“Bring trouble ¹  to the Midianites, and destroy them,

You destroy ¹  liars; ²  the Lord despises ³  violent and deceitful people. ⁴ 

Why do you remain inactive? Intervene and destroy him! ¹ 

Your anger overwhelms me; ¹  your terrors destroy me.

because we are about to destroy ¹  it. The outcry against this place ²  is so great before the Lord that he ³  has sent us to destroy it.”

He will pay them back for their sin. ¹  He will destroy them because of ²  their evil; the Lord our God will destroy them.

Rather you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles. ¹ 

A ruler will be established from Jacob; he will destroy the remains of the city.’” ¹ 

At Horeb you provoked him and he was angry enough with you to destroy you.

Joab answered, “Get serious! ¹  I don’t want to swallow up or destroy anything!

You make my enemies retreat; ¹  I destroy those who hate me.

“Your hands have shaped ¹  me and made me, but ²  now you destroy me completely. ³ 

They destroy ¹  my path; they succeed in destroying me ²  without anyone assisting ³  them.

You make my enemies retreat; ¹  I destroy those who hate me. ² 

You destroy their offspring ¹  from the earth, their descendants ²  from among the human race. ³ 

You love to use all the words that destroy, ¹  and the tongue that deceives.

Enemies seek to destroy my life, ¹  but they will descend into the depths of the earth. ² 

Yes, ¹  look! Those far from you ²  die; you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you. ³ 

They did not destroy the nations, ¹  as the Lord had commanded them to do.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.