<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Boaz went up<n id="1" /> to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian<n id="2" /> whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth!<n id="3" /> Boaz said, &#8220;Come<n id="4" /> here and sit down, &#8216;John Doe&#8217;!&#8221;<n id="5" /> So he came<n id="6" /> and sat down.

Then Samuel said to Jesse, &#8220;Is that all of the young men?&#8221; Jesse<n id="1" /> replied, &#8220;There is still the youngest one, but he&#8217;s taking care of the flock.&#8221; Samuel said to Jesse, &#8220;Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.&#8221;p>

David said to Ahimelech, &#8220;Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don&#8217;t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king&#8217;s instructions.&#8221;p>

When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the <sc>Lordsc>, he said to him, &#8220;The king says, &#8216;Come out!&#8217;&#8221; But he replied, &#8220;No, I will die here!&#8221; So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab&#8217;s reply.<n id="1" />

Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, &#8220;Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.<n id="1" /> Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Elijah told Elisha, &#8220;Stay here, for the <sc>Lordsc> has sent me to Bethel.&#8221;<n id="1" /> But Elisha said, &#8220;As certainly as the <sc>Lordsc> lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So they went down to Bethel.

<p class="bodytext">Elijah said to him, &#8220;Elisha, stay here, for the <sc>Lordsc> has sent me to Jericho.&#8221;<n id="1" /> But he replied, &#8220;As certainly as the <sc>Lordsc> lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So they went to Jericho.

<p class="bodytext">Elijah said to him, &#8220;Stay here, for the <sc>Lordsc> has sent me to the Jordan.&#8221; But he replied, &#8220;As certainly as the <sc>Lordsc> lives and as you live, I will not leave you.&#8221; So they traveled on together.

If we go into the city, we&#8217;ll die of starvation,<n id="1" /> and if we stay here we&#8217;ll die! So come on, let&#8217;s defect<n id="2" /> to the Syrian camp! If they spare us,<n id="3" /> we&#8217;ll live; if they kill us &#8211; well, we were going to die anyway.&#8221;<n id="4" />

Jehu sent invitations throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one was absent. They arrived at the temple of Baal and filled it up from end to end.<n id="1" />

Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went to the temple of Baal. Jehu<n id="1" /> said to the servants of Baal, &#8220;Make sure there are no servants of the <sc>Lordsc> here with you; there must be only servants of Baal.&#8221;<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end,<n id="1" /> in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

I know, my God, that you examine thoughts<n id="1" /> and are pleased with integrity. With pure motives<n id="2" /> I contribute all this; and now I look with joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you.

Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, &#8220;Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.<n id="1" /> Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success!&#8221;<n id="2" />

they came to Zerubbabel and the leaders<n id="1" /> and said to them, &#8220;Let us help you build,<n id="2" /> for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him<n id="3" /> from the time<n id="4" /> of King Esarhaddon<n id="5" /> of Assyria, who brought us here.&#8221;<n id="6" />

which you commanded us through your servants the prophets with these words:<n id="1" /> &#8216;The land that you are entering to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents!<n id="2" /> With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other with their filthiness.

<p class="poetry">So the sovereign master was not pleased<n id="1" /> with their young men,p> <p class="poetry">he took no pity<n id="2" /> on their orphans and widows;p> <p class="poetry">for the whole nation was godless<n id="3" /> and did wicked things,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">every mouth was speaking disgraceful words.<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Despite all this, his anger does not subside,p> <p class="poetry">and his hand is ready to strike again.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">My hand discovered the wealth of the nations, as if it were in a nest,p> <p class="poetry">as one gathers up abandoned eggs,p> <p class="poetry">I gathered up the whole earth.p> <p class="poetry">There was no wing flapping,p> <p class="poetry">or open mouth chirping.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">And now, what do we have here?&#8221;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,p> <p class="poetry">those who rule over them taunt,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;and my name is constantly slandered<n id="3" /> all day long.p>

<p class="bodytext">He said to me, &#8220;Son of man, do you see what they are doing &#8211; the great abominations that the people<n id="1" /> of Israel are practicing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see greater abominations than these!&#8221;p>