Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.p>

<p class="bodytext">So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported<n id="1" /> to him the words of Balak.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: &#8220;Pay attention to all the commandments<n id="1" /> I am giving<n id="2" /> you today.

<p class="bodytext">Bright and early the next morning Joshua gathered<n id="1" /> the army,<n id="2" /> and he and the leaders<n id="3" /> of Israel marched<n id="4" /> at the head of it<n id="5" /> to Ai.

<p class="bodytext">So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s covenant from the house of Obed-Edom with celebration.

<p class="bodytext">When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite devastated.

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">I called for my lovers,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they had deceived me.p> <p class="poetry">My priests and my eldersp> <p class="poetry">perished in the city.p> <p class="poetry">Truly they had<n id="2" /> searched for foodp> <p class="poetry">to<n id="3" /> keep themselves<n id="4" /> alive.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;The elders<n id="1" /> will listen<n id="2" /> to you, and then you and the elders of Israel must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc>, the God of the Hebrews, has met<n id="3" /> with us. So now, let us go<n id="4" /> three days&#8217; journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice<n id="5" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> our God.&#8217;

<p class="bodytext">Joshua tore his clothes;<n id="1" /> he and the leaders<n id="2" /> of Israel lay face down on the ground before the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> until evening<n id="3" /> and threw dirt on their heads.<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth of the month,<n id="1" /> as I was sitting in my house with the elders of Judah sitting in front of me, the hand<n id="2" /> of the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> seized me.<n id="3" />