2 Chronicles 13:10
New International Version
“As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.

New Living Translation
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the LORD as priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work.

English Standard Version
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service.

Berean Standard Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

King James Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

New King James Version
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

New American Standard Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work.

NASB 1995
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work.

NASB 1977
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their work.

Legacy Standard Bible
But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to Yahweh as priests, and the Levites are in their work.

Amplified Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned (turned away from) Him. The sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites attend to their service.

Christian Standard Bible
“But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not abandoned him; the priests ministering to the LORD are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“But as for us, Yahweh is our God. We have not abandoned Him; the priests ministering to the LORD are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks.

American Standard Version
But 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:

Contemporary English Version
But we have not turned our backs on the LORD God! Aaron's own descendants serve as our priests, and the Levites are their assistants.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"However, the LORD is our God. We haven't abandoned him. The priests who serve the LORD are Aaron's descendants, and the Levites assist them.

Good News Translation
"But we still serve the LORD our God and have not abandoned him. Priests descended from Aaron perform their duties, and Levites assist them.

International Standard Version
"Now as far as we're concerned, the LORD is our God, and we haven't abandoned him. The descendants of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the descendants of Levi continue their work.

Majority Standard Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

NET Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God and we have not rejected him. Aaron's descendants serve as the LORD's priests and the Levites assist them with the work.

New Heart English Bible
"But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to the LORD, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

Webster's Bible Translation
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who minister to the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

World English Bible
“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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
As for us, YHWH [is] our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to YHWH, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,

Young's Literal Translation
As for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,

Smith's Literal Translation
And we, Jehovah is our God, and we forsook him not; and the priests serving to Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in the work:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But the Lord is our God, whom we forsake not, and the priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are in their order.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And the priests who minister to the Lord are from the sons of Aaron. And the Levites are in their proper order.

New American Bible
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. The priests ministering to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites also have their offices.

New Revised Standard Version
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are descendants of Aaron, and Levites for their service.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But as for us, we have not forsaken the LORD our God, and the priests, who minister to the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites serve as they should;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And we have not left LORD JEHOVAH our God, and the Priests who serve LORD JEHOVAH are the sons of Aaron and the Levites in their ministries.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and his priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, minister to the Lord; and in their daily courses

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Civil War Against Jeroboam
9But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods. 10But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. 11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.…

Cross References
1 Kings 12:26-33
Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David. / If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, their hearts will return to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; then they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” / After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” ...

1 Kings 13:1-5
Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD. / And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’” / That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’” ...

1 Kings 14:21-24
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. / And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and by the sins they committed they provoked Him to jealous anger more than all their fathers had done. / They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. ...

2 Chronicles 11:13-17
Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. / For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. / And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. ...

2 Chronicles 15:3-4
For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law. / But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.

2 Chronicles 30:7-9
Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see. / Now do not stiffen your necks as your fathers did. Submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that His fierce anger will turn away from you. / For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.

2 Chronicles 34:33
And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the Israelites, and he required everyone in Israel to serve the LORD their God. Throughout his reign they did not turn aside from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Exodus 29:44-46
So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests. / Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. / And they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

Leviticus 17:7
They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’

Deuteronomy 12:5-7
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go. / To that place you are to bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and heave offerings, your vow offerings and freewill offerings, as well as the firstborn of your herds and flocks. / There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:13-14
Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see; / you must offer them only in the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribal territories, and there you shall do all that I command you.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”


Treasury of Scripture

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister to the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait on their business:

2 Chronicles 11:16,17
And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers…

Exodus 19:5,6
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: …

Zechariah 13:9
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

the priests

Exodus 29:1
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,

Numbers 16:40
To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

Numbers 18:1-7
And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood…

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2 Chronicles 13
1. Abijah succeeding makes war against Jeroboam
4. he declares the right of his cause
13. Trusting in God, he overcomes Jeroboam
21. The wives and children of Abijah














But as for us
This phrase sets a clear distinction between the people of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. In the Hebrew text, the word "us" (אֲנַ֣חְנוּ, 'anachnu) emphasizes a collective identity rooted in faithfulness to God. Historically, this reflects the division of the united monarchy after Solomon's reign, where Judah remained more aligned with the Davidic covenant. This phrase calls believers to consider their own identity in Christ, distinct from the world.

