1 No décimo oitavo ano do rei Jeroboão, Abias começou a reinar sobre Judá. Três anos reinou em Jerusalém. 2 Era o nome de sua mãe Micaía, filha de Uriel, de Gibeá. Também houve guerra entre Abias e Jeroboão. 3 Abias ordenou a peleja com um exército de valentes guerreiros, de quatrocentos mil homens escolhidos; e Jeroboão dispôs contra ele a batalha com oitocentos mil homens escolhidos, todos guerreiros valentes. 4 Pôs-se Abias em pé no alto do monte Zemaraim, que está na região montanhosa de Efraim, e disse: Ouvi-me, Jeroboão e todo o Israel: 5 Não vos convém saber que o Senhor, Deus de Israel, deu para sempre a Davi a soberania de Israel, a ele e a seus filhos, por uma aliança de sal? 6 Contudo, se levantou Jeroboão, filho de Nebate, servo de Salomão, filho de Davi, e se rebelou contra seu senhor. 7 Ajuntou-se a ele gente vadia, homens malignos; fortificaram-se contra Roboão, filho de Salomão; sendo Roboão ainda jovem e indeciso, não lhes pôde resistir.

8 Agora, pensais que podeis resistir ao reino do Senhor, que está nas mãos dos filhos de Davi; bem sois vós uma grande multidão e tendes convosco os bezerros de ouro que Jeroboão vos fez para deuses. 9 Não lançastes fora os sacerdotes do Senhor, os filhos de Arão e os levitas, e não fizestes para vós outros sacerdotes, como as gentes das outras terras? Qualquer que vem a consagrar-se com um novilho e sete carneiros logo se faz sacerdote daqueles que não são deuses. 10 Porém, quanto a nós, o Senhor é nosso Deus, e nunca o deixamos; temos sacerdotes, que ministram ao Senhor, a saber, os filhos de Arão e os levitas na sua obra. 11 Cada dia, de manhã e à tarde, oferecem holocaustos e queimam incenso aromático, dispondo os pães da proposição sobre a mesa puríssima e o candeeiro de ouro e as suas lâmpadas para se acenderem cada tarde, porque nós guardamos o preceito do Senhor, nosso Deus; porém vós o deixastes. 12 Eis que Deus está conosco, à nossa frente, como também os seus sacerdotes, tocando com as trombetas, para rebate contra vós outros, ó filhos de Israel; não pelejeis contra o Senhor, Deus de vossos pais, porque não sereis bem-sucedidos. 13 Mas Jeroboão ordenou aos que estavam de emboscada que fizessem uma volta e dessem contra eles por detrás; de maneira que estavam em frente dos homens de Judá, e a emboscada, por detrás deles. 14 Olhou Judá e viu que a peleja estava por diante e por detrás; então, clamaram ao Senhor, e os sacerdotes tocaram as trombetas. 15 Os homens de Judá gritaram; quando gritavam, feriu Deus a Jeroboão e a todo o Israel diante de Abias e de Judá. 16 Os filhos de Israel fugiram de diante de Judá, pois Deus os entregara nas suas mãos. 17 De maneira que Abias e o seu povo fizeram grande matança entre eles; porque caíram feridos de Israel quinhentos mil homens escolhidos. 18 Assim, foram humilhados os filhos de Israel naquele tempo; prevaleceram os filhos de Judá, porque confiaram no Senhor, Deus de seus pais. 19 Abias perseguiu a Jeroboão e lhe tomou cidades: Betel, Jesana e Efrom, com suas respectivas vilas. 20 Jeroboão não restaurou mais o seu poder no tempo de Abias; feriu o Senhor a Jeroboão, que morreu. 21 Abias, porém, se fortificou, e tomou para si catorze mulheres, e gerou vinte e dois filhos e dezesseis filhas. 22 Quanto aos mais atos de Abias, tanto o que fez como o que disse, estão escritos no Livro da História do Profeta Ido.

1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor. 4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Ought ye not to know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. 7 And there were gathered unto him worthless men, base fellows, that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. 8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. 10 But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering unto Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: 11 and they burn unto Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken him. 12 And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote 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 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephron with the towns thereof. 20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Jehovah smote him, and he died. 21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,

2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maakah, "a daughter "of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me!

5 Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master.

7 Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them.

8 "And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.

9 But didn't you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.

10 "As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.

11 Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him.

12 God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed."

13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them.

14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets

15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

17 Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel's able men.

18 The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages.

20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down and he died.

21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.