In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. He walked in all the sins of his father that he had done before him, and his heart was not fully with Yahweh his God as the heart of David his father. For the sake of David, Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by establishing his son after him and by causing Jerusalem to exist; because David did right in the eyes of Yahweh and he didn’t turn aside from all that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. The remainder of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam. Abijam slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son became king in his place.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. Asa did right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his ancestor. He put away the male shrine prostitutes from the land, and he removed all of the idols that his ancestors made. Also, he had Maacah his mother removed from the office of queen mother, as she had made a repulsive image for the Asherah. Asa also cut down her repulsive image and burned it in the Wadi Kidron. But the high places he did not remove. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was completely with Yahweh all of his days. He brought the holy objects of his father and his own holy objects to the house of Yahweh, silver and gold and utensils.

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all of their days. Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and he built Ramah to hinder the coming and going of anyone to Asa king of Judah. Asa took all of the silver and gold remaining in the storerooms of the house of Yahweh and in the treasury rooms of the house of the king, and he gave them into the hand of his servants; so King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, "Let there be a covenant between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel that he may go up away from me." Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and he attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all of Kinnereth, in addition to all the land of Naphtali. When Baasha heard, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. Then King Asa proclaimed among all of Israel that there was no one free from obligation, so they carried the stones of Ramah and its wood with which Baasha had built, and King Asa rebuilt Geba in Benjamin with them, and the Mizpah. The remainder of the acts of Asa, all of his achievements, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? But at the time of his old age, he developed a foot disease. Asa slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David his ancestor; Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place.

Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the way of his father and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit. Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. Now Nadab and all of Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon, and Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa the king of Judah, and he reigned in his place. It happened that as soon as he became king, he killed all of the house of Jeroboam. There was no one left of Jeroboam who breathed, until he had destroyed him according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken by the hand of his servant, Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam that he had committed and that he had caused Israel to commit and because of his anger with which he had provoked Yahweh the God of Israel. Now the remainder of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah had become king over all of Israel; he lived in Tirzah twenty-four years. He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit.

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah reigned over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and between Jeroboam. And Abijah joined in the battle with an army of four hundred thousand battle-hardened warriors, chosen men, and Jeroboam put the battle in order against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, an army of mighty warriors.

Then Abijah stood up on top of Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, "Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! Do you not all know that Yahweh the God of Israel gave the kingdom to David over Israel forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, and worthless men, sons of wickedness, were gathered about him and became hostile against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was a boy and gentle of heart and was not strong enough to stand before them. So now you yourselves are considering that you are strong before the kingdom of Yahweh which is in the hand the sons of David, since you yourselves are a great multitude and you have bull calves of gold that Jeroboam has made for idols. Did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, the Levites? Have you not made for yourselves priests like all the peoples of the lands? All who come to be consecrated for priestly service with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what is not a god. But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests serving Yahweh are the sons of Aaron, the Levites, according to their service. They offer burnt offerings to Yahweh every morning and every evening, sweet spices of incense, and the rows of bread upon the pure table. And the golden lampstand with its lamps they keep kindled every evening, for we are keeping the requirement of Yahweh our God, but you yourselves have forsaken him. And look, God is with us at the head, and his priests have the trumpets for sounding blasts against you, O sons of Israel. Do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed."

Then Jeroboam sent around an ambush to come behind them. So they were in front of Judah, but the ambush was behind them. When Judah turned, then behold, the battle against them was in front and behind, and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests blew on the trumpets. Then the men of Judah shouted, and it happened that when the men of Judah were shouting, then God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. And the Israelites fled from before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. And Abijah and his people struck a great blow against them, and the dead from Israel that fell were five hundred thousand chosen men. And the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah were victorious, for they relied upon Yahweh the God of their ancestors.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. And Jeroboam did not regain strength again in the days of Abijah. And Yahweh plagued him and he died. But Abijah became strong, and he took to himself fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. Now the rest of the words of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

And Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son became king in his place. In his days the land was at rest ten years. Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God. He removed the foreign altars and high places, broke down the stone pillars, and cut down the Asherahs. And he commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment. And he removed the high places and the incense stands from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom had rest under him. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was at rest. Under him there was no war in those years, for Yahweh had given rest to him. And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars while the land is before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought and he has given rest to us on every side." So they built and had success. And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, bearing shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty warriors of strength.

Zerah the Cushite came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah.

Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God. And he said, "O Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the great and the powerless. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely upon you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you are our God! Let no man prevail against you!"

So Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. Then Asa and the army with him pursued them to Gerar. And many from the Cushites fell, for they had no deliverance, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army. And they carried away much war booty. And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh was upon them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. And they also struck the tents of the herdsmen and carried away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Remind them to be subject to the rulers and to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all courtesy to all people. For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not by deeds of righteousness that we have done, but because of his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist concerning these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and contentions and quarrels about the law, for they are useless and fruitless. Reject a divisive person after a first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make haste to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently send on their way Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they may lack nothing. But also our people must learn to engage in good deeds for necessary needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. All those with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.