Indeed,<n id="1" /> fire came down from the sky and consumed the two captains who came before me, along with their men.<n id="2" /> So now, please have respect for my life.&#8221;

He followed in the footsteps of<n id="1" /> the kings of Israel. He passed his son through the fire,<n id="2" /> a horrible sin practiced by the nations<n id="3" /> whom the <sc>Lordsc> drove out from before the Israelites.

They passed their sons and daughters through the fire,<n id="1" /> and practiced divination and omen reading. They committed themselves to doing evil in the sight of the <sc>Lordsc> and made him angry.<n id="2" />p>

the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak,<n id="1" /> and the Sepharvites burned their sons in the fire as an offering to Adrammelech and Anammelech,<n id="2" /> the gods of Sepharvaim.

They have burned the gods of the nations,<n id="1" /> for they are not really gods, but only the product of human hands manufactured from wood and stone. That is why the Assyrians could destroy them.<n id="2" />

He passed his son<n id="1" /> through the fire<n id="2" /> and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it.<n id="3" /> He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the <sc>Lordsc>, provoking him to anger.<n id="4" />

The king<n id="1" /> ruined Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Molech.<n id="2" />

He burned down the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem, including every large house.<n id="1" />

David built there an altar to the <sc>Lordsc> and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings.<n id="1" /> He called out to the <sc>Lordsc>, and the <sc>Lordsc><n id="2" /> responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar.

<t /><p class="bodytext">When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven<n id="1" /> and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s splendor filled the temple.

He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and passed his sons through the fire,<n id="1" /> a horrible sin practiced by the nations<n id="2" /> whom the <sc>Lordsc> drove out before the Israelites.

They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people.

They burned down the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem.<n id="1" /> They burned all its fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items.

<p class="bodytext">They said to me, &#8220;The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable<n id="1" /> adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">I replied to the king, &#8220;O king, live forever! Why would I not appear dejected when the city with the graves of my ancestors<n id="1" /> lies desolate and its gates destroyed<n id="2" /> by fire?&#8221;

You guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and with a pillar of fire by night to illumine for them the path they were to travel.p>

<p class="poetry">He brings an end to wars throughout the earth;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he shatters<n id="2" /> the bow and breaks<n id="3" /> the spear;p> <p class="poetry">he burns<n id="4" /> the shields with fire.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to Her Lover:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Set me like a cylinder seal<n id="1" /> over your heart,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">like a signet<n id="3" /> on your arm.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">For love is as strong as death,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">passion<n id="6" /> is as unrelenting<n id="7" /> as Sheol.p> <p class="poetry">Its flames burst forth,<n id="8" />p> <p class="poetry">it is a blazing flame.<n id="9" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your land is devastated,p> <p class="poetry">your cities burned with fire.p> <p class="poetry">Right before your eyes your cropsp> <p class="poetry">are being destroyed by foreign invaders.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They leave behind devastation and destruction.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Indeed every boot that marches and shakes the earth<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and every garment dragged through bloodp> <p class="poetry">is used as fuel for the fire.p>