David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!”

He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, “Why are you here, Elijah?”

Each one struck down an enemy soldier; ¹  the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen.

He said to his father, “My head! My head!” His father ¹  told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink ¹  from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!”

When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked ¹  the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir ²  who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

For the arrows ¹  of the Almighty ²  are within me; my spirit ³  drinks their poison; ⁴  God’s sudden terrors ⁵  are arrayed ⁶  against me.

In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, ¹  people ²  are shaken ³  and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. ⁴ 

I jumped to conclusions and said, ¹  “I am cut off from your presence!” ²  But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help.

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

Do not strike them dead suddenly, because then my people might forget the lesson. ¹  Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down, O Lord who shields us! ² 

He lifts a signal flag for a distant nation, ¹  he whistles for it to come from the far regions of the earth. Look, they ²  come quickly and swiftly.

For their oppressive yoke and the club that strikes their shoulders, the cudgel the oppressor uses on them, ¹  you have shattered, as in the day of Midian’s defeat. ² 

The splendid crown of Ephraim’s drunkards is doomed, ¹  the withering flower, its beautiful splendor, ²  situated ³  at the head of a rich valley, the crown of those overcome with wine. ⁴ 

In a year’s time ¹  you carefree ones will shake with fear, for the grape ²  harvest will fail, and the fruit harvest will not arrive.

I cry out ¹  until morning; like a lion he shatters all my bones; you turn day into night and end my life. ² 

I am ready to vindicate, ¹  I am ready to deliver, ²  I will establish justice among the nations. ³  The coastlands ⁴  wait patiently for me; they wait in anticipation for the revelation of my power. ⁵ 

Yet do not depart quickly or leave in a panic. ¹  For the Lord goes before you; the God of Israel is your rear guard.

They will not work in vain, or give birth to children that will experience disaster. ¹  For the Lord will bless their children and their descendants. ² 

For the Lord says, “I will now throw out those who live in this land. I will bring so much trouble on them that they will actually feel it.” ¹