The Beloved about Her Lover: My lover is mine and I am his; he grazes among the lilies. ¹ 

The Beloved about Her Lover: I am my lover’s ¹  and my lover is mine; ²  he grazes among the lilies.

Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do. ¹  If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them ²  as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing. ³ 

When God saw their actions – they turned ¹  from their evil way of living! ²  – God relented concerning the judgment ³  he had threatened them with ⁴  and he did not destroy them. ⁵ 

Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

When the Israelites turned around, the Benjaminites panicked ¹  because they could see that disaster was on their doorstep. ² 

Then the Lord said, “This means ¹  destruction will break out from the north on all who live in the land.

They will know that I am the Lord; my threats to bring this catastrophe on them were not empty.’ ¹ 

All the sinners among my people will die by the sword – the ones who say, ‘Disaster will not come near, it will not confront us.’

“Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse ¹  before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.” ² 

Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the disaster I intend to bring on them, they will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. ¹  If they do, I will forgive their sins and the wicked things they have done.” ² 

Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked – the God who has been my shepherd ¹  all my life long to this day,

“How long must I bear ¹  with this evil congregation ²  that murmurs against me? I have heard the complaints of the Israelites that they murmured against me.

I, the Lord, have said, “I will surely do so to all this evil congregation that has gathered together against me. In this wilderness they will be finished, and there they will die!”’”

But I will certainly ¹  hide myself at that time because of all the wickedness they ²  will have done by turning to other gods.

The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!”

The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe ¹  of Benjamin, saying, “How could such a wicked thing take place? ² 

Ten thousand men, well-trained soldiers from all Israel, then made a frontal assault against Gibeah – the battle was fierce. ¹  But the Benjaminites did not realize that disaster was at their doorstep. ² 

If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’ ¹  then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me. ² 

When David realized that Saul was planning to harm him, ¹  he told Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod!”