So Edom has remained free from Judah&#8217;s control to this very day.<n id="1" /> At that same time Libnah also rebelled.p>

At that time King Hezekiah of Judah stripped the metal overlays from the doors of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and from the posts which he had plated<n id="1" /> and gave them to the king of Assyria.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">At that time Merodach-Baladan<n id="1" /> son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah was ill.

That day<n id="1" /> the Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the <sc>Lordsc> God of their ancestors.p>

Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail.<n id="1" /> Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.p>

They were unable to observe it at the regular<n id="1" /> time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.

So the Israelites who were present observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days.

At that time I instructed<n id="1" /> the people, &#8220;Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day.

<p class="poetry">&#8220;At that time the people of Judah and Jerusalem<n id="1" /> will be told,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;A scorching wind will sweep downp> <p class="poetry">from the hilltops in the desert on<n id="2" /> my dear people.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">It will not be a gentle breezep> <p class="poetry">for winnowing the grain and blowing away the chaff.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and they will be my people.p> <p class="poetry">I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Or suppose I were to bring a sword against that land and say, &#8216;Let a sword pass through the land,&#8217; and I were to kill both people and animals.

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Or suppose I were to send a plague into that land, and pour out my rage on it with bloodshed, killing both people and animals.

<p class="poetry">Someday these sinners will cry to the <sc>Lordsc> for help,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he will not answer them.p> <p class="poetry">He will hide his face from them at that time,p> <p class="poetry">because they have done such wicked deeds.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.p> <p class="poetry">I will rescue the lame sheep<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and gather together the scattered sheep.p> <p class="poetry">I will take away their humiliationp> <p class="poetry">and make the whole earth admire and respect them.<n id="2" />p>

you must by all means<n id="1" /> slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate<n id="2" /> with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.

At that time Joshua made this solemn declaration:<n id="1" /> &#8220;The man who attempts to rebuild<n id="2" /> this city of Jericho<n id="3" /> will stand condemned before the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" /> He will lose his firstborn son when he lays its foundations and his youngest son when he erects its gates!&#8221;<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">At that time Joshua turned, captured Hazor,<n id="1" /> and struck down its king with the sword, for Hazor was at that time<n id="2" /> the leader of all these kingdoms.

<p class="bodytext">At that time Joshua attacked and eliminated the Anakites from the hill country<n id="1" /> &#8211; from Hebron, Debir, Anab, and all the hill country of Judah and Israel.<n id="2" /> Joshua annihilated them and their cities.

The one who committed manslaughter<n id="1" /> should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.<n id="2" /> They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.<n id="3" />

He must remain<n id="1" /> in that city until his case is decided by the assembly<n id="2" /> and the high priest dies.<n id="3" /> Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>