The Capture of Rabbah

20 (A)In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. (C)And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent[a] of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor[b] (D)with saws and iron picks and axes.[c] And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Philistine Giants Killed

(E)And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair struck down Lahmi (G)the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of (H)Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew he sawed
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew saws

Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon

21 The (A)oracle concerning the wilderness of (B)the sea.

(C)As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
    it comes from the wilderness,
    from a terrible land.
A stern vision is told to me;
    (D)the traitor betrays,
    and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O (E)Elam;
    lay siege, O (F)Media;
all the (G)sighing she has caused
    I bring to an end.
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
    (H)pangs have seized me,
    like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;
    I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;
    (I)the twilight I longed for
    has been turned for me into trembling.
(J)They prepare the table,
    they spread the rugs,[a]
    they eat, they drink.
Arise, O princes;
    (K)oil the shield!
For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, set a watchman;
    let him announce what he sees.
When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
    riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
    very diligently.”
Then he who saw cried out:[b]
(L)“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
    continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
    whole nights.
And behold, here come riders,
    horsemen in pairs!”
(M)And he answered,
    (N)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
(O)and all the carved images of her gods
    he has shattered to the ground.”
10 O (P)my threshed and winnowed one,
    what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
    the God of Israel, I announce to you.

11 The (Q)oracle concerning (R)Dumah.

One is calling to me from (S)Seir,
    “Watchman, what time of the night?
    Watchman, what time of the night?”
12 The watchman says:
“Morning comes, and also (T)the night.
    If you will inquire, (U)inquire;
    come back again.”

13 The (V)oracle concerning (W)Arabia.

In the thickets in (X)Arabia you will lodge,
    O (Y)caravans of (Z)Dedanites.
14 To the thirsty bring water;
    meet the fugitive with bread,
    O inhabitants of the land of (AA)Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
    from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
    and from the press of battle.

16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, (AB)according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of (AC)Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of (AD)Kedar will be few, (AE)for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 21:5 Or they set the watchman
  2. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion

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