II Chronicles 13

בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָרׇבְעָ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ אֲבִיָּ֖ה עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

שָׁל֣וֹשׁ שָׁנִ֗ים מָלַךְ֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ מִיכָיָ֥הוּ בַת־אוּרִיאֵ֖ל מִן־גִּבְעָ֑ה וּמִלְחָמָ֥ה הָֽיְתָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין אֲבִיָּ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין יָרׇבְעָֽם׃

He reigned three years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

וַיֶּאְסֹ֨ר אֲבִיָּ֜ה אֶת־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה בְּחַ֙יִל֙ גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י מִלְחָמָ֔ה אַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ בָּח֑וּר {ס} וְיָרׇבְעָ֗ם עָרַ֤ךְ עִמּוֹ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה בִּשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֛לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּח֖וּר גִּבּ֥וֹר חָֽיִל׃ {ס}

Abijah joined battle with a force of warriors, 400,000 of the best troops. Jeroboam arrayed for battle against him 800,000 of the best troops, warriors.

וַיָּ֣קׇם אֲבִיָּ֗ה מֵעַל֙ לְהַ֣ר צְמָרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שְׁמָע֖וּנִי יָרׇבְעָ֥ם וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Abijah stood on top of Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel.

הֲלֹ֤א לָכֶם֙ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֞י יְהֹוָ֣ה׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נָתַ֨ן מַמְלָכָ֧ה לְדָוִ֛יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעוֹלָ֑ם ל֥וֹ וּלְבָנָ֖יו בְּרִ֥ית מֶֽלַח׃ {פ}

Surely you know that the E TERNAL God of Israel gave David kingship over Israel forever—to him and his sons—by a covenant of salt.

וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ יָרׇבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט עֶ֖בֶד שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְרֹ֖ד עַל־אֲדֹנָֽיו׃

Jeroboam son of Nebat had been in the service of Solomon son of David, but he rose up and rebelled against his master.

וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בְלִיַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ עַל־רְחַבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם הָ֤יָֽה נַ֙עַר֙ וְרַךְ־לֵבָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א הִתְחַזַּ֖ק לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

Riffraff and scoundrels gathered around him and pressed hard upon Rehoboam son of Solomon. Rehoboam was inexperienced and fainthearted and could not stand up to them.

וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹמְרִ֗ים לְהִתְחַזֵּק֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֣י דָוִ֑יד וְאַתֶּם֙ הָמ֣וֹן רָ֔ב וְעִמָּכֶם֙ עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם יָרׇבְעָ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃

Now you are bent on opposing G OD ’s kingdom, which is in the charge of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and possess the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

הֲלֹ֤א הִדַּחְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם וַתַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם כֹּֽהֲנִים֙ כְּעַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת כׇּל־הַבָּ֗א לְמַלֵּ֨א יָד֜וֹ בְּפַ֤ר בֶּן־בָּקָר֙ וְאֵילִ֣ם שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה כֹהֵ֖ן לְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {ס}

Did you not banish G OD ’s priests, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and, like the peoples of the land, appoint your own priests? Anyone who offered himself for ordination with a young bull of the herd and seven rams became a priest of no-gods!

וַאֲנַ֛חְנוּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א עֲזַבְנֻ֑הוּ וְכֹ֨הֲנִ֜ים מְשָׁרְתִ֤ים לַֽיהֹוָה֙ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם בַּמְלָֽאכֶת׃

As for us, our God is the E TERNAL , whom we have not forsaken. The priests who minister to G OD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are at their tasks.

וּמַקְטִרִ֣ים לַיהֹוָ֡ה עֹל֣וֹת בַּבֹּֽקֶר־בַּבֹּ֣קֶר וּבָעֶֽרֶב־בָּעֶ֣רֶב וּקְטֹֽרֶת־סַמִּים֩ וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶת לֶ֜חֶם עַל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֣ן הַטָּה֗וֹר וּמְנוֹרַ֨ת הַזָּהָ֤ב וְנֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ לְבָעֵר֙ בָּעֶ֣רֶב בָּעֶ֔רֶב כִּֽי־שֹׁמְרִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֹתֽוֹ׃

They offer burnt offerings in smoke each morning and each evening, and the aromatic incense, the rows of bread on the pure table; they kindle the golden lampstand with its lamps burning each evening, for we keep the charge of the E TERNAL our God, while you have forsaken it.

