So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land,<n id="1" /> God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.<n id="2" />p>

<t /> I thought to myself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Come now,<n id="2" /> I will try<n id="3" /> self-indulgent pleasure<n id="4" /> to see<n id="5" /> if it is worthwhile.&#8221;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">But I found<n id="7" /> that it also is futile.<n id="8" />p>

&#8220;Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink.

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to Moses, &#8220;I am going to rain<n id="1" /> bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out<n id="2" /> and gather the amount for each day, so that I may test them.<n id="3" /> Will they will walk in my law<n id="4" /> or not?

So the people contended<n id="1" /> with Moses, and they said, &#8220;Give us water to drink!&#8221;<n id="2" /> Moses said to them, &#8220;Why do you contend<n id="3" /> with me? Why do you test<n id="4" /> the <sc>Lordsc>?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">He called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites and because of their testing the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> saying, &#8220;Is the <sc>Lordsc> among us or not?&#8221;p>

Moses said to the people, &#8220;Do not fear, for God has come to test you,<n id="1" /> that the fear of him<n id="2" /> may be before you so that you do not<n id="3" /> sin.&#8221;

For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted<n id="1" /> me now these ten times,<n id="2" /> and have not obeyed me,<n id="3" />

Or has God<n id="1" /> ever before tried to deliver<n id="2" /> a nation from the middle of another nation, accompanied by judgments,<n id="3" /> signs, wonders, war, strength, power,<n id="4" /> and other very terrifying things like the <sc>Lordsc> your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

Remember the whole way by which he<n id="1" /> has brought you these forty years through the desert<n id="2" /> so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not.

You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer,<n id="1" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> your God will be testing you to see if you love him<n id="2" /> with all your mind and being.<n id="3" />

Likewise, the most<n id="1" /> tender and delicate of your women, who would never think of putting even the sole of her foot on the ground because of her daintiness,<n id="2" /> will turn against her beloved husband, her sons and daughters,

Gideon said to God, &#8220;Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign.<n id="1" /> Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,<n id="1" /> she came to challenge<n id="2" /> him<n id="3" /> with difficult questions.<n id="4" /> She arrived in Jerusalem<n id="5" /> with a great display of pomp,<n id="6" /> bringing with her camels carrying spices,<n id="7" /> a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind.