If only these men ¹  were under my command, ²  I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, ³  “Muster ⁴  your army and come out for battle!” ⁵ 

Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed all the people in it. Then he leveled ¹  the city and spread salt over it. ² 

The Israelites attacked the Benjaminites the next day; ¹  they took their positions against Gibeah just as they had done before.

Then the Benjaminites said, “They are defeated just as before.” But the Israelites said, “Let’s retreat ¹  and lure them ²  away from the city into the main roads.”

That day twenty-five thousand ¹  sword-wielding Benjaminites fell in battle, all of them capable warriors. ² 

So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. ¹  The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle.

So the army rushed greedily on ¹  the ²  plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them blood and all.

As he was speaking with them, the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, was coming up from the battle lines of the Philistines. He spoke the way he usually did, ¹  and David heard it.

From the blood of the slain, from the fat of warriors, the bow of Jonathan was not turned away. The sword of Saul never returned ¹  empty.

Then Joab blew the ram’s horn and all the people stopped in their tracks. ¹  They stopped chasing Israel and ceased fighting. ² 

He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army ¹  and they were deployed ²  against the Ammonites.

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers ¹  fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

The depths ¹  of the sea were exposed; the inner regions ²  of the world were uncovered by the Lord’s battle cry, ³  by the powerful breath from his nose. ⁴ 

Next in command ¹  was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi, ²  where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines.

During David’s campaign against Edom, ¹  Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom.

The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including the details of his battles and rule, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. ¹ 

He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.” ¹ 

The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die ¹  there?’ One said this and another that.

Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water ¹  until I safely return.”’” ² 

The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. ¹