Then the king said to the messengers ¹  who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided ²  with David! They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm ³  the priests of the Lord.

His officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him. He and fifty Gileadites assassinated Pekahiah, as well as Argob and Arieh, in Samaria in the fortress of the royal palace. ¹  Pekah then took his place as king.

In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, ¹  Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down.

Then some people ¹  said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! ²  There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. ³  Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! ⁴  Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”

Even now siege ramps have been built up around the city ¹  in order to capture it. War, ²  starvation, and disease are sure to make the city fall into the hands of the Babylonians ³  who are attacking it. ⁴  Lord, ⁵  you threatened that this would happen. Now you can see that it is already taking place. ⁶ 

I saw it approaching the ram. It went into a fit of rage against the ram ¹  and struck it ²  and broke off its two horns. The ram had no ability to resist it. ³  The goat hurled the ram ⁴  to the ground and trampled it. No one could deliver the ram from its power. ⁵ 

I listened and my stomach churned; ¹  the sound made my lips quiver. My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, ²  and I shook as I tried to walk. ³  I long ⁴  for the day of distress to come upon ⁵  the people who attack us.

These last five kings ¹  joined forces ²  in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). ³ 

Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will be ¹  defeated before your enemies.

When Sihon and all his troops ¹  emerged to encounter us in battle at Jahaz, ² 

As you move forward for battle, the priest ¹  will approach and say to the soldiers, ² 

‘Cursed is the one who kills ¹  his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

If only we had been satisfied to live on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what can I say now that Israel has retreated ¹  before its enemies?

From there he attacked the people of Debir. ¹  (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.)

Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. ¹ 

From there they attacked the people of Debir. ¹  (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.)

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

The Ammonites assembled ¹  and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.

So all the men of Israel gathered together at the city as allies. ¹ 

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