¹⁵ Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, ^(A)and the remnant of Judah would perish?”

¹⁷ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, ^(A)“You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench ^(B)the lamp of Israel.”

⁸ Then Abishai said to David, ^(A)“God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.”

⁵⁰ Nor do you understand that ^(A)it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

^24 (A)“Son of man, the inhabitants of these ^(B)waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ^(C)‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but ^(D)we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ ²⁵ Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: ^(E)You eat flesh with the blood and ^(F)lift up your eyes to your idols and ^(G)shed blood; shall you then possess the land? ^26 (H)You rely on the sword, ^(I)you commit abominations, and ^(J)each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? ²⁷ Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: ^(K)As I live, surely those who are in ^(L)the waste places shall fall by ^(M)the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to ^(N)the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in ^(O)strongholds and in caves shall die by ^(P)pestilence. ^28 (Q)And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and ^(R)her proud might shall come to an end, and ^(S)the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. ^29 (T)Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.