25 Bible Verses about Sieges

In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, came against Jerusalem. And they besieged it.

And they took it in that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every soul in it he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed the king of it, them, and every soul in it. He let none remain. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho.

And Jehovah delivered it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho.

And Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand. And do not talk with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who are on the wall.

and if it be so that the king's wrath arise, and he say to you, Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerub-besheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? And you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

And they cried out with a loud voice in Jewish to the people of Jerusalem on the wall, in order to frighten them and to trouble them, so that they might take the city.

And they called to the king. And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them.

And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, and to the city, and said to him, Ben-hadad says this: Your silver and your gold are mine, your wives also and your sons, the best are mine.

Do you say that a mere word of the lips is wisdom and strength for the war? Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me?

He who is afar off shall die of the plague; and he who is near shall fall by the sword; and he who remains and is under siege shall die by the famine. So I will fulfill My fury on them.

on the ninth of the fourth month, when famine was severe in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

And as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, Help, my lord, O king! And he said, if Jehovah does not help you, from where shall I help you? Out of the barn-floor, or out of the winepress? And the king said to her, What ails you? And she said, This woman said to me, Give your son so that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow. read more.
And we boiled my son and ate him. And I said to her on the other day, Give your son so that we may eat him. And she has hidden her son.

And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. And thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and laid siege to Samaria, and warred against it.

And the king of Assyria went up into all the land. And he went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.

And it happened after this Ben-hadad king of Syria gathered all his army and went up and lay siege to Samaria.

And he made himself strong and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

You have seen also the breaks in the city of David, that they are many; and you gathered the waters of the lower pool. And you have counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you have broken down the houses to fortify the wall.

And therefore gather the rest of the people together, and camp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.

After these things done in faithfulness, Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and camped against the fortified cities, and commanded to break them open to himself.

And it happened at the turn of the year, at the time kings go forth, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they destroyed the sons of Ammon and circled Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

And Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. And therefore gather the rest of the people together, and camp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name. read more.
And David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

And it happened in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came. He and all his army came against Jerusalem and pitched against it, and built a siege-mound all around it. And the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah,

And I will strike the people of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great plague.

Behold, the siege mounds have come to the city to take it; and the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the plague. And what You have spoken has happened; and, behold, You saw it.

And it was so on the next day, Saul put the people in three companies, and they came into the middle of the army at the morning watch. And they killed the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And the ones who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. And they led away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the people of Keilah.

And David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.

And they took it in that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every soul in it he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth in Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you; my people as your people, my horses as your horses.

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth in Gilead.

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel. And he spoke to them, saying, Go up and look over the country. And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Let not all the people go up. But let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people labor there, for they are few. And about three thousand men of the people went up there. And they fled before the men of Ai.

And Jehovah said to Joshua, Do not fear, nor be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take for a prize for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it. So Joshua and all the people of war arose to go up against Ai. And Joshua chose out thirty thousand men, mighty warriors, and sent them away by night. read more.
And he commanded them, saying, Behold, you will be an ambush against the city, behind the city. You shall not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. And I, and all the people with me, shall go toward the city. And it shall be, when they come out against us, as at the first, we will flee before them, (for they will come out after us) until we have drawn them out of the city. For they will say, They flee before us, even as at the first. And we will flee before them. Then you shall rise up from the ambush, and seize on the city; for Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand. And it shall be, when you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire, according to the command of Jehovah you shall do. See, I have commanded you. And Joshua sent them out. And they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai. But Joshua stayed that night among the people. And Joshua rose up early in the morning and called up the people. And they went up, he and the elders of Israel, in the sight of the people of Ai. And all the people of war with him went up and drew near. And they came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai. And a valley was between them and Ai. And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people, all the army that was on the north of the city, and its rear ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the middle of the valley. And it happened, when the king of Ai saw, they hurried and rose up early. And the men of the city went out to do battle against Israel, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the plain. But he did not know that there were some lying in ambush against him behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel acted as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. And all the people in Ai were called together to run after them. And they ran after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, who did not go after Israel. And they left the city open, and ran after Israel. And Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear in his hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand. And they entered into the city, and took it, and hurried and set the city on fire.

And he shall set engines of war against your walls, and with his axes he shall break down your towers.

And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mound against it. Also set the camp against it, and set battering rams against it all around.

He shall kill your daughters with the sword in the field. And he shall make siege walls against you, and pour out a siege mound against you, and lift up the shield against you.

And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mound against it. Also set the camp against it, and set battering rams against it all around.

And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people with him, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city and killed the people in it. And he beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

And he sent there horses and chariots and a great army. And they came by night and surrounded the city.

And when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that its destruction has come.

When you shall besiege a city a long time in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by forcing an axe against them. For you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man that it should go before you to lay siege? Only the trees which you know that they are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. And you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.

he took counsel with his rulers and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains outside the city. And they helped him. And there were gathered many people, who stopped all the fountains, and the torrent which ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water?

And he set commanders of war over the people and gathered them to himself in the street of the gate of the city. And he spoke to their heart, saying, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of the king of Assyria, or for all the multitude with him. For there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Come against her from the border; open her storehouses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her completely. Let nothing of her be left. Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them! For their day has come, the time of their punishment.

And he shall besiege you in all your gates until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down, throughout all the land. And he shall besiege you in all your gates throughout all your land which Jehovah your God has given you.

