Bible Verses About Kings: Abijam or Abijah

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to reign over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

Nevertheless for David’s sake, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem;

because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and didn’t turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his place.

In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

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.

Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

Ought you not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them.

“Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

Haven’t you driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves after the ways of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those who are no gods.

“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have priests ministering to the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

and they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lamp stand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken him.

Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the shofars of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don’t fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper.”

But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the shofars.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout. As the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

The children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.