Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty<n id="1" /> of the citizens<n id="2" /> of Israel.p>

Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses.<n id="1" />p>

Each day men came to help David until his army became very large.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">You are tired out from listening to so much advice.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them take their stand &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the ones who see omens in the sky,p> <p class="poetry">who gaze at the stars,p> <p class="poetry">who make monthly predictions &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look all around you!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">They all gather and come to you &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">your sons come from far awayp> <p class="poetry">and your daughters are escorted by guardians.p>

<p class="poetry">Then you will look and smile,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">For the riches of distant lands<n id="3" /> will belong to youp> <p class="poetry">and the wealth of nations will come to you.p>

<p class="poetry">Camel caravans will cover your roads,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">young camels from Midian and Ephah.p> <p class="poetry">All the merchants of Sheba<n id="2" /> will come,p> <p class="poetry">bringing gold and incensep> <p class="poetry">and singing praises to the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and fortifies her elevated stronghold,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will send destroyers against her,&#8221;<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">says the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1497; (<i>Yodi>)p> <p class="poetry">An enemy grabbed<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">all her valuables.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Indeed she watched in horror<n id="3" /> as Gentiles<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">invaded her holy temple<n id="5" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">those whom you<n id="6" /> had commanded:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;They must not enter<n id="7" /> your assembly place.&#8221;<n id="8" />p>

<p class="poetry">The labor pains of a woman will overtake him,p> <p class="poetry">but the baby will lack wisdom;p> <p class="poetry">when the time arrives,p> <p class="poetry">he will not come out of the womb!p>

<p class="poetry">Their horses are faster than leopardsp> <p class="poetry">and more alert<n id="1" /> than wolves in the desert.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Their horses<n id="3" /> gallop,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">their horses come a great distance;p> <p class="poetry">like a vulture<n id="5" /> they swoop down quickly to devour their prey.<n id="6" />p>

Then those who are far away<n id="1" /> will come and build the temple of the <sc>Lordsc> so that you may know that the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all has sent me to you. This will all come to pass if you completely obey the voice of the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">The Nephilim<n id="1" /> were on the earth in those days (and also after this)<n id="2" /> when the sons of God were having sexual relations with<n id="3" /> the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children.<n id="4" /> They were the mighty heroes<n id="5" /> of old, the famous men.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;When Aaron and his sons have finished<n id="1" /> covering<n id="2" /> the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is ready to journey, then<n id="3" /> the Kohathites will come to carry them;<n id="4" /> but they must not touch<n id="5" /> any<n id="6" /> holy thing, or they will die.<n id="7" /> These are the responsibilities<n id="8" /> of the Kohathites with the tent of meeting.p>

but in order that they will live<n id="1" /> and not die when they approach the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons will go in and appoint<n id="2" /> each man<n id="3" /> to his service and his responsibility.

And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who<n id="1" /> will seek counsel<n id="2" /> for him before the <sc>Lordsc> by the decision of the Urim.<n id="3" /> At his command<n id="4" /> they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.&#8221;p>

Also, your infants, who you thought would die on the way,<n id="1" /> and your children, who as yet do not know good from bad,<n id="2" /> will go there; I will give them the land and they will possess it.

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;When you have experienced all these things, both the blessings and the curses<n id="1" /> I have set before you, you will reflect upon them<n id="2" /> in all the nations where the <sc>Lordsc> your God has banished you.

When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us,<n id="1" /> we&#8217;ll say to them, &#8220;Do us a favor and let them be,<n id="2" /> for we could not get each one a wife through battle.<n id="3" /> Don&#8217;t worry about breaking your oath!<n id="4" /> You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

They came from nations about which the <sc>Lordsc> had warned the Israelites, &#8220;You must not establish friendly relations with them!<n id="1" /> If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.&#8221;<n id="2" /> But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.<n id="3" />p>