<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Elisha went back to Gilgal, while there was famine in the land. Some of the prophets were visiting him<n id="1" /> and he told his servant, &#8220;Put the big pot on the fire<n id="2" /> and boil some stew for the prophets.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">They were absolutely terrified<n id="1" /> and said, &#8220;Look, two kings could not stop him!<n id="2" /> How can we?&#8221;<n id="3" />

He trusted in the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel; in this regard there was none like him among the kings of Judah either before or after.<n id="1" />

But David could not go before it to seek God&#8217;s will, for he was afraid of the sword of the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s messenger.

But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.<n id="1" />

My sons, do not be negligent now, for the <sc>Lordsc> has chosen you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices.&#8221;<n id="1" />p>

in the third<n id="1" /> year of his reign he provided a banquet for all his officials and his servants. The army<n id="2" /> of Persia and Media<n id="3" /> was present,<n id="4" /> as well as the nobles and the officials of the provinces.p>

<p class="poetry">In my distress I called to the <sc>Lordsc>;p> <p class="poetry">I cried out to my God.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">From his heavenly temple<n id="2" /> he heard my voice;p> <p class="poetry">he listened to my cry for help.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">All of the thriving people<n id="1" /> of the earth will join the celebration and worship;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">all those who are descending into the grave<n id="3" /> will bow before him,p> <p class="poetry">including those who cannot preserve their lives.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Trust in him at all times, you people!p> <p class="poetry">Pour out your hearts before him!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">God is our shelter! (Selah)p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> comes as a victorious warrior;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his military power establishes his rule.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Look, his reward is with him;p> <p class="poetry">his prize goes before him.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Who stirs up this one from the east?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who<n id="2" /> officially commissions him for service?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">He hands nations over to him,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and enables him to subdue<n id="5" /> kings.p> <p class="poetry">He makes them like dust with his sword,p> <p class="poetry">like windblown straw with his bow.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">He sprouted up like a twig before God,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">like a root out of parched soil;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">no special appearance that we should want to follow him.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Look, the <sc>Lordsc> announces to the entire earth:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Say to Daughter Zion,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Look, your deliverer comes!p> <p class="poetry">Look, his reward is with himp> <p class="poetry">and his reward goes before him!&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

Then Jeremiah said to them, &#8220;You sent me to the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel to make your request known to him. Here is what he says to you:<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">I will bring terror on you from every side,&#8221;p> <p class="poetry">says the Lord <sc>Godsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;You will be scattered in every direction.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">No one will gather the fugitives back together.p>

I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and I will place my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan like the fatally wounded before the king of Babylon.<n id="1" />

I saw that the ram was butting westward, northward, and southward. No animal<n id="1" /> was able to stand before it, and there was none who could deliver from its power.<n id="2" /> It did as it pleased and acted arrogantly.<n id="3" />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.

The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in all the territory<n id="1" /> of Egypt. It was very severe;<n id="2" /> there had been no locusts like them before, nor will there be such ever again.<n id="3" />