God looked at the world and saw that it was evil, for the people were all living evil lives.

Robbery always claims the life of the robber---this is what happens to anyone who lives by violence.

those who have abandoned a righteous life to live in the darkness of sin,

unreliable people who cannot be trusted.

You are doomed! You make unjust laws that oppress my people.

They are hopelessly evil in what they do, just as they were at Gibeah. God will remember their sin and punish them for it.

they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go.

How great are your actions, LORD! How deep are your thoughts!

This is something a fool cannot know; someone who is stupid cannot understand:

Wise people walk the road that leads upward to life, not the road that leads downward to death.

Don't be envious of evil people, and don't try to make friends with them.

At your feasts you have harps and tambourines and flutes---and wine. But you don't understand what the LORD is doing,

Your enemies do not know that you will punish them. LORD, put them to shame and let them suffer; let them suffer the punishment you have prepared. Show them how much you love your people.

You boast that you have made a treaty with death and reached an agreement with the world of the dead. You are certain that disaster will spare you when it comes, because you depend on lies and deceit to keep you safe.

So he made us feel the force of his anger and suffer the violence of war. Like fire his anger burned throughout Israel, but we never knew what was happening; we learned nothing at all from it.

May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart. The LORD's ways are right, and righteous people live by following them, but sinners stumble and fall because they ignore them.

"But now I will come," says the LORD, "because the needy are oppressed and the persecuted groan in pain. I will give them the security they long for."

They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and made fun of Abimelech.

Then Zebul said to him, "Where is all your big talk now? You were the one who asked why we should serve this man Abimelech. These are the men you were making fun of. Go on out now and fight them."

The time came when King David and his men set out to attack Jerusalem. The Jebusites, who lived there, thought that David would not be able to conquer the city, and so they said to him, "You will never get in here; even the blind and the crippled could keep you out."

from Benhadad: "I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!"

King Ahab answered, "Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging after a battle, not before it."

Meanwhile, a prophet went to King Ahab and said, "The LORD says, 'Don't be afraid of that huge army! I will give you victory over it today, and you will know that I am the LORD.' "