the LORD is our God
The name "LORD" (יהוה, YHWH) is the sacred tetragrammaton, representing the covenantal name of God. This declaration is a reaffirmation of the exclusive worship of Yahweh, contrasting with the idolatry prevalent in the northern kingdom. It echoes the Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4, a central tenet of Jewish faith, and calls Christians to acknowledge the sovereignty and exclusivity of God in their lives.

and we have not forsaken Him
The Hebrew root for "forsaken" (עָזַב, 'azab) implies abandonment or neglect. Historically, this statement underscores Judah's commitment to the covenant, unlike Israel, which had turned to idol worship under Jeroboam. For believers, it serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in faith, avoiding the spiritual neglect that leads to apostasy.

The priests who minister to the LORD
The role of priests (כֹּהֲנִים, kohanim) is central to the worship and sacrificial system established in the Mosaic Law. The phrase highlights the legitimate priesthood of Aaron's descendants, contrasting with the illegitimate priests appointed by Jeroboam. This emphasizes the importance of adhering to God's ordained structures and leadership within the church.

are sons of Aaron
Aaronic lineage was crucial for the legitimacy of the priesthood. This phrase underscores the continuity of God's covenantal promises through the Levitical priesthood. It serves as a reminder of the importance of spiritual heritage and the faithfulness of God to His promises, encouraging believers to value their spiritual lineage in Christ.

and the Levites attend to their duties
The Levites (לְוִיִּם, Levi'im) were set apart for service in the temple, assisting the priests. Their duties were divinely appointed, emphasizing order and obedience in worship. This phrase calls Christians to recognize their own roles within the body of Christ, serving faithfully in the capacities God has assigned to them, and maintaining the order and purity of worship.

(10) We have not forsaken him.--Comp. 1Kings 15:3. "he walked in all the sins of his father," "his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God." But that passage is by no means incompatible with the present as some have asserted. What Abijah here states is surely true--viz.,that Judah had maintained the Levitical priesthood, and its associated worship. And the following words prove this to be his meaning: "and the priests which minister unto the Lord are the sons of Aaron; and the Levites wait upon their business," (literally, are in the work). The work of the service of Jehovah could be duly performed by none but Levites.

Verses 10, 11. - The professions summarized in these two verses were confessedly formally true of the king and priests and nation, although Abijah and kingdom certainly did not carry a clean conscience in them (Matthew 15:8; Mark 12:33; 1 Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11, 16, 19). They were, moreover, beyond a doubt really true of multitudes of individuals in the kingdom of Judah and Benjamin. And these were "the salt of the" kingdom (Matthew 5:13). They burnt... sweet incense (so our 2 Chronicles 2:4; Exodus 30:7; Revelation 8:3, 4). The pure table... the candlestick. Although ten of each of these were made, only one was used, or only one at the time (see our note on 2 Chronicles 4:8, compared with 2 Chronicles 29:18; 1 Kings 7:48). We have not forsaken him... ye have forsaken him. If all the difference that these words have it in them to express could have been put to the credit of Abijsh, what tremendous strength would have now belonged to his position and to his heart!

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But as for us,
וַאֲנַ֛חְנוּ (wa·’ă·naḥ·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common plural
Strong's 587: We

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

is our God.
אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

We have not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

forsaken Him;
עֲזַבְנֻ֑הוּ (‘ă·zaḇ·nu·hū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5800: To loosen, relinquish, permit

the priests
וְכֹ֨הֲנִ֜ים (wə·ḵō·hă·nîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

ministering
מְשָׁרְתִ֤ים (mə·šā·rə·ṯîm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

to the LORD
לַֽיהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

are descendants
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Aaron,
אַהֲרֹ֔ן (’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

and the Levites
וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם (wə·hal·wî·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

[attend] to [their] duties.
בַּמְלָֽאכֶת׃ (bam·lā·ḵeṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4399: Deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 13:10 But as for us Yahweh is our (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 13:9
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