Abijah Reigns in Judah
(1 Kings 15:1–8)

1In the eightenth yeare of kynge Ieroboam, was Abia kynge in Iuda, 2& reigned thre yeare at Ierusalem. His mothers name was Michaia the doughter of Vriel of Gibea. And there was warre betwene Abia and Ieroboam. 3And Abia prepared himselfe to the battayll with foure hudreth thousande stronge chosen men of warre. But Ieroboam made himselfe ready to fight agaynst him wt eight hundreth thousande chosen men of strength.

Civil War against Jeroboam

4And Abia gatt him vp vpon the hyll Zemaraim, which lyeth vpon mount Ephraim and sayde: Herken vnto me thou Ieroboam and all Israel: 5Knowe ye not that the LORDE God of Israel hath geuen Dauid ye kyngdome of Israel for euer, vnto him and his sonnes with a Salt couenaunt? 6But Ieroboa the sonne of Nebat, the seruaunt of Salomon Dauids sonne, gat him vp & fell awaye from his lorde. 7And there resorted vnto him vagaboundes and children of Belial, and haue strengthed them selues against Roboa the sonne of Salomo: for Roboam was but yonge and of a fearfull hert, and coulde not resiste them.

8Now thinke ye to set youre selues against the kyngdome of the LORDE amonge the sonnes of Dauid, for so moch as there is so greate a multitude of you, and haue ye golden calues yt Ieroboam made for goddes. 9Haue ye not expelled the prestes of the LORDE the children of Aaron and the Leuites? and haue made you prestes of youre awne, euen as the people of the londes? Who so euer commeth to fyll his hande with a yonge bullocke and seuen rammes, shal be preste vnto them that are not goddes. 10But with vs is ye LORDE oure God, who we forsake not: and the prestes that minister vnto the LORDE, the children of Aaron and the Leuites in their busines, 11and euery mornynge and euery euenynge kyndle they the burntofferynges vnto the LORDE, and the swete incense, and prepare the shewbred vpo the pure table, and the golden candilsticke with his lampes, to be kyndled euery euenynge: for we wayte vpo the LORDE oure God. As for you, ye haue forsaken him. 12Beholde, God is the captayne of oure hoost, and with vs are his prestes, and the blowynge trompettes, to trompe agaynst you. Ye children of Israel, fight not agaynst the LORDE God of yor fathers: for ye shal not prospere.

13Neuertheles Ieroboam made a preuy watch on euery syde, to come vpon them behynde, so that they were before Iuda, and ye preuy watch behynde. 14Now wha Iuda turned them, beholde, there was battayll before the & behynde. Then cryed they vnto ye LORDE, & the prestes tromped with the trompettes, 15& wha euery man in Iuda gaue a shoute, God plaged Ieroboam and Israel before Abia and Iuda. 16And the children of Israel fled before Iuda, and God gaue them in to their handes, 17so that Abia & his people dyd a greate slaughter vpon them, and there fell wounded of Israel fyue hundreth thousande chosen men. 18Thus were the children of Israel subdued at that tyme, but the children of Iuda were comforted, for they put their trust in ye LORDE God of their fathers. 19And Abia folowed vpon Ieroboam, and wanne cities fro him, Bethel with the vyllages therof, Iesana wt hir vyllages, and Ephron with the villages therof,

20so that Ieroboam came nomore to strength, as longe as Abia lyued. And the LORDE smote him that he dyed.

21Now whan Abia was strengthed, he toke fourtene wyues, and begat two and twentye sonnes and sixtene daughters. 22What more there is to saye of Abia, and of his wayes and his doynges, it is wrytten in the storye of the prophet Iddo.