“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

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.

So the prophet ¹  said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him.

King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.

and they started on their journey. ¹  The surrounding cities were afraid of God, ²  and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

He recognized it and exclaimed, “It is my son’s tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! ¹  Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!”

He looked this way and that ¹  and saw that no one was there, ²  and then he attacked ³  the Egyptian and concealed the body ⁴  in the sand.

For by now I could have stretched out ¹  my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed ²  from the earth.

If it is torn in pieces, then he will bring it for evidence, ¹  and he will not have to pay for what was torn.

“You will be holy ¹  people to me; you must not eat any meat torn by animals in the field. ²  You must throw it to the dogs.

Moreover, the fat of an animal that has died of natural causes ¹  and the fat of an animal torn by beasts may be used for any other purpose, ²  but you must certainly never eat it.

He must not eat an animal that has died of natural causes ¹  or an animal torn by beasts and thus become unclean by it. I am the Lord.

The people contended ¹  with Moses, saying, ²  “If only ³  we had died when our brothers died before the Lord!

So they defeated Og, ¹  his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, ²  and they possessed his land.

Then King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, but Joshua struck down him and his army ¹  until no survivors remained.

That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites ¹  – all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped.

Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire,

The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. ¹  Israel suffered greatly. ² 

The Benjaminites attacked from Gibeah and struck down twenty-two thousand Israelites that day. ¹