And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, to Lachish, and camped against it, and fought against it. And Jehovah delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

And it happened when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag, and had struck Ziklag, and burned it with fire. And they had seized the women in it. They did not kill any, either small or great, but carried them away and went on their way.

And Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, to Libnah, and fought against Libnah. And Jehovah delivered it also, and its king, into the hand of Israel. And he struck it with the edge of the sword, and every soul in it. He let none remain in it, but did to its king as he did to the king of Jericho.

And from Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and all Israel with him. And they camped against it and fought against it. And they took it in that day, and struck it with the edge of the sword; and every soul in it he completely destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it. And he took it, and its king, and all its cities. And they struck them with the edge of the sword, and destroyed every soul in it. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to its king, as he had done also to Libnah, and to its king.

And Joshua went on from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron. And they fought against it. And they took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and its king, and all its cities, and every soul in it. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it, and all the souls that were in it.

And Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you. And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, With this I will make a covenant with you, when all your right eyes are dug out and I will make it a reproach on all Israel. And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Bear with us seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.

Set up the banner on the walls of Babylon; make the watch strong; set up the watchmen; prepare the ambushes. For Jehovah has both planned and done that which He spoke against the people of Babylon.

And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And they looked, and behold, the people came forth out of the city. And he rose up against them, and struck them. And Abimelech and the company with him rushed forward and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And the two companies ran upon all the people in the field, and killed them.

A brother offended is like a strong city; and their disagreements are like the bars of a fortress.

And therefore gather the rest of the people together, and camp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.

In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he deported them to Assyria.

And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

And Nahash the Ammonite came up and camped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. And the people were camped against Gibbethon which was to the Philistines.

And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they laid siege to Tirzah.

And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.

And Jehovah said to Joshua, See, I have given Jericho into your hand, and its king, and the mighty men of war. And you shall go around the city, all the men of war. Go around the city once. So you shall do for six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of ram's horns in front of the ark. And the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. read more.
And it shall be when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout. And the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, each man straight before him. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven ram's horns in front of the ark of Jehovah. And he said to the people, Pass on, and go around the city. And let him who is armed pass on in front of the ark of Jehovah. And it happened when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven ram's horns passed on before Jehovah and blew the ram's horns. And the ark of the covenant of Jehovah followed them. And the armed men went before the priests who blew with the ram's horns. And the gathering army came after the ark, as the priests were going on and blowing with the ram's horns. And Joshua had commanded the people saying, You shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout. And the ark of Jehovah went around the city, going around it once. And they came into the camp and stayed in the camp. And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah. And seven priests carrying seven ram's horns before the ark of Jehovah went on without stopping and blew with the ram's horns. And the armed men went in front of them. But the rear guard came after the ark of Jehovah as the priests were going on and blowing with the ram's horns. And the second day they went around the city once, and returned to the camp. So they did six days. And it happened on the seventh day they rose early, at the dawning of the day, and circled the city in the same way seven times. Only on that day did they go around the city seven times. And it happened, at the seventh time, when the priest blew with the ram's horns, Joshua said to the people, Shout! For Jehovah has given you the city! And the city shall be devoted to Jehovah, it and all in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you surely shall keep clear of the cursed thing, lest you make yourselves cursed when you take of the cursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are devoted to Jehovah. They shall come into the treasury of Jehovah. And the people shouted when the priests blew with the ram's horns. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the ram's horns, and the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him. And they took the city.

So Jehovah says this concerning the king of Assyria. He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor throw up a bank against it.

And they shall come against you with weapons, chariots, and wheels, and with an assembly of peoples; buckler and shield and helmet shall set against you all around. And I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge you by their judgments.

I have dug and drunk foreign waters, and with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the rivers of Egypt.

Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled. Yet neither he nor his army had any pay for Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.

And I will send aliens to Babylon who will sift her and will empty her land. For in the day of trouble they shall be against her all around.

For, lo, I am stirring up and bringing up against Babylon a company of great nations from a northern land. And they shall array themselves against her. She shall be captured there. Their arrows shall be as those of a skillful, mighty man; none shall return in vain.

And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

And that day Joshua took Makkedah and struck it with the edge of the sword, and he utterly destroyed the king of it, them, and every soul in it. He let none remain. And he did to the king of Makkedah as he did to the king of Jericho.

And it happened in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came. He and all his army came against Jerusalem and pitched against it, and built a siege-mound all around it.

And the king of Assyria went up into all the land. And he went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.

And Abimelech went to Thebez, and camped against Thebez, and took it.

And Abimelech rose up by night, and all the people with him, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

You have closed me in behind and in front, and laid Your hand on me.

And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand. And they entered into the city, and took it, and hurried and set the city on fire.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city and killed the people in it. And he beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. And he took the city and killed the people in it. And he beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

Draw waters for the siege; fortify your strongholds; go into the clay, and tread the mortar; make the brick mold strong.

And Jericho was completely shut up because of the sons of Israel. None went out and none came in.

For the days will come on you that your enemies will raise up a rampart to you, and will surround you, and will keep you in on every side.

And the daughter of Zion is left a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city.

Now gather yourself in troops, daughter of a troop; one sets a siege against us; they shall strike the Judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

They shall leap like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, like a strong people set in battle order.