12 God himself is our leader and his priests are here with trumpets, ready to blow them and call us to battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors! You can't win!”
13 Meanwhile Jeroboam had sent some of his troops to ambush the Judean army from the rear, while the rest faced them from the front.
14 The Judeans looked around and saw that they were surrounded. They cried to the Lord for help, and the priests blew the trumpets.
15 The Judeans gave a loud shout, and led by Abijah, they attacked; God defeated Jeroboam and the Israelite army.
16 The Israelites fled from the Judeans, and God let the Judeans overpower them.
17 Abijah and his army dealt the Israelites a crushing defeat—half a million of Israel's best soldiers were killed.
18 And so the people of Judah were victorious over Israel, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.