This Passover was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem.<n id="1" />

Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other wives and concubines.<n id="1" /> He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.p>

On the first day of the first month they began consecrating; by the eighth day of the month they reached the porch of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple.<n id="1" /> For eight more days they consecrated the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple. On the sixteenth day of the first month they were finished.

<p class="bodytext">Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death;<n id="1" /> he was buried in the City of David,<n id="2" /> but not in the royal tombs.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jehoiachin was eighteen<n id="1" /> years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem.<n id="2" /> He did evil in the sight of<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>.

Abijah launched the attack with 400,000 well-trained warriors,<n id="1" /> while Jeroboam deployed against him 800,000 well-trained warriors.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor<n id="1" /> David. In his twelfth year he began ridding<n id="2" /> Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images.

<p class="bodytext">In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of purifying the land and the temple.<n id="1" /> He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to repair the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> his God.