Abiya Mfalme Wa Yuda
(1 Wafalme 15:1-8)
1Katika mwaka wa kumi na nane wa utawala wa Yeroboamu, Abiya akawa mfalme wa Yuda, 213:2 2Nya 11:20; 1Fal 15:6naye akatawala huko Yerusalemu miaka mitatu. Mama yake aliitwa Maaka, binti Urieli wa Gibea.
Basi kulikuwa na vita kati ya Abiya na Yeroboamu. 3Abiya aliingia vitani na jeshi la watu 400,000 wenye uwezo wa kupigana, naye Yeroboamu akapanga jeshi dhidi ya Abiya akiwa na jeshi la watu 800,000 wenye uwezo.
413:4 Yos 18:22; 1Nya 11:1Abiya akasimama juu ya Mlima Semaraimu, katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, naye akasema, “Yeroboamu na Israeli yote, nisikilizeni mimi! 513:5 2Sam 7:13; 1Nya 17:12; Law 2:13; Hes 18:19; Amu 11:21-24; Eze 43:24; 1Sam 16:13; Za 89:20; Lk 1:31-33Hamfahamu kwamba Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, alimpa Daudi na wazao wake ufalme juu ya Israeli milele kwa Agano la chumvi? 613:6 1Fal 11:26; 12:20; 2Nya 10:19Hata hivyo Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati afisa wa Solomoni mwana wa Daudi, aliasi dhidi ya bwana wake. 713:7 Amu 9:4; Za 26:4; Mdo 17:5; Mit 12:11Baadhi ya watu wasiofaa kitu, wabaya kabisa walimkusanyikia na kumpinga Rehoboamu mwana wa Solomoni alipokuwa kijana mdogo asiyekuwa na uamuzi, asiye na nguvu za kuweza kupingana nao.
813:8 Za 68:25; 1Nya 25:10-24; 2Nya 29:2513:8 Kut 32:4; 1Fal 12:28; Hos 8:6“Hata sasa unapanga kupingana na ufalme wa Bwana ambao uko mikononi mwa wazao wa Daudi. Kweli ninyi ni jeshi kubwa nanyi mnazo ndama za dhahabu Yeroboamu alizozitengeneza kuwa miungu yenu. 913:9 2Nya 11:14-15; Kut 29:35-36; Gal 4:8; Yer 2:11Lakini je, hamkuwafukuza makuhani wa Bwana, wana wa Aroni na Walawi na kujifanyia makuhani wenu wenyewe kama yafanyavyo mataifa ya nchi nyingine? Yeyote anayekuja kujiweka wakfu akiwa na ndama dume na kondoo dume saba aweza kuwa kuhani wa kile ambacho ni miungu kwenu.
10“Lakini kwetu sisi, Bwana ndiye Mungu wetu, wala hatujamwacha. Makuhani wanaomtumikia Bwana ni wana wa Aroni, nao Walawi wakiwasaidia. 1113:11 Kut 29:39; 2Nya 2:4; Law 24:2-6; 1Nya 9:24; Kut 27:20-21Kila asubuhi na jioni wao hutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na kufukiza uvumba wa harufu nzuri kwa Bwana. Wao huweka mikate juu ya meza safi kwa taratibu za kiibada na kuwasha taa kwenye kinara cha dhahabu kila jioni. Sisi tunazishika kanuni za Bwana Mungu wetu. Lakini ninyi mmemwacha Mungu. 1213:12 Hes 10:8-9; Amu 2:15; Mdo 5:39; Kum 20:4; Yos 5:4; Za 20:7; Ay 15:25-26; Mdo 9:4-5Mungu yu pamoja nasi, yeye ndiye kiongozi wetu. Makuhani wake wakiwa na tarumbeta zao watapiga baragumu ya vita dhidi yenu. Watu wa Israeli, msipigane dhidi ya Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, kwa maana hamtashinda.”
1313:13 2Nya 20:22; Yos 8:9Basi Yeroboamu alikuwa ametuma jeshi kuzunguka nyuma ya Yuda ili kwamba akiwa mbele ya Yuda, jeshi liwavizie kwa nyuma. 1413:14 1Nya 5:20; 2Nya 18:31Basi Yuda wakageuka na kuona kwamba wanashambuliwa mbele na nyuma. Ndipo wakamlilia Bwana. Makuhani wakapiga tarumbeta zao, 1513:15 2Nya 14:12; Hes 32:4nao watu wa Yuda wakapaza sauti ya kilio cha vita. Katika kupiga kelele za vita, Mungu akawafukuza Yeroboamu na Israeli wote mbele ya Mfalme Abiya na Yuda. 1613:16 2Nya 16:8Waisraeli wakakimbia mbele ya Yuda, naye Mungu akawatia Israeli mikononi mwao. 17Abiya na watu wake wakawachinja kwa machinjo makuu, hata wakawepo majeruhi 500,000 miongoni mwa watu wenye uwezo wa Israeli. 1813:18 1Nya 5:20; Za 22:5; Amu 8:28; 2Fal 18:5; 2Nya 16:8-9; 20:20Watu wa Israeli walitiishwa katika tukio lile, nao watu wa Yuda wakawa washindi kwa sababu walimtegemea Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao.
1913:19 Yos 15:9; Yn 11:54Abiya akamfuatia Yeroboamu na kuteka miji ya Betheli, Yeshana na Efroni kutoka kwake, pamoja na vijiji vinavyoizunguka miji hiyo. 2013:20 1Sam 25:38; Eze 24:16; Mdo 12:23; 1Sam 26:10; 1Fal 14:20Yeroboamu hakupata nguvu tena wakati wa utawala wa Abiya. Naye Bwana akampiga Yeroboamu akafa.
21Lakini Abiya akapata nguvu. Alioa wanawake kumi na wanne na alikuwa na wana ishirini na wawili na binti kumi na sita.
2213:22 2Nya 9:29; 12:15Matukio mengine ya utawala wa Abiya, pamoja na mambo aliyofanya na aliyosema, yameandikwa katika kitabu cha maelezo cha nabii Ido.
1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.13.3 Abijah set: Heb. Abijah bound together
4¶ And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; 5Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. 7And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. 8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.13.9 to consecrate…: Heb. to fill his hand 10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: 11And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. 12And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
13¶ But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. 17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. 20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.
21¶ But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
