<p class="bodytext">He said, &#8220;See, I am going to make<n id="1" /> a covenant before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done<n id="2" /> in all the earth, nor in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the <sc>Lordsc>, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you.<n id="3" />p>

If you have no desire<n id="1" /> to worship<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, choose today whom you will worship,<n id="3" /> whether it be the gods whom your ancestors<n id="4" /> worshiped<n id="5" /> beyond the Euphrates,<n id="6" /> or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family<n id="7" /> will worship<n id="8" /> the <sc>Lordsc>!&#8221;p>

Look, my father, and see the edge of your robe in my hand! When I cut off the edge of your robe, I didn&#8217;t kill you. So realize and understand that I am not planning<n id="1" /> evil or rebellion. Even though I have not sinned against you, you are waiting in ambush to take my life.

Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him, &#8220;What city are you from?&#8221; The person would answer, &#8220;I, your servant,<n id="1" /> am from one of the tribes of Israel.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me &#8211; how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether.<n id="1" /> During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle;<n id="2" /> when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">The king then told Abiathar the priest, &#8220;Go back to your property<n id="1" /> in Anathoth. You deserve to die,<n id="2" /> but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Solomon replied, &#8220;You demonstrated<n id="1" /> great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served<n id="2" /> you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.<n id="3" /> You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.<n id="4" />

Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners.<n id="1" /> Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation,<n id="2" /> obey<n id="3" /> you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.<n id="4" />p>

Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners.<n id="1" /> Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation,<n id="2" /> obey<n id="3" /> you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Asa prayed<n id="1" /> to the <sc>Lordsc> his God: &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc>, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered.<n id="2" /> Help us, O <sc>Lordsc> our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army.<n id="3" /> O <sc>Lordsc> our God, don&#8217;t let men prevail against you!&#8221;<n id="4" />

that the <sc>Lord,sc> the God of Israel, says,<n id="1" /> &#8216;The forces at your disposal<n id="2" /> are now outside the walls fighting against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonians<n id="3" /> who have you under siege. I will gather those forces back inside the city.<n id="4" />

So I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say: &#8220;You have not really obeyed me and granted freedom to your neighbor and fellow countryman.<n id="1" /> Therefore, I will grant you freedom, the freedom<n id="2" /> to die in war, or by starvation or disease. I, the <sc>Lordsc>, affirm it!<n id="3" /> I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified at what happens to you.<n id="4" />

The <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel who rules over all says, &#8216;You women<n id="1" /> have confirmed by your actions what you vowed with your lips! You said, &#8220;We will certainly carry out our vows to sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the Queen of Heaven.&#8221; Well, then fulfill your vows! Carry them out!&#8217;<n id="2" />

When they ask you, &#8216;Why are you groaning?&#8217; you will reply, &#8216;Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone<n id="1" /> will faint and every knee will be wet with urine.&#8217;<n id="2" /> Pay attention &#8211; it is coming and it will happen, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;As for you, son of man, this is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says: Tell every kind of bird and every wild beast: &#8216;Assemble and come! Gather from all around to my slaughter<n id="1" /> which I am going to make for you, a great slaughter on the mountains of Israel! You will eat flesh and drink blood.

He prayed to the <sc>Lordsc> and said, &#8220;Oh, <sc>Lordsc>, this is just what I thought<n id="1" /> would happen<n id="2" /> when I was in my own country.<n id="3" /> This is what I tried to prevent<n id="4" /> by attempting to escape to Tarshish!<n id="5" /> &#8211; because I knew<n id="6" /> that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger<n id="7" /> and abounding<n id="8" /> in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment.<n id="9" />

They replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;A man came up to meet us. He told us, &#8220;Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.<n id="2" /> Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;