Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.

How painful are honest words! But what does your reproof prove?

What you know, I know also; I am not inferior to you!

Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming. Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’

I thought this was a good idea, so I sent twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.

then he will drive out all these nations ahead of you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you.

This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors.

Now I was paying you close attention, yet there was no one proving Job wrong, not one of you was answering his statements!

Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives among you is to eat blood.

The foreigner who resides with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Instruct these people as follows: ‘You are about to cross the border of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who inhabit Seir. They will be afraid of you, so watch yourselves carefully.

Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you trick us by saying, ‘We live far away from you,’ when you really live nearby?

Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

One of you makes a thousand run away, for the Lord your God fights for you as he promised you he would.

Gideon continued, “I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken.” (The Midianites had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace.

I also have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these?

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.

So Isaiah replied, “Pay attention, family of David. Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God?

But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.