A wise king separates out the wicked; he turns the threshing wheel over them.

When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

The sticks you write on will be in your hand in front of them.

When they stumble, they will be granted some help. But many will unite with them deceitfully.

When I please, I will discipline them; I will gather nations together to attack them, to bind them in chains for their two sins.

Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.

Pharaoh will think regarding the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around confused in the land – the desert has closed in on them.’

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them.”

“You are to take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,

Then you must build an altar there to the Lord your God, an altar of stones – do not use an iron tool on them.

When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them.

“The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’

David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.

So they yelled louder and, in accordance with their prescribed ritual, mutilated themselves with swords and spears until their bodies were covered with blood.

During his reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king.

Phinehas son of Eleazar had been their leader in earlier times, and the Lord was with him.

They would spend the night in their posts all around God’s sanctuary, for they were assigned to guard it and would open it with the key every morning.

The musicians and Levite family leaders stayed in rooms at the sanctuary and were exempt from other duties, for day and night they had to carry out their assigned tasks.

He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.