1
In the eighteenth year of king Yarov’am began Aviyah to reign over Yehudah.
2
He reigned three years in Yerushalayim: and his mother's name was Mikhayahu the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Aviyah and Yarov’am.
3
Aviyah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Yarov’am set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.
4
Aviyah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Efrayim, and said, "Hear me, Yarov’am and all Yisra’el:
5
Ought you not to know that the Yahuah, the Elohim of Yisra’el, gave the kingdom over Yisra’el to Daviyd forever, even to him and to his sons by a Covenant of salt?
6
Yet Yarov’am the son of Nebat, the servant of Shəlomah the son of Daviyd, rose up, and rebelled against his master.
7
There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rechav’am the son of Shəlomah, when Rechav’am was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
8
"Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Yahuah in the hand of the sons of Daviyd; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Yarov’am made you for powers.
9
Haven't you driven out the kohenim of the Yahuah, the sons of Aharon, and the Leviyim, and made kohenim 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 kohen of those who are no powers.
10
"But as for us, the Yahuah is our Elohim, and we have not forsaken him; and we have kohenim ministering to the Yahuah, the sons of Aharon, and the Leviyim in their work:
11
and they burn to the Yahuah every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of the Yahuah our Elohim; but you have forsaken him.
12
Behold, Elohim is with us at our head, and his kohenim with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Yisra’el, do not fight against the Yahuah, the Elohim of your fathers; for you shall not prosper."
13
But Yarov’am caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Yehudah, and the ambush was behind them.
14
When Yehudah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to the Yahuah, and the kohenim sounded with the trumpets.
15
Then the men of Yehudah gave a shout: and as the men of Yehudah shouted, it happened, that Elohim struck Yarov’am and all Yisra’el before Aviyah and Yehudah.
16
The children of Yisra’el fled before Yehudah; and Elohim delivered them into their hand.
17
Aviyah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Yisra’el five hundred thousand chosen men.
18
Thus the children of Yisra’el were brought under at that time, and the children of Yehudah prevailed, because they relied on the Yahuah, the Elohim of their fathers.
19
Aviyah pursued after Yarov’am, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.
20
Yarov’am did not recover strength again in the days of Aviyah. The Yahuah struck him, and he died.
21
But Aviyah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.
22
The rest of the acts of Aviyah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.