1. Abijam became king of Judah. This was during the eighteenth year Jeroboam son of Nebat ruled Israel.
2. And 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. In this way he was not like David, his great-grandfather.
4. Because the Lord had loved David, the Lord gave Abijam a kingdom in Jerusalem. And the Lord allowed him to have a son to be king after him. The Lord also kept Jerusalem safe.
5. David had always done what the Lord said was right. All his life he had always obeyed the Lord’s commands. There was only one time David did not obey the Lord. This was when he sinned against Uriah the Hittite.
6. Now there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam during Abijam’s lifetime.
7. Everything else Abijam did is written down. It is in the book of the history of the kings of Judah. During the time Abijam ruled, there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.