Indeed, I terrified him in the land of the living, yet he will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the sovereign Lord.”

The lion tore apart as much prey as his cubs needed ¹  and strangled prey to provide food ²  for his lionesses; he filled ³  his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh.

Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. ¹  My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’

After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, ¹  and incited people to follow him in revolt. ²  He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.

But ¹  these men, ²  like irrational animals – creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed ³  – do not understand whom ⁴  they are insulting, and consequently ⁵  in their destruction they will be destroyed, ⁶ 

“If a thief is caught ¹  breaking in ²  and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guilt for him. ³ 

And Balaam said to the donkey, “You have made me look stupid; I wish ¹  there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.”

And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.

He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely.

Isn’t this David, of whom they sang as they danced, ¹  ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his tens of thousands’?”

David became famous ¹  when he returned from defeating the Arameans ²  in the Valley of Salt, he defeated ³  18,000 in all.

But he made a stand in the middle of that area. He defended ¹  it and defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.

The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. ¹  So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. ² 

His servants conspired against him ¹  and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. ² 

When he had secured control of the kingdom, ¹  he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. ² 

The king of Babylon ordered them to be executed ¹  at Riblah in the territory ²  of Hamath. So Judah was deported from its land.

Look, our fathers died violently ¹  and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off ²  because of this.

The noisy city is full of raucous sounds; the town is filled with revelry. ¹  Your slain were not cut down by the sword; they did not die in battle. ² 

However, listen to what I, the Lord, promise you, King Zedekiah of Judah. I, the Lord, promise that ¹  you will not die in battle or be executed. ² 

But as soon as they were inside the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw their bodies ¹  in a cistern.