¹ Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, dicens :

² Tolle summam filiorum Caath de medio Levitarum per domos et familias suas,

³ a trigesimo anno et supra, usque ad quinquagesimum annum, omnium qui ingrediuntur ut stent et ministrent in tabernaculo fœderis.

⁴ Hic est cultus filiorum Caath : tabernaculum fœderis, et Sanctum sanctorum

⁵ ingredientur Aaron et filii ejus, quando movenda sunt castra, et deponent velum quod pendet ante fores, involventque eo arcam testimonii,

⁶ et operient rursum velamine janthinarum pellium, extendentque desuper pallium totum hyacinthinum, et inducent vectes.

⁷ Mensam quoque propositionis involvent hyacinthino pallio, et ponent cum ea thuribula et mortariola, cyathos et crateras ad liba fundenda : panes semper in ea erunt :

⁸ extendentque desuper pallium coccineum, quod rursum operient velamento janthinarum pellium, et inducent vectes.

⁹ Sument et pallium hyacinthinum, quo operient candelabrum cum lucernis et forcipibus suis et emunctoriis et cunctis vasis olei, quæ ad cocinnandas lucernas necessaria sunt :

¹⁰ et super omnia ponent operimentum janthinarum pellium, et inducent vectes.

¹¹ Necnon et altare aureum involvent hyacinthino vestimento, et extendent desuper operimentum janthinarum pellium, inducentque vectes.

¹² Omnia vasa, quibus ministratur in sanctuario, involvent hyacinthino pallio, et extendent desuper operimentum janthinarum pellium, inducentque vectes.

¹³ Sed et altare mundabunt cinere, et involvent illud purpureo vestimento,

¹⁴ ponentque cum eo omnia vasa, quibus in ministerio ejus utuntur, id est, ignium receptacula, fuscinulas ac tridentes, uncinos et batilla. Cuncta vasa altaris operient simul velamine janthinarum pellium, et inducent vectes.

¹⁵ Cumque involverint Aaron et filii ejus sanctuarium et omnia vasa ejus in commotione castrorum, tunc intrabunt filii Caath ut portent involuta : et non tangent vasa sanctuarii, ne moriantur. Ista sunt onera filiorum Caath in tabernaculo fœderis :

¹⁶ super quos erit Eleazar filius Aaron sacerdotis, ad cujus curam pertinet oleum ad concinnandas lucernas, et compositionis incensum, et sacrificium, quod semper offertur, et oleum unctionis, et quidquid ad cultum tabernaculi pertinet, omniumque vasorum, quæ in sanctuario sunt.

¹⁷ Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen et Aaron, dicens :

¹⁸ Nolite perdere populum Caath de medio Levitarum :

¹⁹ sed hoc facite eis, ut vivant, et non moriantur, si tetigerint Sancta sanctorum. Aaron et filii ejus intrabunt, ipsique disponent opera singulorum, et divident quid portare quis debeat.

²⁰ Alii nulla curiositate videant quæ sunt in sanctuario priusquam involvantur, alioquin morientur.

²¹ Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens :

²² Tolle summam etiam filiorum Gerson per domos ac familias et cognationes suas,

²³ a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annos quinquaginta. Numera omnes qui ingrediuntur et ministrant in tabernaculo fœderis.

²⁴ Hoc est officium familiæ Gersonitarum,

²⁵ ut portent cortinas tabernaculi et tectum fœderis, operimentum aliud, et super omnia velamen janthinum tentoriumque quod pendet in introitu tabernaculi fœderis,

²⁶ cortinas atrii, et velum in introitu quod est ante tabernaculum. Omnia quæ ad altare pertinent, funiculos, et vasa ministerii,

²⁷ jubente Aaron et filiis ejus, portabunt filii Gerson : et scient singuli cui debeant oneri mancipari.

²⁸ Hic est cultus familiæ Gersonitarum in tabernaculo fœderis, eruntque sub manu Ithamar filii Aaron sacerdotis.

²⁹ Filios quoque Merari per familias et domos patrum suorum recensebis,

³⁰ a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annos quinquaginta, omnes qui ingrediuntur ad officium ministerii sui et cultum fœderis testimonii.

³¹ Hæc sunt onera eorum : portabunt tabulas tabernaculi et vectes ejus, columnas ac bases earum,

³² columnas quoque atrii per circuitum cum basibus et paxillis et funibus suis. Omnia vasa et supellectilem ad numerum accipient, sicque portabunt.

³³ Hoc est officium familiæ Meraritarum et ministerium in tabernaculo fœderis : eruntque sub manu Ithamar filii Aaron sacerdotis.

³⁴ Recensuerunt igitur Moyses et Aaron et principes synagogæ filios Caath per cognationes et domos patrum suorum,

³⁵ a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annum quinquagesimum, omnes qui ingrediuntur ad ministerium tabernaculi fœderis :

³⁶ et inventi sunt duo millia septingenti quinquaginta.

³⁷ Hic est numerus populi Caath qui intrant tabernaculum fœderis : hos numeravit Moyses et Aaron juxta sermonem Domini per manum Moysi.

³⁸ Numerati sunt et filii Gerson per cognationes et domos patrum suorum,

³⁹ a triginta annos et supra, usque ad quinquagesimum annum, omnes qui ingrediuntur ut ministrent in tabernaculo fœderis :

⁴⁰ et inventi sunt duo millia sexcenti triginta.

⁴¹ Hic est populus Gersonitarum, quos numeraverunt Moyses et Aaron juxta verbum Domini.

⁴² Numerati sunt et filii Merari per cognationes et domos patrum suorum,

⁴³ a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annum quinquagesimum, omnes qui ingrediuntur ad explendos ritus tabernaculi fœderis :

⁴⁴ et inventi sunt tria millia ducenti.

⁴⁵ Hic est numerus filiorum Merari, quos recensuerunt Moyses et Aaron juxta imperium Domini per manum Moysi.

⁴⁶ Omnes qui recensiti sunt de Levitis, et quos recenseri fecit ad nomen Moyses et Aaron, et principes Israël per cognationes et domos patrum suorum,

⁴⁷ a triginta annis et supra, usque ad annum quinquagesimum, ingredientes ad ministerium tabernaculi, et onera portanda,

⁴⁸ fuerunt simul octo millia quingenti octoginta.

⁴⁹ Juxta verbum Domini recensuit eos Moyses, unumquemque juxta officium et onera sua, sicut præceperat ei Dominus.

¹ In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

² Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³ Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.

⁴ Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

⁵ Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

⁶ Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

⁷ There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

⁸ "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.

⁹ Haven't you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves after the ways of the peoples of [other] lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of [those who are] no gods.

¹⁰ "But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and [we have] priests ministering to Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

¹¹ and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the show bread also [set they] in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening: for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God; but you have forsaken him.

¹² Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don't fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper."

¹³ But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴ When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

¹⁵ Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶ The children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

¹⁷ Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸ Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

¹⁹ Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.

²⁰ Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Yahweh struck him, and he died.

²¹ But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

²² The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.