1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.3 And Abijah began the war with an army of men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valour.4 And Abijah stood up on the top of mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, 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, to him and to his sons {by} a covenant of salt?6 But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.7 And vain men, sons of Belial, gathered to him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted, and did not shew himself strong against them.8 And now ye think to shew yourselves strong against the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and ye have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.9 Have ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests as the peoples of the lands? whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, he becomes a priest of what is not God.10 But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests that serve Jehovah are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are at their work:11 and they burn to Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the loaves also are set in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps to burn every evening: for *we* keep the charge of Jehovah our God; but *ye* have forsaken him.12 And behold, we have God with us at our head, and his priests, and the loud-sounding trumpets to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, do not fight with Jehovah the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; and they were before Judah, and the ambush behind them.14 And Judah looked back, and behold, they had the battle in front and behind; and they cried to Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.15 And 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; and there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.18 And the children of Israel were humbled at that time, and the children of Judah were strengthened, because they relied upon Jehovah the God of their fathers.19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him: Bethel with its dependent villages, and Jeshanah with its dependent villages, and Ephron with its dependent villages.20 And Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and Jehovah smote him, and he died.21 But Abijah strengthened himself, and took fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his sayings, are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

1 In die agttiende jaar van koning Jerobeam het Ab¡a oor Juda koning geword.2 Drie jaar het hy in Jerusalem geregeer; en die naam van sy moeder was Mig ja, die dogter van Uriël uit G¡bea. En daar was oorlog tussen Ab¡a en Jerobeam.3 En Ab¡a het die oorlog begin met 'n leër van dapper krygsmanne, vier honderd duisend jong manskappe; en Jerobeam het hom in slagorde teen hom opgestel met agt honderd duisend jong manskappe, dapper helde.4 Toe gaan Ab¡a bo-op die berg Semar im staan wat in die gebergte van Efraim is, en sê: Luister na my, Jerobeam en die hele Israel!5 Behoort julle nie te weet dat die HERE, die God van Israel, die koningskap oor Israel aan Dawid vir ewig gegee het, aan hom en sy seuns as 'n soutverbond nie?6 Maar Jerobeam, die seun van Nebat, die dienaar van Salomo, die seun van Dawid, het opgestaan en teen sy heer gerebelleer.7 En ligsinnige manne, deugniete, het by hom vergader en hulle versit teen Reh beam, die seun van Salomo; en Reh beam was jonk en week van hart, sodat hy hulle geen teëstand kon bied nie.8 En nou dink julle om teëstand te bied aan die koningskap van die HERE in die hand van die seuns van Dawid, omdat julle 'n groot menigte is en daar goue kalwers by julle is wat Jerobeam vir julle as gode gemaak het.9 Het julle nie die priesters van die HERE, die seuns van A„ron, en die Leviete verdrywe en vir julle priesters gemaak soos die volke van die lande nie? Elkeen wat kom met 'n jong bul en sewe ramme om hom te laat aanstel, die het priester geword van die wat geen gode is nie.10 Maar ons -- die HERE is onse God, en ons het Hom nie verlaat nie; en as priesters dien die seuns van A„ron die HERE, en die Leviete is in die dienswerk.11 En hulle steek brandoffers vir die HERE aan die brand, elke môre en elke aand, en reukwerk van speserye, en hulle sorg vir die toonbrode op die rein tafel en vir die goue kandelaar met sy lampe, om dit elke aand op te steek; want ons onderhou die ordening van die HERE onse God, maar julle het Hom verlaat.12 En kyk, by ons is God aan die hoof en sy priesters met die alarmtrompette om teen julle alarm te blaas. Kinders van Israel, voer tog nie oorlog teen die HERE, die God van julle vaders nie, want julle sal nie voorspoedig wees nie.13 Maar Jerobeam het die hinderlaag laat omtrek om hulle van agter by te kom, sodat hulle voor Juda was en die hinderlaag agter hulle.14 En toe Juda omdraai, was die geveg meteens voor en agter hulle; en hulle het die HERE aangeroep, terwyl die priesters op die trompette blaas.15 Daarop hef die manskappe van Juda 'n krygsgeskreeu aan; en toe die manskappe van Juda die krygsgeskreeu aanhef, het God Jerobeam en die hele Israel voor Ab¡a en Juda verslaan.16 En die kinders van Israel het gevlug vir Juda, en God het hulle in hul hand gegee.17 En Ab¡a met sy manskappe het 'n groot slag onder hulle geslaan, sodat van Israel vyf honderd duisend jong manskappe as gesneuweldes geval het.18 En die kinders van Israel is in die tyd verneder, maar die kinders van Juda het sterk geword, omdat hulle op die HERE, die God van hulle vaders, gesteun het.19 En Ab¡a het Jerobeam agternagejaag en stede van hom afgeneem: Bet-el met sy onderhorige plekke, en Jes na met sy onderhorige plekke, en Efron met sy onderhorige plekke.20 En Jerobeam het geen krag meer behou in die dae van Ab¡a nie, en die HERE het hom swaar getref, sodat hy gesterf het.21 Maar Ab¡a het hom versterk; en hy het vir hom veertien vroue geneem en die vader van twee en twintig seuns en sestien dogters geword.22 En die verdere geskiedenis van Ab¡a, sy weë en sy woorde, is beskrywe in die Uitleg van die profeet Iddo.