Then he uttered this oracle: “The oracle of Balaam son of Beor; the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;

then the Lord will increase your punishments and those of your descendants – great and long-lasting afflictions and severe, enduring illnesses.

We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”

Gilead stayed put beyond the Jordan River. As for Dan – why did he seek temporary employment in the shipyards? Asher remained on the seacoast, he stayed by his harbors.

If only these men were under my command, I would get rid of Abimelech!” He challenged Abimelech, “Muster your army and come out for battle!”

So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands!

There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.

But he replied, “I can’t go back with you or eat and drink with you in this place.

There were also male cultic prostitutes in the land. They committed the same horrible sins as the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.

He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.)

She told her mistress, “If only my master were in the presence of the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his skin disease.”

As they approached him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people with blindness.” The Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha requested.

They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.

The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel.

The governor instructed them not to eat any of the sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

Esther was still not divulging her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her. Esther continued to do whatever Mordecai said, just as she had done when he was raising her.

But the eyes of the wicked fail, and escape eludes them; their one hope is to breathe their last.”