The five men who had gone to spy out the land broke in and stole ¹  the carved image, the ephod, the personal idols, and the metal image, while the priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred fully armed men. ² 

He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, ¹  as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment.

Then you responded to me and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord. We will now go up and fight as the Lord our God has told us to do.” So you each put on your battle gear and prepared to go up to the hill country.

Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. ¹ 

Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules. ¹ 

Next, I noticed ¹  six men ²  coming from the direction of the upper gate ³  which faces north, each with his war club in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen with a writing kit ⁴  at his side. They came and stood beside the bronze altar.

The Lord who rules over all said, “I will kill all the archers of Elam, who are the chief source of her military might. ¹ 

You must have a spade among your other equipment and when you relieve yourself ¹  outside you must dig a hole with the spade ²  and then turn and cover your excrement. ³ 

He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons. ¹ 

“At that time ¹  I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will abolish ²  the warrior’s bow and sword – that is, every weapon of warfare ³  – from the land, and I will allow them to live securely.” ⁴ 

The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

He pours contempt on noblemen and disarms ¹  the powerful. ² 

each one is so close to the next ¹  that no air can come between them.

It regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.

Grab your small shield and large shield, ¹  and rise up to help me!

For I do not trust in my bow, and I do not prevail by my sword.

Like a madman ¹  who shoots firebrands and deadly arrows, ² 

All of its soldiers are strong and mighty. ¹  Their arrows will send you to your grave. ² 

They will attack ¹  you with weapons, ²  chariots, wagons, and with a huge army; ³  they will array themselves against you on every side with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I will assign them the task of judgment; ⁴  they will punish you according to their laws.

Every blow from his punishing cudgel, ¹  with which the Lord will beat them, ²  will be accompanied by music from the ³  tambourine and harp, and he will attack them with his weapons. ⁴