<p class="bodytext">The servant asked him, &#8220;What if the woman is not willing to come back with me<n id="1" /> to this land? Must I then<n id="2" /> take your son back to the land from which you came?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When Joseph&#8217;s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, &#8220;What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay<n id="1" /> us in full<n id="2" /> for all the harm<n id="3" /> we did to him?&#8221;

<t /><n id="1" /><p class="bodytext">So Moses went back<n id="2" /> to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, &#8220;Let me go, so that I may return<n id="3" /> to my relatives<n id="4" /> in Egypt and see<n id="5" /> if they are still alive.&#8221; Jethro said to Moses, &#8220;Go in peace.&#8221;

So you must consecrate the fiftieth year,<n id="1" /> and you must proclaim a release<n id="2" /> in the land for all its inhabitants. That year will be your jubilee;<n id="3" /> each one of you must return<n id="4" /> to his property and each one of you must return to his clan.

If he has not prospered enough to refund<n id="1" /> a balance to him, then what he sold<n id="2" /> will belong to<n id="3" /> the one who bought it until the jubilee year, but it must revert<n id="4" /> in the jubilee and the original owner<n id="5" /> may return to his property.p>

Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so,<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> has said you must never again return that way.

<p class="bodytext">Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders left the Reubenites and Gadites in the land of Gilead and reported back to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.<n id="1" />

Now, announce to the men,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Whoever is shaking with fear<n id="2" /> may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" /> Twenty-two thousand men<n id="4" /> went home;<n id="5" /> ten thousand remained.

When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, &#8220;I solemnly dedicate<n id="1" /> this silver to the <sc>Lordsc>. It will be for my son&#8217;s benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">They replied, &#8220;If you are going to send the ark of<n id="1" /> the God of Israel back, don&#8217;t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.&#8221;

It seems like you arrived just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I must go. But as for you, go back and take your men<n id="1" /> with you. May genuine loyal love<n id="2" /> protect<n id="3" /> you!&#8221;p>

She said, &#8220;I would like to ask you for just one small favor.<n id="1" /> Please don&#8217;t refuse me.&#8221;<n id="2" /> He said,<n id="3" /> &#8220;Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But if you or your sons ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep,<n id="1" /> and decide to serve and worship other gods,<n id="2" />

&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> says this: &#8220;Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> They obeyed the <sc>Lordsc> and went home as the <sc>Lordsc> had ordered them to do.<n id="2" />p>

If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s temple in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> their loyalty could shift to their former master,<n id="2" /> King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.&#8221;

The king pled with<n id="1" /> the prophet,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Seek the favor of<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored.&#8221; So the prophet sought the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s favor<n id="4" /> and the king&#8217;s hand was restored to its former condition.<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">After this happened, Jeroboam still did not change his evil ways;<n id="1" /> he continued to appoint common people<n id="2" /> as priests at the high places. Anyone who wanted the job he consecrated as a priest.<n id="3" />

Jehoahaz&#8217;s son Jehoash took back from<n id="1" /> Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.p>

&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> says this: &#8220;Do not attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> They obeyed the <sc>Lordsc> and called off the attack against Jeroboam.<n id="2" />p>

Messengers<n id="1" /> delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.p> <p class="bodytext">This royal edict read:<n id="2" /> &#8220;O Israelites, return to the <sc>Lordsc> God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return<n id="3" /> to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.<n id="4" />