²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing ^[a]displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”

Death Comes to All

9 For I ^[a]considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: ^(A)that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. ^2 (B)All things come alike to all:

³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Rabbah Is Captured^(A)

²⁶ Now ^(B)Joab fought against ^(C)Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.

⁹ And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to ^(A)Beth Shemesh, then He has done ^[a]us this great evil. But if not, then ^(B)we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.”

⁸ O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its ^[a]back before its enemies? ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and ^(A)cut off our name from the earth. Then ^(B)what will You do for Your great name?”

¹¹ I returned ^(A)and saw under the sun that—