1 Abijam became king of Judah during the eighteenth year Jeroboam son of Nebat was king of Israel.
2 Abijam ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
3 He did all the same sins his father before him had done. Abijam was not faithful to the Lord his God as David, his great-grandfather, had been.
4 Because the Lord loved David, the Lord gave him a kingdom in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son to be king after him. The Lord also kept Jerusalem safe.
5 David always did what the Lord said was right and obeyed his commands all his life, except the one time when David sinned against Uriah the Hittite.
6 There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam during Abijam’s lifetime.