He said to him, “Don’t be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this.”

<p class="bodytext">Saul quickly fell full length on the ground and was very afraid because of Samuel&#8217;s words. He was completely drained of energy,<n id="1" /> not having eaten anything<n id="2" /> all that day and night.

<p class="bodytext">Saul said to his armor bearer, &#8220;Draw your sword and stab me with it! Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come, stab me, and torture me.&#8221; But his armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.

Who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation<n id="1" /> on the earth? Their God<n id="2" /> went<n id="3" /> to claim<n id="4" /> a nation for himself and to make a name for himself! You did great and awesome acts for your land,<n id="5" /> before your people whom you delivered for yourself from the Egyptian empire and its gods.<n id="6" />

<p class="bodytext">David said to him, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, because I will certainly extend kindness to you for the sake of Jonathan your father. You will be a regular guest at my table.&#8221;<n id="1" />

When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer<n id="1" /> saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.<n id="2" /> The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.p>

<p class="bodytext">Absalom instructed his servants, &#8220;Look! When Amnon is drunk<n id="1" /> and I say to you, &#8216;Strike Amnon down,&#8217; kill him then and there. Don&#8217;t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!&#8221;<n id="2" />

I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful.<n id="1" /> But your servant said, &#8216;I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant<n id="2" /> asks.

Solomon was told, &#8220;Look, Adonijah fears you;<n id="1" /> see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, &#8216;May King Solomon solemnly promise<n id="2" /> me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.&#8217;&#8221;

When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected<n id="1" /> the king, for they realized<n id="2" /> that he possessed supernatural wisdom<n id="3" /> to make judicial decisions.p>

Elijah said to her, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid. Go and do as you planned.<n id="1" /> But first make a small cake for me and bring it to me; then make something for yourself and your son.

But when I leave you, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s spirit will carry you away so I can&#8217;t find you.<n id="1" /> If I go tell Ahab I&#8217;ve seen you, he won&#8217;t be able to find you and he will kill me.<n id="2" /> That would not be fair,<n id="3" /> because your servant has been a loyal follower of<n id="4" /> the <sc>Lordsc> from my youth.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now a wife of one of the prophets<n id="1" /> appealed<n id="2" /> to Elisha for help, saying, &#8220;Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" /> Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">This happened because the Israelites sinned against the <sc>Lordsc> their God, who brought them up from the land of Egypt and freed them from the power of<n id="1" /> Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped<n id="2" /> other gods;

<p class="bodytext">To this very day they observe their earlier practices. They do not worship<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>; they do not obey the rules, regulations, law, and commandments that the <sc>Lordsc> gave<n id="2" /> the descendants of Jacob, whom he renamed Israel.

Instead you must worship the <sc>Lordsc>, who brought you up from the land of Egypt by his great power and military ability;<n id="1" /> bow down to him and offer sacrifices to him.

These nations are worshiping the <sc>Lordsc> and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day.p>

Isaiah said to them, &#8220;Tell your master this: &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid because of the things you have heard &#8211; these insults the king of Assyria&#8217;s servants have hurled against me.<n id="1" />

Saul told his armor bearer, &#8220;Draw your sword and stab me with it. Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me.&#8221;<n id="1" /> But his armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

And who is like your people, Israel, a unique nation<n id="1" /> in the earth? Their God<n id="2" /> went to claim<n id="3" /> a nation for himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds<n id="4" /> when you drove out<n id="5" /> nations before your people whom you had delivered from the Egyptian empire and its gods.<n id="6" />