TORAH
NEVI'IM
KETUVIM
II - Chapter 13
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1In the eighteenth year of King Yerovam, Aviya became king over Yehuda.
אבִּשְׁנַת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לַמֶּלֶךְ יָרָבְעָם וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲבִיָּה עַל־יְהוּדָה׃
2He reigned three years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Michaihu daughter of Uriel of Giva. There was war between Aviya and Yerovam.
בשָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלַ ִם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ מִיכָיָהוּ בַת־אוּרִיאֵל מִן־גִּבְעָה וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אֲבִיָּה וּבֵין יָרָבְעָם׃
3Aviya joined battle with a force of warriors, 400,000 picked men. Yerovam arrayed for battle against him 800,000 picked men, warriors.
גוַיֶּאְסֹר אֲבִיָּה אֶת־הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּחַיִל גִּבּוֹרֵי מִלְחָמָה אַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ בָּחוּר וְיָרָבְעָם עָרַךְ עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה בִּשְׁמוֹנֶה מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ בָּחוּר גִּבּוֹר חָיִל׃
4Aviya stood on top of Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Efraim and said, “Listen to me, Yerovam and all Yisrael.
דוַיָּקָם אֲבִיָּה מֵעַל לְהַר צְמָרַיִם אֲשֶׁר בְּהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמָעוּנִי יָרָבְעָם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
5Surely you know that God of Yisrael gave David kingship over Yisrael forever—to him and his sons—by a covenant of salt.
ההֲלֹא לָכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָתַן מַמְלָכָה לְדָוִיד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם לוֹ וּלְבָנָיו בְּרִית מֶלַח׃
6Yerovam son of Nebat had been in the service of Shlomo son of David, but he rose up and rebelled against his master.
ווַיָּקָם יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט עֶבֶד שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִיד וַיִּמְרֹד עַל־אֲדֹנָיו׃
7Riff-raff and scoundrels gathered around him and pressed hard upon Rechovam son of Shlomo. Rechovam was inexperienced and fainthearted and could not stand up to them.
זוַיִּקָּבְצוּ עָלָיו אֲנָשִׁים רֵקִים בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל וַיִּתְאַמְּצוּ עַל־רְחַבְעָם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹה וּרְחַבְעָם הָיָה נַעַר וְרַךְ־לֵבָב וְלֹא הִתְחַזַּק לִפְנֵיהֶם׃
8Now you are bent on opposing the kingdom of Hashem, which is in the charge of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and possess the golden calves that Yerovam made for you as gods.
v'-a-TAH a-TEM o-m'-REEM l'-hit-kha-ZAYK lif-NAY mam-LE-khet a-do-NAI b'-YAD b'-NAY da-VEED v'-a-TEM ha-MON RAV v'-i-ma-KHEM eg-LAY za-HAV a-SHER a-SAH la-KHEM ya-rov-AM lay-lo-HEEM
חוְעַתָּה אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים לְהִתְחַזֵּק לִפְנֵי מַמְלֶכֶת יְהֹוָה בְּיַד בְּנֵי דָוִיד וְאַתֶּם הָמוֹן רָב וְעִמָּכֶם עֶגְלֵי זָהָב אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לָכֶם יָרָבְעָם לֵאלֹהִים׃
13:8 The kingdom of Hashem, which is in the charge of the sons of David
Aviya understands that the reason he has arisen to the throne is to serve God. He tells Yerovam that he rules the “kingdom of Hashem,” as the kings of Yehuda are from the line of David, and they maintain the service of God in the Beit Hamikdash in Yerushalayim. Aviya sees himself as the emissary of the Lord, the caretaker of His people who is expected to lead them in the service of Hashem. Because he understands this, God grants him victory; the triumph which was denied to his father Rechovam, who was motivated by pride, not piety. This is an example of how success in the Land of Israel is dependent upon recognition of Hashem, as Asa declares in the next chapter: “While the land is at our disposal because we turned to Hashem our God” (14:6).
9Did you not banish the Kohanim of Hashem, the sons of Aharon and the Leviim, and, like the peoples of the land, appoint your own Kohanim? Anyone who offered himself for ordination with a young bull of the herd and seven rams became a Kohen of no-gods!
טהֲלֹא הִדַּחְתֶּם אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵי יְהֹוָה אֶת־בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְהַלְוִיִּם וַתַּעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם כֹּהֲנִים כְּעַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת כָּל־הַבָּא לְמַלֵּא יָדוֹ בְּפַר בֶּן־בָּקָר וְאֵילִם שִׁבְעָה וְהָיָה כֹהֵן לְלֹא אֱלֹהִים׃
10As for us, Hashem is our God, and we have not forsaken Him. The Kohanim who minister to Hashem are the sons of Aharon, and the Leviim are at their tasks.
יוַאֲנַחְנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְלֹא עֲזַבְנֻהוּ וְכֹהֲנִים מְשָׁרְתִים לַיהֹוָה בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וְהַלְוִיִּם בַּמְלָאכֶת׃
11They offer burnt offerings in smoke each morning and each evening, and the aromatic incense, the rows of bread on the pure table; they kindle the golden menorah with its lamps burning each evening, for we keep the charge of Hashem our God, while you have forsaken it.
יאוּמַקְטִרִים לַיהֹוָה עֹלוֹת בַּבֹּקֶר־בַּבֹּקֶר וּבָעֶרֶב־בָּעֶרֶב וּקְטֹרֶת־סַמִּים וּמַעֲרֶכֶת לֶחֶם עַל־הַשֻּׁלְחָן הַטָּהוֹר וּמְנוֹרַת הַזָּהָב וְנֵרֹתֶיהָ לְבָעֵר בָּעֶרֶב בָּעֶרֶב כִּי־שֹׁמְרִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאַתֶּם עֲזַבְתֶּם אֹתוֹ׃
12See, Hashem is with us as our chief, and His Kohanim have the trumpets for sounding blasts against you. O children of Yisrael, do not fight God of your fathers, because you will not succeed.”
יבוְהִנֵּה עִמָּנוּ בָרֹאשׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וְכֹהֲנָיו וַחֲצֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה לְהָרִיעַ עֲלֵיכֶם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַל־תִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶם כִּי־לֹא תַצְלִיחוּ׃
13Yerovam, however, had directed the ambush to go around and come from the rear, thus the main body was in front of Yehuda, while the ambush was behind them.
יגוְיָרָבְעָם הֵסֵב אֶת־הַמַּאְרָב לָבוֹא מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּהְיוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוּדָה וְהַמַּאְרָב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם׃
14When Yehuda turned around and saw that the fighting was before and behind them, they cried out to Hashem, and the Kohanim blew the trumpets.
ידוַיִּפְנוּ יְהוּדָה וְהִנֵּה לָהֶם הַמִּלְחָמָה פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר וַיִּצְעֲקוּ לַיהֹוָה וְהַכֹּהֲנִים מחצצרים [מַחְצְרִים] בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת׃
15The men of Yehuda raised a shout; and when the men of Yehuda raised a shout, Hashem routed Yerovam and all Yisrael before Aviya and Yehuda.
טווַיָּרִיעוּ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וַיְהִי בְּהָרִיעַ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים נָגַף אֶת־יָרָבְעָם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי אֲבִיָּה וִיהוּדָה׃
16The Israelites fled before Yehuda, and Hashem delivered them into their hands.
טזוַיָּנוּסוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּתְּנֵם אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדָם׃
17Aviya and his army inflicted a severe defeat on them; 500,000 men of Yisrael fell slain.
יזוַיַּכּוּ בָהֶם אֲבִיָּה וְעַמּוֹ מַכָּה רַבָּה וַיִּפְּלוּ חֲלָלִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל חֲמֵשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף אִישׁ בָּחוּר׃
18The Israelites were crushed at that time, while the people of Yehuda triumphed because they relied on God of their fathers.
יחוַיִּכָּנְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵת הַהִיא וַיֶּאֶמְצוּ בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה כִּי נִשְׁעֲנוּ עַל־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם׃
19Aviya pursued Yerovam and captured some of his cities—Beit El with its dependencies, Jeshanah with its dependencies, and Ephrain with its dependencies.
יטוַיִּרְדֹּף אֲבִיָּה אַחֲרֵי יָרָבְעָם וַיִּלְכֹּד מִמֶּנּוּ עָרִים אֶת־בֵּית־אֵל וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־יְשָׁנָה וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶיהָ וְאֶת־עפרון [עֶפְרַיִן] וּבְנֹתֶיהָ׃
20Yerovam could not muster strength again during the days of Aviya. Hashem struck him down and he died.
כוְלֹא־עָצַר כֹּחַ־יָרָבְעָם עוֹד בִּימֵי אֲבִיָּהוּ וַיִּגְּפֵהוּ יְהֹוָה וַיָּמֹת׃
21But Aviya grew powerful; he married fourteen wives and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
כאוַיִּתְחַזֵּק אֲבִיָּהוּ וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹ נָשִׁים אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה וַיּוֹלֶד עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם בָּנִים וְשֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה בָּנוֹת׃
22The other events of Aviya's reign, his conduct and his acts, are recorded in the story of the Navi Ido.
כבוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי אֲבִיָּה וּדְרָכָיו וּדְבָרָיו כְּתוּבִים בְּמִדְרַשׁ הַנָּבִיא עִדּוֹ׃
23Aviya slept with his fathers and was buried in the City of David; his son Asa succeeded him as king. The land was untroubled for ten years.
כגוַיִּשְׁכַּב אֲבִיָּה עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אָסָא בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו בְּיָמָיו שָׁקְטָה הָאָרֶץ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים׃