וְהִנֵּה֩ עִמָּ֨נוּ בָרֹ֜אשׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים׀וְכֹהֲנָ֛יו וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה לְהָרִ֣יעַ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַל־תִּלָּ֥חֲמ֛וּ עִם־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם כִּי־לֹ֥א תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃

See who is with us as our chief: God, whose priests have the trumpets for sounding blasts against you. O children of Israel, do not fight the E TERNAL God of your ancestors, because you will not succeed.”

וְיָרׇבְעָ֗ם הֵסֵב֙ אֶת־הַמַּאְרָ֔ב לָב֖וֹא מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהַמַּאְרָ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

Jeroboam, however, had directed the ambush to go around and come from the rear, thus the main body was in front of Judah, while the ambush was behind them.

וַיִּפְנ֣וּ יְהוּדָ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ פָּנִ֣ים וְאָח֔וֹר וַֽיִּצְעֲק֖וּ לַיהֹוָ֑ה וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים (מחצצרים) [מַחְצְרִ֖ים] בַּחֲצֹצְרֽוֹת׃

When Judah turned around and saw that the fighting was before and behind them, they cried out to G OD , and the priests blew the trumpets.

וַיָּרִ֖יעוּ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּהָרִ֙יעַ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֗ים נָגַ֤ף אֶת־יָֽרׇבְעָם֙ וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִפְנֵ֥י אֲבִיָּ֖ה וִיהוּדָֽה׃

Judah’s side raised a shout; and when Judah’s side raised a shout, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

וַיָּנ֥וּסוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדָֽם׃

The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

וַיַּכּ֥וּ בָהֶ֛ם אֲבִיָּ֥ה וְעַמּ֖וֹ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֑ה וַיִּפְּל֤וּ חֲלָלִים֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חֲמֵשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֖לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּחֽוּר׃

Abijah and his army inflicted a severe defeat on them; 500,000 of Israel’s best troops fell slain.

וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וַיֶּֽאֶמְצוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּ֣י נִשְׁעֲנ֔וּ עַל־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

The Israelites were crushed at that time, while the people of Judah triumphed because they relied on the E TERNAL God of their ancestors.

וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אֲבִיָּה֮ אַחֲרֵ֣י יָרׇבְעָם֒ וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עָרִ֔ים אֶת־בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יְשָׁנָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־(עפרון) [עֶפְרַ֖יִן] וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃

Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities—Bethel with its dependencies, Jeshanah with its dependencies, and Ephrain with its dependencies.

וְלֹֽא־עָצַ֧ר כֹּֽחַ־יָרׇבְעָ֛ם ע֖וֹד בִּימֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּגְּפֵ֥הוּ יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃ {פ}

Jeroboam could not muster strength again during the days of Abijah. G OD struck him down and he died.

וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֣ק אֲבִיָּ֔הוּ וַיִּ֨שָּׂא־ל֔וֹ נָשִׁ֖ים אַרְבַּ֣ע עֶשְׂרֵ֑ה וַיּ֗וֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ בָּנִ֔ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה בָּנֽוֹת׃

But Abijah grew powerful; he married fourteen wives and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֔ה וּדְרָכָ֖יו וּדְבָרָ֑יו כְּתוּבִ֕ים בְּמִדְרַ֖שׁ הַנָּבִ֥יא עִדּֽוֹ׃

The other events of Abijah’s reign, his conduct and his acts, are recorded in the story of the prophet Iddo.

וַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ב אֲבִיָּ֜ה עִם־אֲבֹתָ֗יו וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אָסָ֥א בְנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּ֑יו בְּיָמָ֛יו שָׁקְטָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ עֶ֥שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃ {פ}

Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David; his son Asa succeeded him as king. The land was untroubled for ten years.