1. Abijah became king over Judah in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam.
2. He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah; she was Uriel’s daughter from Gibeah. When war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam,
3. Abijah went to fight with an army of four hundred thousand select troops against Jeroboam’s select forces numbering eight hundred thousand, who were arrayed in battle formation.
4. Abijah stood on the heights of Mount Zemaraim in Ephraim’s highlands and said:“Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
5. Surely you know that the Lord, Israel’s God, made an unbreakable covenant with David and his descendants that they would rule Israel forever.
6. It was Jeroboam, Nebat’s son, the servant of Solomon, David’s son, who rebelled against his master.
7. When some useless, worthless people joined his cause, they overpowered Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, who was too young and timid to resist them.
8. And now do you intend to challenge the Lord’s royal rule, entrusted to David’s descendants? You may have a numerical advantage, as well as the gold calves Jeroboam made for you as gods.