¹⁸ And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

¹² Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests ^(A)with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, ^(B)do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”

¹³ Jeroboam had sent ^(C)an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops^[a] were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴ And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. ^(D)And they cried to the Lord, and the priests ^(E)blew the trumpets. ¹⁵ Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, ^(F)God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The men of Israel fled before Judah, ^(G)and God gave them into their hand. ¹⁷ Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men.

⁹ And ^(A)when you go to war in your land against the adversary who ^(B)oppresses you, then you shall ^(C)sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be ^(D)remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.