My heart went out ¹  to Israel’s leaders, to the people who answered the call to war. Praise the Lord!

Wake up, wake up, Deborah! Wake up, wake up, sing a song! Get up, Barak! Capture your prisoners of war, ¹  son of Abinoam!

Now once again there was war. So David went out to fight the Philistines. He defeated them thoroughly ¹  and they ran away from him.

As the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was becoming more influential ¹  in the house of Saul.

Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade ¹  at such and such ²  a place.”

He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. ²  There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace.

In time of famine ¹  he will redeem you from death, and in time of war from the power of the sword. ² 

By David. The Lord, my protector, ²  deserves praise ³  – the one who trains my hands for battle, ⁴  and my fingers for war,

“These people have denied what the Lord says. ¹  They have said, ‘That is not so! ²  No harm will come to us. We will not experience war and famine. ³ 

I will bring war, starvation, and disease ¹  on them until they are completely destroyed from the land I gave them and their ancestors.’” ² 

From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably ¹  prophesied war, disaster, ²  and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.

So now be very sure of this: You will die from war, starvation, or disease in the place where you want to go and live.”

I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt with war, starvation, and disease just as I punished Jerusalem.

“Babylon, ¹  you are my war club, ²  my weapon for battle. I used you to smash nations. ³  I used you to destroy kingdoms.

Men of Persia, Lud, ¹  and Put were in your army, men of war. They hung shield and helmet on you; they gave you your splendor.

O Israel, you have sinned since the time ¹  of Gibeah, and there you have remained. Did not war overtake the evildoers in Gibeah?

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for a holy war! Call out the warriors! Let all these fighting men approach and attack! ¹ 

The chariot drivers will crack their whips; ¹  the chariot wheels will shake the ground; ²  the chariot horses ³  will gallop; ⁴  the war chariots ⁵  will bolt forward! ⁶ 

I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about ¹  them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ ²