2 Chronicles 13

1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam's reign, Abijah became the king of Judah.

2Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

2He ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. During this time, there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.

3Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 elite soldiers. Jeroboam prepared for battle against him with 800,000 elite soldiers, all of whom were brave warriors.

4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel:

4Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and shouted, 'Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!

5Ought ye not to know that Jehovah, the 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, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a permanent covenant of salt?

6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

6But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of David’s son Solomon, rose up and rebelled against his master.

7And there were gathered unto him worthless men, base fellows, that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

7He gathered worthless and wicked men around him who defied Solomon's son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and couldn't stand up to them.

8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

8And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is ruled by the descendants of David. You have a huge army and the gold calves Jeroboam made to be your gods.

9Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples 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 drive out the priests of the LORD, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites? You made your own priests just like the people of other lands do. Whoever comes to ordain himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that aren't even gods!

10But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering unto Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Our priests who serve the LORD are descendants of Aaron, and they are assisted by the Levites.

11and they burn unto Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread 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 Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken him.

11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They place the Bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him.

12And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

12Look, God himself is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, because 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.

13Meanwhile, Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to circle around and ambush them from behind. So while Jeroboam’s main army was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

14When the men of Judah looked back and saw they were being attacked from both the front and the back, they cried out to the LORD for help. 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.

15Then the men of Judah gave a great battle cry. At the sound of the shout, God defeated Jeroboam and all those from Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

16The army of Israel fled from Judah, and God handed them over to be defeated.

17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

17Abijah and his army defeated them with a massive slaughter; 500,000 of Israel's best soldiers were killed.

18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

18So the people of Israel were defeated at that time, and the people of Judah won because they relied on the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephron with the towns thereof.

19Abijah chased Jeroboam and captured some of his towns: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with the surrounding villages.

20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Jehovah smote him, and he died.

20Jeroboam never regained his power during Abijah's lifetime. Eventually, the LORD struck him down and he died.

21But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

21But Abijah grew powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

22Everything else Abijah did, including his conduct and his speeches, is recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo.