Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Chronicles 13:8

"Now, you people have decided to defeat the Lord 's kingdom—the kingdom that is ruled by David's sons. You have so many people with you and you have the golden calves—the ‘gods' that Jeroboam made for you.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Faithfulness;   Jeroboam;   Rebellion;   Reproof;   Theocracy;   War;   Thompson Chain Reference - Calves, Jeroboam's;   False;   Golden Calves;   Idolatry;   Images;   Worship, False;   Worship, True and False;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Calves of Jeroboam;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abijah;   Jeroboam;   King, Kings;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abijah (abijam);   Jeroboam;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Chronicles, Theology of;   David;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Zemaraim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, Books of;   Golden Calf;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abijah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Judah the kingdom of;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gods;   Theocracy;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abijah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the Lord’s kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David’s sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
Hebrew Names Version
Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Yarov`am made you for gods.
King James Version
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 your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
English Standard Version
"And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.
New Century Version
"Now you people are making plans against the Lord 's kingdom, which belongs to David's sons. There are many of you, and you have the gold calves Jeroboam made for you as gods.
New English Translation
Now you are declaring that you will resist the Lord 's rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
Amplified Bible
"And now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD which is in the hands of the sons of David, since you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves (idols) which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
New American Standard Bible
"So now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
World English Bible
Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now therefore ye thinke that yee be able to resist against the kingdome of the Lorde, which is in the handes of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye bee a great multitude, and the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for gods.
Legacy Standard Bible
"So now you intend to exert your strength before the kingdom of Yahweh by the hand of the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you.
Berean Standard Bible
And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.
Contemporary English Version
Now you and your powerful army think you can stand up to the kingdom that the Lord has given to David's descendants. The only gods you have are those gold statues of calves that Jeroboam made for you.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now you expect to withstand the kingdom of Adonai in the hands of the descendants of David. Yes, there are a great number of you, and you have with you the gold calves that Yarov‘am made as gods for you.
Darby Translation
And now ye think to shew yourselves strong against the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and ye have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.
George Lamsa Translation
And even now what can you say? You went away and renounced the kingdom of the house of David and went and served dead gods. And I reign over a single tribe, but you over many tribes, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam the son of Nebat made for you.
Good News Translation
Now you propose to fight against the royal authority that the Lord gave to David's descendants. You have a huge army and have with you the gold bull-calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.
Lexham English Bible
So now you yourselves are considering that you are strong before the kingdom of Yahweh which is in the hand the sons of David, since you yourselves are a great multitude and you have bull calves of gold that Jeroboam has made for idols.
Literal Translation
And now you think to be strong against the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David. And you are a great host; yea, with you are calves of gold that Jeroboam has made as gods to you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now thinke ye to set youre selues against the kyngdome of the LORDE amonge the sonnes of Dauid, for so moch as there is so greate a multitude of you, and haue ye golden calues yt Ieroboam made for goddes.
American Standard Version
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.
Bible in Basic English
And now it is your purpose to put yourselves against the authority which the Lord has put into the hands of the sons of David, and you are a very great number, and you have with you the gold oxen which Jeroboam made to be your gods.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And now ye say, that ye be able to preuaile against the kingdome of the Lord, which is in the hande of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye be a great multitude, and haue the golden calues which Ieroboam made you for gods.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.
King James Version (1611)
And now ye thinke to withstand the kingdome of the Lord, in the hand of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calues, which Ieroboam made you for gods.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now ye profess to resist the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
English Revised Version
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 the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Now therfor ye seien, that ye moun ayenstonde the rewme of the Lord, which he holdith in possessioun bi the sones of Dauid; and ye han a greet multitude of puple, and goldun caluys, whiche Jeroboam made in to goddis to you.
Update Bible Version
And now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.
Webster's Bible Translation
And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye [are] a great multitude, and [there are] with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
New King James Version
And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods.
New Living Translation
"Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of the Lord that is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods.
New Life Bible
So now you plan to stand against the power of the Lord through the sons of David. You think you can because you have many people and the gold calves Jeroboam made you for gods.
New Revised Standard
"And now you think that you can withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made as gods for you.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, ye, are thinking to strengthen yourselves against the kingdom of Yahweh, in the hand of the sons of David, - and, ye, are a great multitude, and, with you, are calves of gold, which Jeroboam hath made you for gods.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And now you say that you are able to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which he possesseth by the sons of David, and you have a great multitude of people, and golden calves, which Jeroboam hath made you for gods.
Revised Standard Version
"And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves which Jerobo'am made you for gods.
Young's Literal Translation
`And now, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye [are] a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to you for gods.
THE MESSAGE
"Taking advantage of that weakness, you are asserting yourself against the very rule of God that is delegated to David's descendants—you think you are so big with your huge army backed up by the golden-calf idols that Jeroboam made for you as gods! But just look at what you've done—you threw out the priests of God , the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests to suit yourselves, priests just like the pagans have. Anyone who shows up with enough money to pay for it can be a priest! A priest of No-God!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the LORD through the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you.

Contextual Overview

1 Abijah became the new king of Judah. This was during the 18th year that Jeroboam son of Nebat ruled Israel. 2 Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Maacah. She was the daughter of Uriel, from the town of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah's army had 400,000 brave soldiers. Abijah led that army into battle. Jeroboam's army had 800,000 brave soldiers. Jeroboam got ready to have a war with Abijah. 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 You should know that the Lord , the God of Israel, gave David and his sons the right to be king over Israel forever. God gave this right to David with an agreement of salt. 6 But Jeroboam turned against his master. Jeroboam son of Nebat was one of the servants of David's son Solomon. 7 Then worthless, evil men became friends with Jeroboam. Then Jeroboam and the bad men turned against Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Rehoboam was young and did not have experience. So he could not stop Jeroboam and his bad friends. 8 "Now, you people have decided to defeat the Lord 's kingdom—the kingdom that is ruled by David's sons. You have so many people with you and you have the golden calves—the ‘gods' that Jeroboam made for you. 9 You threw out the Lord 's priests, the descendants of Aaron. And you threw out the Levites. Then you chose your own priests, as every other nation on earth does. And now, anyone who will bring a young bull and seven rams can become a priest to serve these ‘no-gods.' 10 "But as for us, the Lord is our God. We people of Judah have not refused to obey God. We have not left him. The priests who serve the Lord are Aaron's sons, and the Levites help the priests in their work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the kingdom: 2 Chronicles 9:8, Psalms 2:1-6, Isaiah 7:6, Isaiah 7:7, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Luke 19:14, Luke 19:27

a great multitude: 2 Chronicles 14:9-11, 2 Chronicles 20:6, 2 Chronicles 20:12, Psalms 33:16

with you golden: 2 Chronicles 11:15, 1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 14:9, Hosea 8:5, Hosea 8:6

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:4 - calf Isaiah 8:6 - refuseth Hosea 10:5 - the calves Amos 7:10 - the priest

Cross-References

Genesis 13:2
At this time Abram was very rich. He had many animals and much silver and gold.
Genesis 13:3
Abram continued traveling around. He left the Negev and went back to Bethel. He went to the place between the city of Bethel and Ai, where he and his family had camped before.
Genesis 13:6
Abram and Lot had so many animals that the land could not support both of them together.
Genesis 13:7
(The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in this land at the same time.) The shepherds of Abram and Lot began to argue.
Genesis 13:9
We should separate. You can choose any place you want. If you go to the left, I will go to the right. If you go to the right, I will go to the left."
Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose to live in the Jordan Valley. The two men separated, and Lot began traveling east.
Genesis 13:14
After Lot left, the Lord said to Abram, "Look around you. Look north, south, east, west.
Genesis 13:17
So go. Walk through your land. I now give it to you."
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the big trees of Mamre. This was near the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord .
Genesis 45:24
Then Joseph told his brothers to go. While they were leaving, he said to them, "Go straight home, and don't fight on the way."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David,.... To oppose them, prevail over them, and get it out of their hands, which is delivered to them by the Lord, as the Targum:

and ye be a great multitude; of which they boasted, and in which they trusted, being ten tribes to two, and in this army two to one:

and [there are] with you golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods; or, "but r there are with you", &c. which Abijah suggests would be so far from helping them, that they would be their ruin, they having, by the worship of them, provoked the Lord against them.

r So Grotious, Schnidt, and others.


 
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