He replied, &#8220;Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down?<n id="1" /> Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master.&#8221;

<n id="1" /> David said, &#8220;Whoever attacks<n id="2" /> the Jebusites first will become commanding general!&#8221;<n id="3" /> So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked<n id="4" /> first and became commander.<n id="5" />

Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated them;<n id="1" /> 500,000 well-trained Israelite men fell dead.<n id="2" />

My eye will not pity you; I will not spare<n id="1" /> you. For your behavior I will hold you accountable,<n id="2" /> and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. Then you will know that it is I, the <sc>Lord,sc> who is striking you.<n id="3" />p>

Thus says the <sc>Lordsc>: &#8220;By this you will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>: I am going to strike<n id="1" /> the water of the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood.<n id="2" />

These were the cities of refuge<n id="1" /> appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by<n id="2" /> the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.<n id="3" />p>

He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith &#8211; twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out!<n id="1" /> The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">But the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> struck down some of the people of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>; he struck down 50,070<n id="2" /> of the men. The people grieved because the <sc>Lordsc> had struck the people with a hard blow.

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He took away their cattle and thoroughly defeated them.<n id="1" /> David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah.p>

David said on that day, &#8220;Whoever attacks the Jebusites must approach the &#8216;lame&#8217; and the &#8216;blind&#8217; who are David&#8217;s enemies<n id="1" /> by going through the water tunnel.&#8221;<n id="2" /> For this reason it is said, &#8220;The blind and the lame cannot enter the palace.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians<n id="1" /> defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus.<n id="2" /> He was also handed over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him.<n id="3" />

<p class="poetry">The one who slaughters a bull also strikes down a man;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who sacrifices a lamb also breaks a dog&#8217;s neck;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who presents an offering includes pig&#8217;s blood with it;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who offers incense also praises an idol.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">They have decided to behave this way;<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">they enjoy these disgusting practices.<n id="6" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;Tell these people this, Jeremiah:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;My eyes overflow with tearsp> <p class="poetry">day and night without ceasing.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For my people, my dear children,<n id="3" /> have suffered a crushing blow.p> <p class="poetry">They have suffered a serious wound.<n id="4" />p>

Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, &#8216;Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death<n id="1" /> of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.&#8217; They want to extinguish my remaining coal,<n id="2" /> leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.&#8221;p>