Die Königszeit
Abijah's War Against Jeroboam
King Abijah of Judah delivers a speech from Mount Semaraim to Jeroboam and the army of Israel before the battle, reminding them of the Lord's covenant of salt with David and condemning the idolatry involving golden calves. Although the army of Israel is twice as large, God grants victory to Judah when the priests blow trumpets and the people cry out to the Lord. Abijah pursues Jeroboam and captures the cities of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephraim. Jeroboam never regains his strength during Abijah's lifetime, and the Lord strikes him down so that he dies.
2. Chronik 13,1-20
1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.
בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמוֹנֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ אֲבִיָּ֖ה עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃
2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
שָׁל֣וֹשׁ שָׁנִ֗ים מָלַךְ֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ מִיכָיָ֥הוּ בַת־אוּרִיאֵ֖ל מִן־גִּבְעָ֑ה וּמִלְחָמָ֥ה הָיְתָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין אֲבִיָּ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָֽם׃
3Abijah went into battle with an army of seasoned warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up his lines against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty warriors.
וַיֶּאְסֹ֨ר אֲבִיָּ֜ה אֶת־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה בְּחַ֙יִל֙ גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י מִלְחָמָ֔ה אַרְבַּע־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ בָּח֑וּר ס וְיָרָבְעָ֗ם עָרַ֤ךְ עִמּוֹ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה בִּשְׁמוֹנֶ֨ה מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֛לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּח֖וּר גִּבּ֥וֹר חָֽיִל׃ ס
4Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and called out: "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִיָּ֗ה מֵעַל֙ לְהַ֣ר צְמָרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שְׁמָע֖וּנִי יָרָבְעָ֥ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
5Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David forever—to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
הֲלֹ֤א לָכֶם֙ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֞י יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נָתַ֨ן מַמְלָכָ֧ה לְדָוִ֛יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעוֹלָ֑ם ל֥וֹ וּלְבָנָ֖יו בְּרִ֥ית מֶֽלַח׃ ס
6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט עֶ֖בֶד שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְרֹ֖ד עַל־אֲדֹנָֽיו׃
7Worthless men, scoundrels, gathered around him and defied Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not stand up to them.
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בְלִיַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ עַל־רְחַבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם הָ֤יָה נַ֙עַר֙ וְרַךְ־לֵבָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א הִתְחַזַּ֖ק לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
8And now you intend to stand up against the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's sons. You are a vast horde, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹֽמְרִ֗ים לְהִתְחַזֵּק֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת יְהוָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֣י דָוִ֑יד וְאַתֶּם֙ הָמ֣וֹן רָ֔ב וְעִמָּכֶם֙ עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם יָרָבְעָ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
9Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made your own priests, like the peoples of other lands? Anyone who comes to be ordained with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods at all.
הֲלֹ֤א הִדַּחְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם וַתַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם כֹּהֲנִים֙ כְּעַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת כָּל־הַבָּ֗א לְמַלֵּ֨א יָד֜וֹ בְּפַ֤ר בֶּן־בָּקָר֙ וְאֵילִ֣ם שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה כֹהֵ֖ן לְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃ ס
10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites do their appointed work.
וַאֲנַ֛חְנוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א עֲזַבְנֻ֑הוּ וְכֹ֨הֲנִ֜ים מְשָׁרְתִ֤ים לַֽיהוָה֙ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם בַּמְלָֽאכֶת׃
11Morning after morning and evening after evening they offer burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD; they set out the rows of bread on the pure table and tend the lamps of the golden lampstand every evening. We keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him.
וּמַקְטִרִ֣ים לַיהוָ֡ה עֹל֣וֹת בַּבֹּֽקֶר־בַּבֹּ֣קֶר וּבָעֶֽרֶב־בָּעֶ֣רֶב וּקְטֹֽרֶת־סַמִּים֩ וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶת לֶ֜חֶם עַל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֣ן הַטָּה֗וֹר וּמְנוֹרַ֨ת הַזָּהָ֤ב וְנֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ לְבָעֵר֙ בָּעֶ֣רֶב בָּעֶ֔רֶב כִּֽי־שֹׁמְרִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֹתֽוֹ׃
12See, God himself is with us at our head, and his priests with their trumpets are ready to sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed."
וְהִנֵּה֩ עִמָּ֨נוּ בָרֹ֜אשׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ וְכֹהֲנָ֛יו וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה לְהָרִ֣יעַ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַל־תִּלָּֽחֲמ֛וּ עִם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם כִּי־לֹ֥א תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃
13Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush them from the rear, so that his forces were in front of Judah and the ambush behind them.
וְיָֽרָבְעָ֗ם הֵסֵב֙ אֶת־הַמַּאְרָ֔ב לָב֖וֹא מֵֽאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהַמַּאְרָ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
14When Judah turned and saw that they were under attack from both front and rear, they cried out to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets.
וַיִּפְנ֣וּ יְהוּדָ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ פָּנִ֣ים וְאָח֔וֹר וַֽיִּצְעֲק֖וּ לַיהוָ֑ה וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים *מחצצרים **מַחְצְרִ֖ים בַּחֲצֹצְרֽוֹת׃
15Then the men of Judah raised the battle cry, and at the sound of their cry God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
וַיָּרִ֖יעוּ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּהָרִ֙יעַ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֗ים נָגַ֤ף אֶת־יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִפְנֵ֥י אֲבִיָּ֖ה וִיהוּדָֽה׃
16The Israelites fled before Judah, and God gave them into the hands of Judah.
וַיָּנ֥וּסוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדָֽם׃
17Abijah and his troops inflicted a crushing defeat on them: five hundred thousand of Israel's chosen men fell slain.
וַיַּכּ֥וּ בָהֶ֛ם אֲבִיָּ֥ה וְעַמּ֖וֹ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֑ה וַיִּפְּל֤וּ חֲלָלִים֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חֲמֵשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֖לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּחֽוּר׃
18So the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וַיֶּֽאֶמְצוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּ֣י נִשְׁעֲנ֔וּ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, with their surrounding villages.
וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אֲבִיָּה֮ אַחֲרֵ֣י יָרָבְעָם֒ וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עָרִ֔ים אֶת־בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יְשָׁנָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־*עפרון **עֶפְרַ֖יִן וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
20Jeroboam never regained his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down, and he died.
וְלֹֽא־עָצַ֧ר כֹּֽחַ־יָרָבְעָ֛ם ע֖וֹד בִּימֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּגְּפֵ֥הוּ יְהוָ֖ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃ פ