In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand choice men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.

And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Do you not know that Jehovah the God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.

And worthless men, just scoundrels, gathered around him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender in heart and could not withstand them.

And now you think that you can withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David because you are a great multitude and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made as gods for you.

Have you not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And you made for yourselves priests like those of the peoples of other lands, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a bull of the herd and seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods.

But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to Jehovah are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are in their work.

And they offer in smoke to Jehovah burnt offerings morning by morning and evening by evening as well as fragrant incense, and they set the rows of bread upon the pure table, and they care for the golden lampstand and its lamps that it may burn evening by evening; for we keep the charge of Jehovah our God, but you have forsaken Him.

And here with us is God at our head and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound out against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against Jehovah, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.

Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come up from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

And when Judah looked back, the battle was right on them, before and behind; and they cried out to Jehovah, and the priests sounded the trumpets.

And the men of Judah shouted; and when the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.

And Abijah and his people struck a great blow on them, so that five hundred thousand choice men from Israel fell slain.

Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel and its villages, and Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages.

And Jeroboam never regained power during the days of Abijah; but Jehovah struck him, and he died.

And Abijah grew stronger; and he took to himself fourteen wives and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.