3 And Abi´jah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jerobo´am also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor.
4 And Abi´jah stood up upon mount Zemara´im, which is in mount E´phra-im, and said, Hear me, thou Jerobo´am, and all Israel;
5 ought 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?
6 Yet Jerobo´am the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.
7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Be´li-al, and have strengthened themselves against Rehobo´am the son of Solomon, when Rehobo´am was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.
8 And 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 Jerobo´am made you for gods.
9 Have 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.