The armies met in the hill country of Ephraim. King Abijah went up Mount Zemaraim and called out to Jeroboam and the Israelites: "Listen to me!" he said.

Jahaziel said, "Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the LORD says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you.

Early the next morning the people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: "People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed."

When Jotham heard about this, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted out to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, and God may listen to you!

Hear this, everyone! Listen, all people everywhere,

great and small alike, rich and poor together.

To that Isaiah replied, "Listen, now, descendants of King David. It's bad enough for you to wear out the patience of people---do you have to wear out God's patience too?

And Jesus concluded, "Listen, then, if you have ears!"

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! "To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God.

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! "Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death.

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! "To those who win the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a white stone on which is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!

"If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!"

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!"

He has human power, but we have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." The people were encouraged by these words of their king.

"When you go out to fight against your enemies and you see chariots and horses and an army that outnumbers yours, do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who rescued you from Egypt, will be with you.

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!

But when trouble came, they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel. They searched for him and found him.

All the people of Judah were happy because they had made this covenant with all their heart. They took delight in worshiping the LORD, and he accepted them and gave them peace on every side.

In his suffering he became humble, turned to the LORD his God, and begged him for help.

Turn to the LORD and pray to him, now that he is near.

Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the LORD, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.

Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.

Yes, I say, you will find me, and I will restore you to your land. I will gather you from every country and from every place to which I have scattered you, and I will bring you back to the land from which I had sent you away into exile. I, the LORD, have spoken.'

"Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock.

As soon as Rehoboam had established his authority as king, he and all his people abandoned the Law of the LORD.

with an army of twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand cavalry, and more soldiers than could be counted, including Libyan, Sukkite, and Ethiopian troops.

Then the spirit of God took control of Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood where the people could see him and called out, "The LORD God asks why you have disobeyed his commands and are bringing disaster on yourselves! You abandoned him, so he has abandoned you!"

I will abandon the people who survive, and will hand them over to their enemies, who will conquer them and plunder their land.

And to Solomon he said, "My son, I charge you to acknowledge your father's God and to serve him with an undivided heart and a willing mind. He knows all our thoughts and desires. If you go to him, he will accept you; but if you turn away from him, he will abandon you forever.

I ask, then: Did God reject his own people? Certainly not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the beginning. You know what the scripture says in the passage where Elijah pleads with God against Israel:

My righteous people, however, will believe and live; but if any of them turns back, I will not be pleased with them."

Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!