1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah reigns over Judah;
2he has reigned three years in Jerusalem (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah), and there has been war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3And Abijah directs the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam has set in array [for] battle with him, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor.
4And Abijah rises up on the hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and says, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
5Is it not for you to know that YHWH, God of Israel, has given the kingdom over Israel to David for all time, to him and to his sons—a covenant of salt?
6And Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, rises up and rebels against his lord!
7And vain men are gathered to him, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and has not strengthened himself against them.
8And now you are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of YHWH in the hand of the sons of David, and you [are] a numerous multitude, and calves of gold [are] with you that Jeroboam has made for you for gods.
9Have you not cast out the priests of YHWH, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests for yourselves like the peoples of the lands? Everyone who has come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he has been a priest for [those which are] not gods!
10As 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,
11and are making incense to YHWH, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and incense of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of our God YHWH, and you have forsaken Him.
12And behold, with us—at [our] head—[is] God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with YHWH, God of your fathers, for you do not prosper.”
13And Jeroboam has brought around the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush [is] behind them.
14And Judah turns, and behold, the battle [is] against them, before and behind, and they cry to YHWH, and the priests are blowing with trumpets,
15and the men of Judah shout; and it comes to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God has struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God gives them into their hand,
17and Abijah and his people strike among them a great striking, and five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fall wounded.
18And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leaned on YHWH, God of their fathers.
19And Abijah pursues after Jeroboam and captures cities from him: Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.
20And Jeroboam has not retained power anymore in the days of Abijah, and YHWH strikes him, and he dies.
21And Abijah strengthens himself, and takes fourteen wives for himself, and begets twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters;
22and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.