¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet^(A) stayed with me.

¹² God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.^(A) People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord,^(B) the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”^(C)

¹³ Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush^(D) was behind them. ¹⁴ Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out^(E) to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets ¹⁵ and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel^(F) before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶ The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered^(G) them into their hands. ¹⁷ Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men.

⁹ When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you,^(A) sound a blast on the trumpets.^(B) Then you will be remembered^(C) by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.^(D)