Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam in Judah

(1 Kings 15:1-8)

1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah began the war with an army of men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valour.

Civil War against Jeroboam

(Judges 20:18-23; 2 Samuel 2:12-32; Matthew 13:33-33; Luke 13:20-21)

4And Abijah stood up on the top of mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear 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, to him and to his sons [by] a covenant of salt? 6But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. 7And vain men, sons of Belial, gathered to him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted, and did not shew himself strong against them.

8And now ye think to shew yourselves strong against the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and ye have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests as the peoples of the lands? whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, he becomes a priest of what is not God. 10But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests that serve Jehovah are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are at their work: 11and they burn to Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the loaves also are set in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken him. 12And behold, we have God with us at our head, and his priests, and the loud-sounding trumpets to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; and they were before Judah, and the ambush behind them. 14And Judah looked back, and behold, they had the battle in front and behind; and they cried to Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15And 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. 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. 17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; and there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18And the children of Israel were humbled at that time, and the children of Judah were strengthened, because they relied upon Jehovah the God of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its dependent villages, and Jeshanah with its dependent villages, and Ephron with its dependent villages.

The Death of Jeroboam

(1 Kings 14:19-20)

20And Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and Jehovah smote him, and he died.

21But Abijah strengthened himself, and took fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his sayings, are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.