So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.p>

When I catch up with<n id="1" /> him he will be exhausted and worn out.<n id="2" /> I will rout him, and the entire army that is with him will flee. I will kill only the king

That day the people stole away to go to the city the way people who are embarrassed steal away in fleeing from battle.

<p class="bodytext">Next in command<n id="1" /> was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines assembled at Lehi,<n id="2" /> where there happened to be an area of a field that was full of lentils, the army retreated before the Philistines.

Each one struck down an enemy soldier;<n id="1" /> the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen.

When they approached the Israelite camp, the Israelites rose up and struck down the Moabites, who then ran from them. The Israelites<n id="1" /> thoroughly defeated<n id="2" /> Moab.

From the time Amaziah turned from following the <sc>Lordsc>, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him<n id="2" /> and they killed him there.

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to Her Lover:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Until the dawn arrives<n id="1" /> and the shadows flee,p> <p class="poetry">turn,<n id="2" /> my beloved &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">be like a gazelle or a young stagp> <p class="poetry">on the mountain gorges.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Until the dawn arrives<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and the shadows flee,p> <p class="poetry">I will go up to the mountain of myrrh,p> <p class="poetry">and to the hill of frankincense.p>

<p class="poetry">What will you do on judgment day,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when destruction arrives from a distant place?p> <p class="poetry">To whom will you run for help?p> <p class="poetry">Where will you leave your wealth?p>

<p class="poetry">Like a frightened gazelle<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">or a sheep with no shepherd,p> <p class="poetry">each will turn toward home,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">each will run to his homeland.p>

<p class="poetry">Though these people make an uproar as loud as the roaring of powerful waves,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">when he shouts at<n id="2" /> them, they will flee to a distant land,p> <p class="poetry">driven before the wind like dead weeds on the hills,p> <p class="poetry">or like dead thistles<n id="3" /> before a strong gale.p>

<p class="poetry">Assyria will fall by a sword, but not one human-made;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">a sword not made by humankind will destroy them.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">They will run away from this sword<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and their young men will be forced to do hard labor.p>

<p class="poetry">those whom the <sc>Lordsc> has ransomed will return that way.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They will enter Zion with a happy shout.p> <p class="poetry">Unending joy will crown them,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">happiness and joy will overwhelm<n id="3" /> them;p> <p class="poetry">grief and suffering will disappear.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Those whom the <sc>Lordsc> has ransomed will return;p> <p class="poetry">they will enter Zion with a happy shout.p> <p class="poetry">Unending joy will crown them,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">happiness and joy will overwhelm<n id="2" /> them;p> <p class="poetry">grief and suffering will disappear.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">In the west, people respect<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s reputation;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in the east they recognize his splendor.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For he comes like a rushing<n id="4" /> streamp> <p class="poetry">driven on by wind sent from the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">What do I see?&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;The soldiers<n id="3" /> are terrified.p> <p class="poetry">They are retreating.p> <p class="poetry">They have been defeated.p> <p class="poetry">They are overcome with terror;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">they desert quicklyp> <p class="poetry">without looking back.p>

<p class="poetry">But even the swiftest cannot get away.p> <p class="poetry">Even the strongest cannot escape.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">There in the north by the Euphrates Riverp> <p class="poetry">they stumble and fall in defeat.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">In the shadows of the walls of Heshbonp> <p class="poetry">those trying to escape will stand helpless.p> <p class="poetry">For a fire will burst forth from Heshbon.p> <p class="poetry">Flames will shoot out from the former territory of Sihon.p> <p class="poetry">They will burn the foreheads of the people of Moab,p> <p class="poetry">the skulls of those war-loving people.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">Turn and flee! Take up refuge in remote places,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you people who live in Dedan.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For I will bring disaster on the descendants of Esau.p> <p class="poetry">I have decided it is time for me to punish them.<n id="3" />p>