So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea! ¹  Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.

As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?”

Samuel did what the Lord told him. ¹  When he arrived in Bethlehem, ²  the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They ³  said, “Do you come in peace?”

Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the city.”

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to ¹  Jerusalem. ² 

So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers ¹  were.

When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers ¹  fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again.

The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? ¹  Go back to the city in peace! Your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan may go with you and Abiathar. ² 

That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle.

a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.’”

They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at ¹  the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.

He will retain one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified area of the royal palace. He set the palace on fire and died in the flames. ¹ 

When Ben Hadad received this reply, ¹  he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters. ²  He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son.

Don’t let Hezekiah talk you into trusting in the Lord when he says, “The Lord will certainly rescue us; this city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.”

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son.

He appointed military officers over the army ¹  and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them, ²  saying,

They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city.