I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon,<n id="1" /> two hundred silver pieces,<n id="2" /> and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.&#8221;p>

The one who committed manslaughter<n id="1" /> should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city.<n id="2" /> They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.<n id="3" />

He went to his father&#8217;s home in Ophrah and murdered his half-brothers,<n id="1" /> the seventy legitimate<n id="2" /> sons of Jerub-Baal, on one stone. Only Jotham, Jerub-Baal&#8217;s youngest son, escaped,<n id="3" /> because he hid.

But you have attacked<n id="1" /> my father&#8217;s family<n id="2" /> today. You murdered his seventy legitimate<n id="3" /> sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative.<n id="4" />

Samson called to the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8220;O Master, <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge<n id="2" /> against the Philistines for my two eyes!&#8221;

The Benjaminites attacked<n id="1" /> the army, leaving the city unguarded.<n id="2" /> They began to strike down their enemy<n id="3" /> just as they had done before. On the main roads (one leads to Bethel,<n id="4" /> the other to Gibeah) and in the field, they struck down<n id="5" /> about thirty Israelites.

Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money<n id="1" /> and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, &#8216;Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.&#8217;&#8221;p>

They inquired, &#8220;What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">They replied, &#8220;The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders.

So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls.

Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.p>

<p class="bodytext">Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen.<n id="1" /> He named it Ebenezer,<n id="2" /> saying, &#8220;Up to here the <sc>Lordsc> has helped us.&#8221;

Abishai said to David, &#8220;Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me drive the spear<n id="1" /> right through him into the ground with one swift jab!<n id="2" /> A second jab won&#8217;t be necessary!&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">So the <sc>Lordsc> sent Nathan<n id="1" /> to David. When he came to David,<n id="2" /> Nathan<n id="3" /> said,<n id="4" /> &#8220;There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.<n id="1" /> It used to<n id="2" /> eat his food,<n id="3" /> drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.<n id="4" /> It was just like a daughter to him.p>

Joab replied to the man who was telling him this, &#8220;What! You saw this? Why didn&#8217;t you strike him down right on the spot?<n id="1" /> I would have given you ten pieces of silver<n id="2" /> and a commemorative belt!&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">These are the names of David&#8217;s warriors:p> <p class="bodytext">Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was head of the officers.<n id="1" /> He killed eight hundred men with his spear in one battle.<n id="2" />

She said, &#8220;I would like to ask you for just one small favor.<n id="1" /> Please don&#8217;t refuse me.&#8221;<n id="2" /> He said,<n id="3" /> &#8220;Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.&#8221;

Along with Hiram&#8217;s fleet, the king had a fleet of large merchant ships<n id="1" /> that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet<n id="2" /> came into port with cargoes of<n id="3" /> gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.<n id="4" />p>

while he went a day&#8217;s journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub<n id="1" /> and asked the <sc>Lordsc> to take his life:<n id="2" /> &#8220;I&#8217;ve had enough! Now, O <sc>Lordsc>, take my life. After all, I&#8217;m no better than my ancestors.&#8221;<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now a wife of one of the prophets<n id="1" /> appealed<n id="2" /> to Elisha for help, saying, &#8220;Your servant, my husband is dead. You know that your servant was a loyal follower of the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="3" /> Now the creditor is coming to take away my two boys to be his servants.&#8221;