¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;^(A) and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?^{(B) 18} And,

²⁹ See, I am beginning to bring disaster^(A) on the city that bears my Name,^(B) and will you indeed go unpunished?^(C) You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword^(D) on all^(E) who live on the earth,^(F) declares the Lord Almighty.’

³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.^{(A) 31} But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.^{(B) 32} Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined^(C) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.^(D)

⁹ Why did you despise^(A) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down^(B) Uriah^(C) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed^(D) him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword^(E) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household^(F) I am going to bring calamity on you.^(G) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.^{(H) 12} You did it in secret,^(I) but I will do this thing in broad daylight^(J) before all Israel.’”

²⁴ As he went on his way, a lion^(A) met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.