David realized that the <sc>Lordsc> had established him as king over Israel and that he had elevated<n id="1" /> his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.p>

O <sc>Lordsc>, for the sake of your servant and according to your will,<n id="1" /> you have done this great thing in order to reveal your greatness.<n id="2" />

The <sc>Lordsc> humiliated<n id="1" /> Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel,<n id="2" /> for he encouraged Judah to sin and was very<n id="3" /> unfaithful to the <sc>Lordsc>.

<t /><p class="poetry">This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">make that four!<n id="2" /> &#8211; I will not revoke my decree of judgment.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They sold the innocent<n id="4" /> for silver,p> <p class="poetry">the needy for a pair of sandals.<n id="5" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> appeared to him that night and said, &#8220;I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.&#8221;

Jacob said to his father, &#8220;I am Esau, your firstborn. I&#8217;ve done as you told me. Now sit up<n id="1" /> and eat some of my wild game so that you can bless me.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Tell him, &#8216;Your servants have taken care of cattle<n id="1" /> from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,&#8217; so that you may live in the land of Goshen,<n id="2" /> for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting<n id="3" /> to the Egyptians.&#8221;p>

For this time I will send all my plagues<n id="1" /> on your very self<n id="2" /> and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said to Moses, &#8220;I am going to come<n id="1" /> to you in a dense cloud,<n id="2" /> so that the people may hear when I speak with you and so that they will always believe in you.&#8221;<n id="3" /> And Moses told the words of the people to the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

David was told,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything he owns because of the ark of God.&#8221; So David went and joyfully brought the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David.

<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" />

the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, &#8220;Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?<n id="1" /> No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">His servants said to him, &#8220;What is this that you have done? While<n id="1" /> the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Prior to this<n id="1" /> Absalom had set up a monument<n id="2" /> and dedicated it to himself in the King&#8217;s Valley, reasoning &#8220;I have no son who will carry on my name.&#8221; He named the monument after himself, and to this day it is known as Absalom&#8217;s Memorial.p>

the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, &#8220;Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?<n id="1" /> No, his servants have come to you so they can get information and spy out the land!&#8221;<n id="2" />

And the <sc>Lordsc> smelled the soothing aroma<n id="1" /> and said<n id="2" /> to himself,<n id="3" /> &#8220;I will never again curse<n id="4" /> the ground because of humankind, even though<n id="5" /> the inclination of their minds<n id="6" /> is evil from childhood on.<n id="7" /> I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.p>