(Make the chain, ¹  because the land is full of murder ²  and the city is full of violence.)

Woe to the city guilty of bloodshed! ¹  She is full of lies; ²  she is filled with plunder; ³  she has hoarded her spoil! ⁴ 

“As for you, son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment, ¹  are you willing to pronounce judgment on the bloody city? ²  Then confront her with all her abominable deeds!

“‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the city of bloodshed! I will also make the pile high.

Gilead is a city full of evildoers; ¹  its streets are stained with bloody footprints! ² 

“‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Woe to the city of bloodshed, the pot whose rot ¹  is in it, whose rot has not been removed ²  from it! Empty it piece by piece. No lot has fallen on it. ³ 

As he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Leave! Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! ¹ 

You destroy ¹  liars; ²  the Lord despises ³  violent and deceitful people. ⁴ 

Do not sweep me away ¹  with sinners, or execute me along with violent people, ² 

You ¹  build Zion through bloody crimes, ²  Jerusalem ³  through unjust violence.

During David’s reign there was a famine for three consecutive years. So David inquired of the Lord. ¹  The Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained family, ²  because he murdered the Gibeonites.”

Deliver me from evildoers! ¹  Rescue me from violent men! ² 

He will be beaten and despised, ¹  and his reproach will not be wiped away; ² 

But you, O God, will bring them ¹  down to the deep Pit. ²  Violent and deceitful people ³  will not live even half a normal lifespan. ⁴  But as for me, I trust in you.

So the Lord ¹  let him alone. (At that time ²  she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” referring to ³  the circumcision.)

May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed; ¹  behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he ²  – Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

God says, ¹  “I will bring down all the power of the wicked; the godly will be victorious.” ² 

If only ¹  you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men! ² 

but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.

But now ¹  don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; ²  make sure he has a bloody death.” ³