2 Chronicles 13

Abijah Reigns in Judah

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

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was 1 Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah 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. 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount c Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 "Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel d gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, e by a covenant of salt? 6 "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and f rebelled against his lord. 7 "Then g worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was h young and inexperienced and could not withstand them.

8 "And 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 i made for you as gods. 9 j "Have 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, k so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of l things that are not gods? 10 "But as for us, the LORD is our m 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. 11 n "And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the o showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps p to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12 "Now look, God Himself is with us as our q head, r 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!"

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they s cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God t struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, u because they relied on the LORD God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and v Ephrain 2 with its villages. 20 So Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD w struck him, and x he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in y the 3 annals of the prophet Iddo.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 15:1
    In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:17
    But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 18:22
    Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel.
  4. Cross References
    2 Samuel 7:8 - 16
    Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.
  5. Cross References
    Leviticus 2:13
    And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
    Numbers 18:19
    "All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you."
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 11:28
    The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
    1 Kings 12:20
    Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
  7. Cross References
    Judges 9:4
    So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of BaalBe'rith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 12:13
    Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
  9. Cross References
    1 Kings 12:28
    Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!
    1 Kings 14:9
    But you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back -
    2 Chronicles 11:15
    Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
    Hosea 8:4 - 6
    They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves - That they might be cut off.
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 11:13 - 15
    And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him.
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 29:29 - 33
    And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.
  12. Cross References
    Jeremiah 2:11
    Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.
    Jeremiah 5:7
    How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 24:15
    "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 29:38
    Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually.
    2 Chronicles 2:4
    Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 25:30
    And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.
    Leviticus 24:5 - 9
    And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 27:20
    And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.
    Exodus 27:21
    In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.
    Leviticus 24:2
    Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually.
    Leviticus 24:3
    Outside the veil of the Testimony, in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 5:13 - 15
    And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, " Are You for us or for our adversaries?
    Hebrews 2:10
    For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
  18. Cross References
    Numbers 10:8 - 10
    The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.
  19. Cross References
    Joshua 24:7
    So they cried out to the LORD; and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them, and covered them. And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelt in the wilderness a long time.
    2 Chronicles 6:34
    When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name.
    2 Chronicles 6:35
    Then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
    2 Chronicles 14:11
    And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!
  20. Cross References
    1 Kings 14:14
    Moreover the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now!
    2 Chronicles 14:12
    So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
  21. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 5:20
    And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him.
    2 Chronicles 14:11
    And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!
    Psalms 22:5
    They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
  22. Cross References
    Joshua 15:9
    Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah (which is Kirjath Jearim).
  23. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:6
    The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.
    1 Samuel 25:38
    Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
    Acts 12:23
    Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
  24. Cross References
    1 Kings 14:20
    The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then Nadab his son reigned in his place.
  25. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 9:29
    Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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