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.

Then the Lord put a message ¹  in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” ² 

Saul said, “God will punish me severely if Jonathan doesn’t die!” ¹ 

As he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Leave! Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! ¹ 

And do this ¹  to them to purify them: Sprinkle water of purification ²  on them; then have them shave ³  all their body ⁴  and wash ⁵  their clothes, and so purify themselves. ⁶ 

Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message ¹  in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

Wherever you die, I will die – and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! ¹  Only death will be able to separate me from you!” ² 

God will severely punish David, ¹  if I leave alive until morning even one male ²  from all those who belong to him!”

God will severely judge Abner ¹  if I do not do for David exactly what the Lord has promised him, ² 

King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely, ¹  if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life! ² 

Then he said, “May God judge me severely ¹  if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!” ² 

So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, ¹  my dear! ²  Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not ³  go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside ⁴  my female workers. ⁵ 

Eli ¹  said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely ²  if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”

But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don’t let you know ¹  and send word to you so you can go safely on your way. ²  May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father.

Neither man nor woman would David leave alive so as to bring them back to Gath. He was thinking, “This way they can’t tell on us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” Such was his practice the entire time ¹  that he lived in the country of the Philistines.

Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely ¹  if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”

(19:1) ¹  The king then became very upset. He went up to the upper room over the gate and wept. As he went he said, “My son, Absalom! My son, my son, ²  Absalom! If only I could have died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” ³ 

Say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my flesh and blood? ¹  God will punish me severely, ²  if from this time on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply. ¹ 

Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this warning, ¹  “May the gods judge me severely ²  if by this time tomorrow I do not take your life as you did theirs!” ³