The Lord attacked ¹  the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of ²  both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores. ³ 

The royal bodyguard ¹  took their stations, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. ² 

At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah. He struck down all who lived in the city and the surrounding territory, because they would not surrender. ¹  He even ripped open the pregnant women.

He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. ¹ 

Are you not aware of what I and my predecessors ¹  have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power? ² 

Many were bringing presents ¹  to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by ²  all the nations.

“This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple.

Should you not have obeyed the words that the Lord cried out through the former prophets when Jerusalem ¹  was peacefully inhabited and her surrounding cities, the Negev, and the Shephelah ²  were also populated?

He overlaid it with pure gold, inside and out, and he made a surrounding border ¹  of gold for it.

He overlaid it with pure gold – its top, ¹  its four walls, ²  and its horns – and he made a surrounding border of gold for it. ³ 

All the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were bronze.

“So the total of the towns you will give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these together with their grazing lands.

You must not go after other gods, those ¹  of the surrounding peoples,

Heshbon and all its surrounding cities on the plain, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon – a total of twenty-nine cities and their towns. ¹ 

Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior – a total of nine cities and their towns.

Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon – a total of six cities and their towns.

(The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah, located on the border of Manasseh, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.)

The clans of Kohath’s descendants also received territory within the tribe of Ephraim. ¹ 

Some of the descendants of ¹  Benjamin settled in Geba, ²  Micmash, Aija, Bethel ³  and its villages,