ס (Samek) You shrouded yourself ¹  with anger and then pursued us; you killed without mercy.

Then the Lord became ¹  zealous for his land; he had compassion on his people.

Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me.

if he retains it for himself and does not let it go, and holds it fast in his mouth, ¹ 

It hurls itself against him without pity ¹  as he flees headlong from its power.

for jealousy kindles ¹  a husband’s ²  rage, and he will not show mercy ³  when he takes revenge.

Then I would yet have my comfort, ¹  then ²  I would rejoice, ³  in spite of pitiless pain, ⁴  for ⁵  I have not concealed the words ⁶  of the Holy One. ⁷ 

his archers ¹  surround me. Without pity ²  he pierces ³  my kidneys and pours out my gall ⁴  on the ground.

But as for me, my eye will not pity them nor will I spare ¹  them; I hereby repay them for what they have done.” ² 

I was concerned for my holy reputation ¹  which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

Will he then ¹  continue to fill and empty his throw net? ²  Will he always ³  destroy ⁴  nations and spare none? ⁵ 

“They will belong to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. ¹  I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

opened it, ¹  and saw the child ²  – a boy, ³  crying! ⁴  – and she felt compassion ⁵  for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him.

Saul said, “They were brought ¹  from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord our God. But everything else we slaughtered.”

Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!” ¹ 

The Lord God of their ancestors ¹  continually warned them through his messengers, ²  for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling place.

Because of the anger of the Lord who commands armies, the land was scorched, ¹  and the people became fuel for the fire. ²  People had no compassion on one another. ³ 

It shatters in pieces like a clay jar, so shattered to bits that none of it can be salvaged. ¹  Among its fragments one cannot find a shard large enough ²  to scoop a hot coal from a fire ³  or to skim off water from a cistern.” ⁴ 

And I will smash them like wine bottles against one another, children and parents alike. ¹  I will not show any pity, mercy, or compassion. Nothing will keep me from destroying them,’ ²  says the Lord.”