding villages.
20Jeroboam never regained his strength during Abijah's lifetime. Yahweh struck him down, and he died.
21Abijah became very powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22The rest of Abijah's actions, his ways, and his sayings are recorded in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.