10
"But we are different. ADONAI is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have cohanim performing the service for ADONAI, descendants of Aharon. With the L'vi'im doing their work,
11
they burn to ADONAI every morning and evening burnt offerings and sweet incense; they arrange the showbread on the pure table, and they prepare the gold menorah with its lamps to burn every evening. For we observe the order of ADONAI our God. But you have abandoned him.
12
"So look here! God is with us, leading us and his cohanim with the battle trumpets to sound an alarm against you. People of Isra'el! Don't fight against ADONAI, the God of your ancestors; because you will not succeed."
13
But Yarov'am prepared to ambush them from behind, so that the main body was ahead of Y'hudah, while the ambush was behind them.
14
Thus when Y'hudah looked back, the battle had to be fought in front of them and behind them. They cried to ADONAI, and the cohanim sounded the trumpets.
15
Then the men of Y'hudah gave forth a shout, and as the men of Y'hudah shouted, God struck Yarov'am and all Isra'el before Aviyah and Y'hudah.
16
The people of Isra'el fled before Y'hudah, and God handed them over to them.
17
Aviyah and his army inflicted a great slaughter on them - 500,000 of Isra'el's select soldiers fell dead.
18
Thus the people of Isra'el were subdued that time, and the people of Y'hudah won the victory, because they relied on ADONAI the God of their ancestors.
19
Aviyah pursued Yarov'am, taking from him the towns of Beit-El with its villages, Y'shanah with its villages and 'Efrayin with its villages.
20
Yarov'am did not recover his strength during the time of Aviyahu. Finally ADONAI struck him, and he died.