1. In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah reigned over Judah.
2. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and between Jeroboam.
3. And Abijah joined in the battle with an army of four hundred thousand battle-hardened warriors, chosen men, and Jeroboam put the battle in order against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, an army of mighty warriors.
4. Then Abijah stood up on top of Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!
5. Do you not all know that Yahweh the God of Israel gave the kingdom to David over Israel forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6. But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master,
7. and worthless men, sons of wickedness, were gathered about him and became hostile against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was a boy and gentle of heart and was not strong enough to stand before them.
8. So now you yourselves are considering that you are strong before the kingdom of Yahweh which is in the hand the sons of David, since you yourselves are a great multitude and you have bull calves of gold that Jeroboam has made for idols.
9. Did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, the Levites? Have you not made for yourselves priests like all the peoples of the lands? All who come to be consecrated for priestly service with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what is not a god.