Now Joab was the general in command of all the army of Israel. Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over the Kerethites and the Perethites.

When ¹  a sentence ²  is not executed ³  at once against a crime, ⁴  the human heart ⁵  is encouraged to do evil. ⁶ 

The Lord revealed the following message during the year in which King Sargon of Assyria sent his commanding general to Ashdod, and he fought against it and captured it. ¹ 

Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, all of its service and all that will be done in it.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff ¹  – no bread, no bag, ²  no money in their belts –

(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, ¹  holding fast to the tradition of the elders.

praising God and having the good will ¹  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ²  those who were being saved.

To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!

The Lord turned them over to ¹  King Jabin of Canaan, who ruled in Hazor. ²  The general of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. ³ 

Gideon continued, ¹  “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” ²  (The Midianites ³  had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ¹  before the Lord in Mizpah.

On every mission on which Saul sent him, David achieved success. So Saul appointed him over the men of war. This pleased not only all the army, but also Saul’s servants. ¹ 

Then Abner spoke privately ¹  with the Benjaminites. Abner also went to Hebron to inform David privately ²  of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to. ³ 

Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from ¹  beyond the Euphrates River, ²  and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them. ³ 

The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. ¹  He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there.

(Now the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes among their fellow priests.) ¹ 

¹  David said, “Whoever attacks ²  the Jebusites first will become commanding general!” ³  So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked ⁴  first and became commander. ⁵ 

When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, ¹  led by Shophach the commanding general of Hadadezer’s army. ² 

The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 7,000 ¹  Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen; he also killed Shophach ²  the commanding general.

But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his warnings, ¹  and ridiculed his prophets. ²  Finally the Lord got very angry at his people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment. ³