Even some of the wise will stumble, resulting in their refinement, purification, and cleansing until the time of the end, for it is still for the appointed time.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;At the time of the end the king of the south will attack<n id="1" /> him. Then the king of the north will storm against him<n id="2" /> with chariots, horsemen, and a large armada of ships.<n id="3" /> He<n id="4" /> will invade lands, passing through them like an overflowing river.<n id="5" />

He will pitch his royal tents between the seas<n id="1" /> toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about,<n id="1" /> and knowledge will increase.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">For the message is a witness to what is decreed;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Even if the message<n id="3" /> is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently;<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">for it will certainly come to pass &#8211; it will not arrive late.p>

<p class="bodytext">So after Abram had lived<n id="1" /> in Canaan for ten years, Sarai, Abram&#8217;s wife, gave Hagar, her Egyptian servant,<n id="2" /> to her husband to be his wife.<n id="3" />

After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin.<n id="1" /> Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.<n id="2" />

When he would shave his head &#8211; at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long<n id="1" /> and he would shave it &#8211; he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds<n id="2" /> according to the king&#8217;s weight.

<p class="bodytext">Three years later two of Shimei&#8217;s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, &#8220;Look, your servants are in Gath.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;With my many chariots<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I climbed up the high mountains,p> <p class="poetry">the slopes of Lebanon.p> <p class="poetry">I cut down its tall cedars,p> <p class="poetry">and its best evergreens.p> <p class="poetry">I invaded its most remote regions,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">its thickest woods.p>

and after several years<n id="1" /> went down to visit<n id="2" /> Ahab in Samaria.<n id="3" /> Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him.<n id="4" /> He persuaded him to join in an attack<n id="5" /> against Ramoth Gilead.

After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death.<n id="1" /> His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">During all this time I was not in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time<n id="2" /> I had requested leave of the king,

<p class="bodytext">At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women,<n id="1" /> when the turn of each young woman arrived to go to King Ahasuerus &#8211; for in this way they had to fulfill their time of cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfume and various ointments used by women &#8211;

<p class="poetry">There is no end to all the people<n id="1" /> nor to the past generations,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">yet future generations<n id="3" /> will not rejoice in him.p> <p class="poetry">This also is profitless and like<n id="4" /> chasing the wind.p>

<p class="poetry">His dominion will be vast<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and he will bring immeasurable prosperity.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He will rule on David&#8217;s thronep> <p class="poetry">and over David&#8217;s kingdom,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">establishing it<n id="4" /> and strengthening itp> <p class="poetry">by promoting justice and fairness,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">from this time forward and forevermore.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s intense devotion to his people<n id="6" /> will accomplish this.p>

<p class="poetry">Through your messengers you taunted the sovereign master,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;With my many chariots I climbed upp> <p class="poetry">the high mountains,p> <p class="poetry">the slopes of Lebanon.p> <p class="poetry">I cut down its tall cedarsp> <p class="poetry">and its best evergreens.p> <p class="poetry">I invaded its most remote regions,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">its thickest woods.p>

&#8220;Every seven years each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you shall set them free.&#8221;<n id="1" /> But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention to me.

<p class="poetry">while seeing false visions for youp> <p class="poetry">and reading lying omens for you<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">to place that sword<n id="2" /> on the necks of the profane wicked,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">whose day has come,p> <p class="poetry">the time of final punishment.p>

After some years have passed, they<n id="1" /> will form an alliance. Then the daughter<n id="2" /> of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she will not retain her power,<n id="3" /> nor will he continue<n id="4" /> in his strength.<n id="5" /> She, together with the one who brought her, her child,<n id="6" /> and her benefactor will all be delivered over at that time.<n id="7" />p>