<t /><p class="poetry">Your shepherds<n id="1" /> are sleeping, O king of Assyria!p> <p class="poetry">Your officers<n id="2" /> are slumbering!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Your people are scattered like sheep<n id="4" /> on the mountainsp> <p class="poetry">and there is no one to regather them!p>

So give your servant a discerning mind<n id="1" /> so he can make judicial decisions for<n id="2" /> your people and distinguish right from wrong.<n id="3" /> Otherwise<n id="4" /> no one is able<n id="5" /> to make judicial decisions for<n id="6" /> this great nation of yours.&#8221;<n id="7" />

<p class="poetry">&#8220;At that time Michael,p> <p class="poetry">the great prince who watches over your people,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">will arise.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">There will be a time of distressp> <p class="poetry">unlike any other from the nation&#8217;s beginning<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">up to that time.p> <p class="poetry">But at that time your own people,p> <p class="poetry">all those whose names are<n id="4" /> found written in the book,p> <p class="poetry">will escape.p>

<p class="bodytext">At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, &#8220;God is with you<n id="1" /> in all that you do.

so that<n id="1" /> you will not do us any harm, just as we have not harmed<n id="2" /> you, but have always treated you well<n id="3" /> before sending you away<n id="4" /> in peace. Now you are blessed by the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah!<n id="1" /> So Jacob<n id="2" /> said to Laban, &#8220;What in the world have you done to me!<n id="3" /> Didn&#8217;t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked<n id="4" /> me?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

<p class="bodytext">Then Jacob prayed,<n id="1" /> &#8220;O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O <sc>Lordsc>, you said<n id="2" /> to me, &#8216;Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.&#8217;<n id="3" />

But you<n id="1" /> said, &#8216;I will certainly make you prosper<n id="2" /> and will make<n id="3" /> your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So Esau said, &#8220;Let me leave some of my men with you.&#8221;<n id="1" /> &#8220;Why do that?&#8221; Jacob replied.<n id="2" /> &#8220;My lord has already been kind enough to me.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

I will go down with you to Egypt and I myself will certainly bring you back from there.<n id="1" /> Joseph will close your eyes.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

No straw is given to your servants, but we are told,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Make bricks!&#8217; Your servants are even<n id="2" /> being beaten, but the fault<n id="3" /> is with your people.&#8221;p>

From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble<n id="1" /> for this people, and you have certainly not rescued<n id="2" /> them!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

For by now I could have stretched out<n id="1" /> my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed<n id="2" /> from the earth.

<p class="poetry">Fear and dread<n id="1" /> will fall<n id="2" /> on them;p> <p class="poetry">by the greatness<n id="3" /> of your arm they will be as still as stone<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">until<n id="5" /> your people pass by, O <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">until the people whom you have bought<n id="6" /> pass by.p>

You will surely wear out,<n id="1" /> both you and these people who are with you, for this is too<n id="2" /> heavy a burden<n id="3" /> for you; you are not able to do it by yourself.

Now listen to me,<n id="1" /> I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God,<n id="2" /> and you bring<n id="3" /> their disputes<n id="4" /> to God;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;If you lend money to any of<n id="1" /> my people who are needy among you, do not be like a moneylender<n id="2" /> to him; do not charge<n id="3" /> him interest.<n id="4" />

But in the seventh year<n id="1" /> you must let it lie fallow and leave it alone so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave any animal in the field<n id="2" /> may eat; you must do likewise with your vineyard and your olive grove.

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> spoke to Moses: &#8220;Go quickly, descend,<n id="1" /> because your<n id="2" /> people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.