when they crouch in their dens, when they wait in ambush in the thicket?

Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. ¹ 

However, suppose a person hates someone else ¹  and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, ²  and then flees to one of these cities.

Here is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘I carefully observed how the Amalekites opposed ¹  Israel along the way when Israel ²  came up from Egypt.

“But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally ¹  so that he dies,

May those who wait to ambush me ¹  be repaid for their evil! ²  As a demonstration of your faithfulness, ³  destroy them!

The wicked prepare to kill me, ¹  yet I concentrate on your rules.

at one time outside, at another ¹  in the wide plazas, and by every corner she lies in wait.)

At the same time the men who had taken the city came out to fight, and the men of Ai were trapped in the middle. ¹  The Israelites struck them down, leaving no survivors or refugees.

They hid ¹  in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here, ²  Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. ³  The secret of his strength was not discovered. ⁴ 

Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave ¹  him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes ²  me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”

All your allies ¹  will force ²  you from your homeland! ³  Your treaty partners ⁴  will deceive you and overpower you. Your trusted friends ⁵  will set an ambush ⁶  for ⁷  you that will take you by surprise! ⁸ 

May Dan be a snake beside the road, a viper by the path, that bites the heels of the horse so that its rider falls backward. ¹ 

Gideon went up the road of the nomads ¹  east of Nobah and Jogbehah and ambushed the surprised army. ² 

So David asked the Lord what he should do. ¹  This time ²  the Lord ³  said to him, “Don’t march straight up. Instead, circle around behind them and come against them opposite the trees. ⁴ 

Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade ¹  at such and such ²  a place.”

But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you don’t pass through this place because Syria is invading there.”

Lord, lead me in your righteousness ¹  because of those who wait to ambush me, ²  remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me! ³ 

Teach me how you want me to live; ¹  lead me along a level path ²  because of those who wait to ambush me! ³ 

Let destruction take them by surprise! ¹  Let the net they hid catch them! Let them fall into destruction! ²