¹⁵ Then Johanan^(A) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill^(B) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered^(C) and the remnant^(D) of Judah to perish?”

¹⁷ But Abishai^(A) son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp^(B) of Israel will not be extinguished.^(C)”

⁸ Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t strike him twice.”

⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”^(A)

²⁴ “Son of man, the people living in those ruins^(A) in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many;^(B) surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’^{(C) 25} Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat^(D) meat with the blood^(E) still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land?^{(F) 26} You rely on your sword, you do detestable things,^(G) and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife.^(H) Should you then possess the land?’

²⁷ “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague.^{(I) 28} I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains^(J) of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them.^{(K) 29} Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate^(L) waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’^(M)

² Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray^(A) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.^(B) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few^(C) are left.

³ But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten^(A) thousand of us.^[a] It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”^(B)