The messenger replied, &#8220;Israel has fled from<n id="1" /> the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!&#8221;p>

David inquired, &#8220;How were things going?<n id="1" /> Tell me!&#8221; He replied, &#8220;The people fled from the battle and many of them<n id="2" /> fell dead.<n id="3" /> Even Saul and his son Jonathan are dead!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So the king got up and sat at the city gate. When all the people were informed that the king was sitting at the city gate, they<n id="1" /> all came before him.p><t /><p class="bodytext">But the Israelite soldiers<n id="2" /> had all fled to their own homes.<n id="3" />

When King Solomon heard<n id="1" /> that Joab had run to the tent of the <sc>Lordsc> and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Go, strike him down.&#8221;

The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them.<n id="1" /> Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room.<n id="2" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Announce<n id="1" /> the news among the nations! Proclaim it!p> <p class="poetry">Signal for people to pay attention!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Babylon will be captured.p> <p class="poetry">Bel<n id="3" /> will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Marduk will be dismayed.p> <p class="poetry">Babylon&#8217;s idols will be put to shame.p> <p class="poetry">Her disgusting images<n id="4" /> will be dismayed.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">Give the signal to attack Babylon&#8217;s wall!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Bring more guards!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Post them all around the city!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Put men in ambush!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For the <sc>Lordsc> will do what he has planned.p> <p class="poetry">He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Raise up battle flags throughout the lands.p> <p class="poetry">Sound the trumpets calling the nations to do battle.p> <p class="poetry">Prepare the nations to do battle against Babylonia.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Call for these kingdoms to attack her:p> <p class="poetry">Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Appoint a commander to lead the attack.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Send horses<n id="4" /> against her like a swarm of locusts.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">I saw the sovereign One<n id="1" /> standing by the altar<n id="2" /> and he said, &#8220;Strike the tops of the support pillars,<n id="3" /> so the thresholds shake!p> <p class="poetry">Knock them down on the heads of all the people,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and I will kill the survivors<n id="5" /> with the sword.p> <p class="poetry">No one will be able to run away;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">no one will be able to escape.<n id="7" />p>

<p class="bodytext">But the soldiers replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You should not do this!<n id="2" /> For if we should have to make a rapid retreat, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us.<n id="3" /> Even if half of us should die, they won&#8217;t be too concerned about us. But you<n id="4" /> are like ten thousand of us! So it is better if you remain in the city for support.&#8221;