And tell Amasa, “Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me and do so severely if you don’t become commander of my army from now on instead of Joab! ” ’
He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labour at brickmaking. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
About three months later Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.’ ‘Bring her out,’ Judah said, ‘and let her be burned to death! ’
When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, ‘No! Not my daughter! You have devastated me! You have brought great misery on me. I have given my word to the Lord and cannot take it back.’
‘What was the message he gave you? ’ Eli asked. ‘Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.’