¹² Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war.

³ the Negev^(A) and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms,^(B) as far as Zoar.^(C)

¹⁶ The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law,^(A) the Kenite,^(B) went up from the City of Palms^[a](C) with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.^(D)

²² “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured^(A) with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.”