So Saul&#8217;s servants spoke these words privately<n id="1" /> to David. David replied, &#8220;Is becoming the king&#8217;s son-in-law something insignificant to you? I&#8217;m just a poor and lightly-esteemed man!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So David and his men went on their way. But Shimei kept going along the side of the hill opposite him, yelling curses as he threw stones and dirt at them.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, &#8220;For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anointed!&#8221;

&#8220;Your father made us work too hard.<n id="1" /> Now if you lighten the demands he made and don&#8217;t make us work as hard, we will serve you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

When he turned around and saw them, he called God&#8217;s judgment down on them.<n id="1" /> Two female bears came out of the woods and ripped forty-two of the boys to pieces.

Hezekiah answered, &#8220;It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for it<n id="1" /> to go back ten steps.&#8221;

&#8220;Your father made us work too hard!<n id="1" /> Now if you lighten the demands he made and don&#8217;t make us work as hard, we will serve you.&#8221;<n id="2" />

for they had not met the Israelites with food<n id="1" /> and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.)

So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, &#8220;You will not marry off<n id="1" /> your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

<p class="poetry">Also, do not pay attention to everything that people<n id="1" /> say;p> <p class="poetry">otherwise,<n id="2" /> you might even hear<n id="3" /> your servant cursing you.p>

They will pass through the land<n id="1" /> destitute and starving. Their hunger will make them angry,<n id="2" /> and they will curse their king and their God<n id="3" /> as they look upward.

<p class="poetry">You say, &#8216;No, we will flee on horses,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">so you will indeed flee.p> <p class="poetry">You say, &#8216;We will ride on fast horses,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">so your pursuers will be fast.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">I said,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Oh, mother, how I regret<n id="2" /> that you ever gave birth to me!p> <p class="poetry">I am always starting arguments and quarrels with the people of this land.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">I have not lent money to anyone and I have not borrowed from anyone.p> <p class="poetry">Yet all of these people are treating me with contempt.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has issued a decree against you:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Your dynasty will come to an end.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will destroy the idols and images in the temples of your gods.p> <p class="poetry">I will desecrate<n id="3" /> your grave &#8211; because you are accursed!&#8221;<n id="4" />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 Sarai said to Abram, &#8220;You have brought this wrong on me!<n id="1" /> I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you,<n id="2" /> but when she realized<n id="3" /> that she was pregnant, she despised me.<n id="4" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> judge between you and me!&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

They will judge<n id="1" /> the people under normal circumstances,<n id="2" /> and every difficult case<n id="3" /> they will bring to you, but every small case<n id="4" /> they themselves will judge, so that<n id="5" /> you may make it easier for yourself,<n id="6" /> and they will bear the burden<n id="7" /> with you.

<p class="bodytext">Then Moses spoke to the Israelites and they brought the one who cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. So the Israelites did just as the <sc>Lordsc> had commanded Moses.p>

for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired<n id="1" /> Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you.

<p class="bodytext">Therefore the <sc>Lordsc>, the God of Israel, says, &#8216;I really did say<n id="1" /> that your house and your ancestor&#8217;s house would serve<n id="2" /> me forever.&#8217; But now the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;May it never be!<n id="3" /> For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!