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| [1]In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. |
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| [2]He reigned three year in Jerusalem: (his mother's name also was Michaiah [Maacah] the daughter of Uriel of Gibea) and there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
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| [3]And Abijah set the battle in array with the army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men which were strong and valiant. |
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| [4]And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemeraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, O Jeroboam, and all Israel, hear you me, |
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| [5]Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath given the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? |
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| [6]And Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the son of David is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord: |
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| [7]And there are gathered to him vain men and wicked, and made themselves strong against Rehoboam the son of Solomon: for Rehoboam was but a child and tender hearted, and could not resist them. |
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| [8]Now therefore ye think that ye be able to resist against the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of the sons of David, and ye be a great multitude, and the golden calves are with you which Jeroboam made you for gods. |
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| [9]Have ye not driven away the priests of the Lord the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have made you priests like the people of other countries? Whosoever cometh to consecrate with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. |
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| [10]But we belong unto the Lord our God, and have not forsaken him, and the priests the sons of Aaron minister unto the Lord, and the Levites in their office. |
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| [11]And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense, and the bread is set in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the watch of the Lord our God: but ye have forsaken him. |
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| [12]And behold, this God is with us, as a captain, and his priests with the sounding trumpets, to cry an alarm against you. O ye children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper. |
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| [13]But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to compass, and come behind them, when they were before Judah, and the ambushment behind them. |
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| [14]Then Judah looked, and behold, the battle was before and behind them, and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests blew with the trumpets, |
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| [15]And the men of Judah gave a shout: and even as the men of Judah shouted, God smote Jeroboam and also Israel before Abijah and Judah. |
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| [16]And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. |
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| [17]And Abijah and his people slew a great slaughter of them, so that there fell down wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. |
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| [18]So the children of Israel were brought under at that time: and the children of Judah prevailed, because they stayed upon the Lord God of their fathers. |
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| [19]And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, even Bethel, and the villages thereof, and Jeshanah with her villages, and Ephron with her villages. |
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| [20]And Jeroboam recovered no strength again in the days of Abijah, but the Lord plagued him, and he died. |
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| [21]So Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat two and twenty sons, and sixteen daughters. |
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| [22]The rest of the acts of Abijah and his manners and his sayings are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. |
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