1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel, Abijah became king of Judah,
2 and he ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom.
3 He committed the same sins as his father and was not completely loyal to the Lord his God, as his great-grandfather David had been.
4 But for David's sake, the Lord his God gave Abijah a son to rule after him in Jerusalem and to keep Jerusalem secure.
5 The Lord did this because David had done what pleased him and had never disobeyed any of his commands, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 The war which had begun between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued throughout Abijah's lifetime.