For he says: “By my strong hand I have accomplished this, by my strategy that I devised. I invaded the territory of nations, ¹  and looted their storehouses. Like a mighty conqueror, ²  I brought down rulers. ³ 

The Lord raised up leaders ¹  who delivered them from these robbers. ² 

He deprives the leaders of the earth ¹  of their understanding; ²  he makes them wander in a trackless desert waste. ³ 

He has stripped me of my honor and has taken the crown off my head. ¹ 

Before daybreak ¹  the murderer rises up; he kills the poor and the needy; in the night he is ²  like a thief. ³ 

They carefully plot ¹  against your people, and make plans to harm ²  the ones you cherish. ³ 

You have brought to an end his splendor, ¹  and have knocked ²  his throne to the ground.

The ropes of the wicked tighten around ¹  me, but I do not forget your law.

Such ¹  are the ways ²  of all who gain profit unjustly; ³  it ⁴  takes away the life ⁵  of those who obtain it! ⁶ 

Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. ¹  Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’ ² 

Listen to this, you who trample ¹  the needy, and do away with ²  the destitute in the land.

For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ¹  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ² 

does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge, ¹  does not commit robbery, ²  but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked,

Because you robbed many countries, ¹  all who are left among the nations ²  will rob you. You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, ³  and those who live in them.

There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ¹  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ²  will be regarded as nothing, ³  and she whom all the province of Asia ⁴  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ⁵ 

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the corpses, they discovered Saul and his three sons lying dead ¹  on Mount Gilboa.

Then Ahaz took the silver and gold that were ¹  in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as tribute ²  to the king of Assyria.

I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people ¹  and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed by all their enemies, ² 

Yes, ¹  the wicked man ²  boasts because he gets what he wants; ³  the one who robs others ⁴  curses ⁵  and ⁶  rejects the Lord. ⁷ 

When someone’s ¹  prosperity ²  increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner ³  gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? ⁴