| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. | 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. |
| 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. | 2He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
| 3Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor. | 3Abijah launched the attack with 400,000 well-trained warriors, while Jeroboam deployed against him 800,000 well-trained warriors. |
| 4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: | 4Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, in the Ephraimite hill country, and said: "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! |
| 5Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt? | 5Don't you realize that the LORD God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? |
| 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. | 6Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. |
| 7Then worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them. | 7Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man and could not resist them. |
| 8And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. | 8Now you are declaring that you will resist the LORD's rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. |
| 9Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of things that are not gods? | 9But you banished the LORD's priests, Aaron's descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake gods! |
| 10But 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. | 10But 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. |
| 11And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. | 11They offer burnt sacrifices to the LORD every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly we are observing the LORD our God's regulations, but you have rejected him. |
| 12Now look, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!” | 12Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. You Israelites, don't fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, for you will not win!" |
| 13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. | 13Now Jeroboam had sent some men to ambush the Judahite army from behind. The main army was in front of the Judahite army; the ambushers were behind it. |
| 14And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets. | 14The men of Judah turned around and realized they were being attacked from the front and the rear. So they cried out for help to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets, |
| 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. | 15and the men of Judah gave the battle cry. As the men of Judah gave the battle cry, the LORD struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. |
| 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. | 16The Israelites fled from before the Judahite army, and God handed them over to the men of Judah. |
| 17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain. | 17Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated them; 500,000 well-trained Israelite men fell dead. |
| 18Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers. | 18That day the Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD God of their ancestors. |
| 19And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephrain with its villages. | 19Abijah chased Jeroboam; he seized from him these cities: Bethel and its surrounding towns, Jeshanah and its surrounding towns, and Ephron and its surrounding towns. |
| 20So Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him, and he died. | 20Jeroboam did not regain power during the reign of Abijah. The LORD struck him down and he died. |
| 21But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. | 21Abijah's power grew; he had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. |
| 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo. | 22The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, including his deeds and sayings, are recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo. |
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