Now in the eighteenthyearof kingJeroboambegan Abijahto reignoverJudah. He reignedthreeyearsin Jerusalem. His mother's namealso was Michaiahthe daughterof UrielofGibeah. And there waswarbetweenAbijahand Jeroboam. And Abijahsetthe battlein array with an armyof valiant menof war, even fourhundredthousandchosenmen: Jeroboamalso set the battle in arrayagainsthim with eighthundredthousandchosenmen, being mighty menof valor. And Abijahstood upuponmountZemaraim, which is in mountEphraim, and said, Hearme, thou Jeroboam, and allIsrael; Ought ye notto knowthatthe LORDGodof Israelgavethe kingdomoverIsraelto Davidforever, even to him and to his sonsby a covenantof salt? Yet Jeroboamthe sonof Nebat, the servantof Solomonthe sonof David, is risen up, and hath rebelledagainsthis lord. And there are gathereduntohim vainmen, the childrenof Belial, and have strengthened themselvesagainstRehoboamthe sonof Solomon, when Rehoboamwasyoungand tenderhearted, and could notwithstandthem. And nowyethinkto withstandthe kingdomof the LORDin the handof the sonsof David; and ye be a greatmultitude, and there are withyou goldencalves, whichJeroboammadeyou for gods. Have ye notcast outthe priestsof the LORD, the sonsof Aaron, and the Levites, and have madeyou priestsafter the manner of the nationsof other lands? so that whosoevercomethto consecratehimself with a youngbullockand sevenrams, the same may bea priestof them that are nogods. But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have notforsakenhim; and the priests, which ministerunto the LORD, are the sonsof Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: And they burnunto the LORDevery morningand every eveningburnt sacrificesand sweetincense: the shewbreadalso set they in order uponthe puretable; and the candlestickof goldwith the lampsthereof, to burnevery evening: forwekeepthe chargeof the LORDour God; but yehave forsakenhim. And, behold, Godhimself is withus for our captain, and his priestswith soundingtrumpetsto cry alarmagainstyou. O childrenof Israel, fightye notagainstthe LORDGodof your fathers; forye shall notprosper. But Jeroboamcausedan ambushmentto come aboutbehindthem: so they werebeforeJudah, and the ambushment was behindthem. And when Judahlooked back, behold, the battle was beforeand behind: and they criedunto the LORD, and the priestssoundedwith the trumpets. Then the menof Judahgave a shout: and as the menof Judahshouted, it came to pass, that GodsmoteJeroboamand allIsraelbeforeAbijahand Judah. And the childrenof IsraelfledbeforeJudah: and Goddeliveredthem into their hand. And Abijahand his peopleslewthem with a greatslaughter: so there fell downslainof Israelfivehundredthousandchosenmen. Thus the childrenof Israelwere brought underat thattime, and the childrenof Judahprevailed, becausethey relieduponthe LORDGodof their fathers. And AbijahpursuedafterJeroboam, and tookcitiesfromhim, Bethelwiththe townsthereof, and Jeshanahwiththe townsthereof, and Ephrainwith the townsthereof. Neitherdid Jeroboamrecoverstrengthagainin the daysof Abijah: and the LORDstruckhim, and he died. But Abijahwaxed mighty, and marriedfourteenwives, and begottwentyand twosons, and sixteendaughters. And the restof the actsof Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are writtenin the storyof the prophetIddo.