2 Chronicles 13

The Battle Begins 2 Chronicles 13:3–4

³Verse 3. 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. ⁴Verse 4. Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Abijah's Speech to Israel 2 Chronicles 13:5–12

⁵Verse 5. Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? ⁶Verse 6. Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. ⁷Verse 7. Worthless men were gathered to him, wicked fellows who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them. ⁸Verse 8. “Now you intend to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods are with you.

⁹Verse 9. Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods. ¹⁰Verse 10. “But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests serving Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work; ¹¹Verse 11. and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lamp stand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him.

¹²Verse 12. Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you will not prosper.”

Surrounded and Victorious 2 Chronicles 13:13–16

¹³Verse 13. But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴Verse 14. When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. ¹⁵Verse 15. Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶Verse 16. The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.

Judah's Triumph 2 Chronicles 13:17–20

¹⁷Verse 17. Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain. ¹⁸Verse 18. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers. ¹⁹Verse 19. Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. ²⁰Verse 20. Jeroboam didn’t recover strength again in the days of Abijah. Yahweh struck him, and he died.

Abijah's Legacy 2 Chronicles 13:21–22

²¹Verse 21. But Abijah grew mighty, and took for himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. ²²Verse 22. The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.