&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all said, &#8216;Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other.

These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Then I took my staff &#8220;Pleasantness&#8221; and cut it in two to annul my covenant that I had made with all the people.

Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant<n id="1" /> may continue to be with Levi,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.

&#8220;My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me.

He taught what was true;<n id="1" /> sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin.

&#8220;Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to which you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your<n id="1" /> instruction.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then those who respected<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> spoke to one another, and the <sc>Lordsc> took notice.<n id="2" /> A scroll<n id="3" /> was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the <sc>Lordsc> and honored his name.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons&#8217; garments with him. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons&#8217; garments with him.

The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Gideon again, &#8220;There are still too many men.<n id="1" /> Bring them down to the water and I will thin the ranks some more.<n id="2" /> When I say, &#8216;This one should go with you,&#8217; pick him to go;<n id="3" /> when I say,<n id="4" /> &#8216;This one should not go with you,&#8217; do not take him.&#8221;<n id="5" />

<t /><p class="psasuper">For the music director; according to the <i>shushan-eduthi> style;<n id="2" /> a prayer<n id="3" /> of David written to instruct others.<n id="4" /> It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down<n id="5" /> 12,000 Edomites<n id="6" /> in the Valley of Salt.<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, you have rejected us.<n id="8" />p> <p class="poetry">You suddenly turned on us in your anger.<n id="9" />p> <p class="poetry">Please restore us!<n id="10" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim&#8217;s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon.<n id="1" />

But now, Jeremiah, today I will set you free<n id="1" /> from the chains on your wrists. If you would like to come to Babylon with me, come along and I will take care of you.<n id="2" /> But if you prefer not to come to Babylon with me, you are not required to do so.<n id="3" /> You are free to go anywhere in the land you want to go.<n id="4" /> Go wherever you choose.&#8221;<n id="5" />

So the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> destroyed<n id="2" /> every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky.<n id="3" /> They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">But God remembered<n id="1" /> Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over<n id="2" /> the earth and the waters receded.

<p class="bodytext">Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (the son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram&#8217;s wife, and with them he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came to Haran, they settled there.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated<n id="1" /> the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

<p class="bodytext">After Abram<n id="1" /> returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram<n id="2" /> in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King&#8217;s Valley).<n id="3" />

That day the <sc>Lordsc> made a covenant<n id="1" /> with Abram: &#8220;To your descendants I give<n id="2" /> this land, from the river of Egypt<n id="3" /> to the great river, the Euphrates River &#8211;

<p class="bodytext">God said, &#8220;No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.<n id="1" /> I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual<n id="2" /> covenant for his descendants after him.