King Abijah of Judah
(1 Kings 15.1-8)1 Abijah became king of Judah in Jeroboam's eighteenth year as king of Israel, 2 and he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.
Some time later, Abijah and King Jeroboam of Israel went to war against each other. 3 Abijah's army had 400,000 troops, and Jeroboam met him in battle with 800,000 troops.
4 Abijah went to the top of Mount Zemaraim in the hills of Ephraim and shouted:
Listen, Jeroboam and all you Israelites! 5 The Lord God of Israel has made a solemn promise that every king of Israel will be from David's family. 6 But Jeroboam, you were King Solomon's official, and you rebelled. 7 Then right after Rehoboam became king, you and your bunch of worthless followers challenged Rehoboam, who was too young to know how to stop you.
8 Now you and your powerful army think you can stand up to the kingdom that the Lord has given to David's descendants. The only gods you have are those gold statues of calves that Jeroboam made for you. 9 You don't even have descendants of Aaron on your side, because you forced out the Lord's priests and Levites. In their place, you appoint ordinary people to be priests, just as the foreign nations do. In fact, anyone who brings a bull and seven rams to the altar can become a priest of your so-called gods.
10 But we have not turned our backs on the Lord God! Aaron's own descendants serve as our priests, and the Levites are their assistants. 11 Two times every day they offer sacrifices and burn incense to the Lord. They set out the sacred loaves of bread on a table that has been purified, and they light the lamps in the gold lampstand every day at sunset. We follow the commands of the Lord our God—you have rejected him! 12 That's why God is on our side and will lead us into battle when the priests sound the signal on the trumpets. It's no use, Israelites. You might as well give up. There's no way you can defeat the Lord, the God your ancestors worshiped.
13 But while Abijah was talking, Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to attack Judah's army from behind, while the rest attacked from the front. 14 Judah's army realized they were trapped, and so they prayed to the Lord. The priests blew the signal on the trumpet, 15 and the troops let out a battle cry. Then with Abijah leading them into battle, God defeated Jeroboam and Israel's army. 16 The Israelites ran away, and God helped Judah's soldiers slaughter 17 500,000 enemy troops. 18 Judah's army won because they had trusted the Lord God of their ancestors.
19 Abijah kept up his attack on Jeroboam's army and captured the Israelite towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, as well as the villages around them.
20 Jeroboam never regained his power during the rest of Abijah's rule. The Lord punished Jeroboam, and he died, but Abijah became more powerful.
21 Abijah had a total of 14 wives, 22 sons, and 16 daughters. 22 Everything Abijah said and did while he was king is written in the records of Iddo the prophet.
Abija valda pār Jūdu
(1Ķēn 15:1–8)1 Ķēniņa Jārobāma astoņpadsmitajā gadā Jūdā sāka valdīt Abija – 2 viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē trīs gadus. Viņa mātes vārds bija Maaha, Ūrīēla meita no Gibas. Un bija karš starp Abiju un Jārobāmu. 3 Abija devās uzbrukumā ar četri simti tūkstošiem varonīgu karavīru, bet Jārobāms lika pretī astoņi simti tūkstošus varonīgu karavīru.
4 Tad Abija nostājās uz Cemāraima kalna Efraima kalnos un sacīja: “Klausies mani, Jārobām un Israēl! 5 Vai tad nezināt, ka Kungs, Israēla Dievs, Israēla valsti uz mūžiem piešķīris Dāvidam un viņa dēliem ar sāls derību? 6 Bet Jārobāms, Nebāta dēls, Sālamana, Dāvida dēla, kalps sacēlās pret savu kungu! 7 Ap viņu salasījās visādi niekkalbji, nelieši, un tie viņu atbalstīja pret Rehabeāmu, Sālamana dēlu, kad Rehabeāms vēl bija nesaprātīgs zēns un nevarēja tiem pretoties. 8 Vai tagad jūs domājat pretoties Kunga valstij, kas nodota Dāvida dēliem?! Jūsu ir milzum daudz, jums ir zelta teļi – dievi, kurus Jārobāms jums darinājis! 9 Vai tad jūs nepadzināt Kunga priesterus, Ārona dēlus, un levītus un neiecēlāt sev priesterus tāpat kā citu zemju tautas? Ikviens nāca un pats iecēla sevi par priesteri tam, kas nav Dievs, dodams jaunu vērsēnu un septiņus aunus.
10 Bet mums ir Kungs, mūsu Dievs, un mēs viņu neesam atmetuši, un Kungam kalpo priesteri, Ārona dēli, un levīti tiem piekalpo. 11 Sadedzināmā upura dūmi ik rītu un vakaru ceļas pie Kunga, kā arī vīraka smarža, uz tīra zelta galda ir upurmaizes, uz zelta gaismekļu pamatnēm ik vakaru gail eļļas lukturīši, jo mēs ievērojam, ko Kungs, mūsu Dievs, ir noteicis – taču jūs viņu atmetāt! 12 Un, redzi, Dievs ir ar mums, viņš ir mūsu vadonis, un viņa priesteri pūš pret jums kara taures, Israēla dēli! Jūs nekarosiet pret Kungu, savu tēvu Dievu, tas jums neizdosies!”
13 Jārobāms lika tos apiet, doties uz slēpni un nokļūt tiem aizmugurē. Viņi bija gan Jūdas priekšā, gan slēpnī aizmugurē. 14 Jūda paraudzījās, un redzi – jākaro gan priekšā, gan aizmugurē! Tad viņi piesauca Kungu, un priesteri pūta taures, 15 un visi jūdi kliedza. Jūdiem kliedzot, Dievs sita Jārobāmu un visu Israēlu Abijas un Jūdas priekšā. 16 Israēla dēli bēga no Jūdas, bet Dievs tos bija nodevis viņiem – 17 Abija ar saviem ļaudīm tos kāva lielā slaktiņā. Israēlā nokauti krita pieci simti tūkstoši izlases vīru. 18 Israēla dēli todien tika pazemoti, bet Jūdas dēli bija stipri, jo viņi paļāvās uz Kungu, savu tēvu Dievu. 19 Abija vajāja Jārobāmu un atņēma tam pilsētas – Bēteli un tās ciemus, Ješānu un tās ciemus, kā arī Efronu un tās ciemus. 20 Abijas dienās Jārobāma spēks zuda, Kungs viņu sita, un viņš nomira.
21 Abija kļuva stiprs. Viņš ņēma četrpadsmit sievas, un tās viņam dzemdēja divdesmit divus dēlus un sešpadsmit meitas.
22 Pārējie Abijas darbi, viņa gaitas un tas, ko viņš sacījis, ir rakstīts pravieša Ido skaidrojumos. 23 Abija apgūlās pie tēviem, un viņu apbedīja Dāvida pilsētā. Pēc tam sāka valdīt viņa dēls Āsa. Viņa dienās zemē bija miers desmit gadus.
