King Hezekiah of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria, who was at Lachish, “I have violated our treaty. ¹  If you leave, I will do whatever you demand.” ²  So the king of Assyria demanded that King Hezekiah of Judah pay three hundred talents ³  of silver and thirty talents of gold.

When it rises up, the mighty are terrified, at its thrashing about they withdraw. ¹ 

the mighty men and warriors, judges and prophets, omen readers and leaders, ¹ 

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Why do you remain inactive? Intervene and destroy him! ¹ 

Don’t set foot too frequently ¹  in your neighbor’s house, lest he become weary ²  of you and hate you.

It is best to take hold of one warning ¹  without letting go of the other warning; ²  for the one who fears God will follow ³  both warnings. ⁴ 

That’s not the way things are. There is a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Sheba son of Bicri. He has rebelled ¹  against King David. Give me just this one man, and I will leave the city.” The woman said to Joab, “This very minute ²  his head will be thrown over the wall to you!”

The ships of Kittim ¹  will come against him, leaving him disheartened. ²  He will turn back and direct his indignation against the holy covenant. He will return and honor ³  those who forsake the holy covenant.

God deserves praise, ¹  for ²  he did not reject my prayer or abandon his love for me! ³ 

I will not break ¹  my covenant or go back on what I promised. ² 

So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine ¹  from their diet ²  and gave them a diet of vegetables instead.

Then the king of the north ¹  will advance against the empire of the king of the south, but will withdraw to his own land.

for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem ¹  were going away and believing in Jesus.

But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, ¹  they began to confer with one another,

I will bring on you an avenging sword, a covenant vengeance. ¹  Although ²  you will gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you and you will be given into enemy hands. ³ 

Joshua kept holding out his curved sword until Israel had annihilated all who lived in Ai. ¹ 

Are not my days few? ¹  Cease, ²  then, and leave ³  me alone, ⁴  that I may find a little comfort, ⁵ 

But if God ¹  is quiet, who can condemn ²  him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet ³  he is over the individual and the nation alike, ⁴ 

How long will you cry out, ¹  ‘Oh, sword of the Lord, how long will it be before you stop killing? ²  Go back into your sheath! Stay there and rest!’ ³