<p class="poetry">They are forever firm,p> <p class="poetry">and should be faithfully and properly carried out.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> is near all who cry out to him,p> <p class="poetry">all who cry out to him sincerely.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">If a king judges the poor in truth,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his throne<n id="2" /> will be established forever.p>

<p class="poetry">You must be truthful, honest and uprightp> <p class="poetry">when you take an oath saying, &#8216;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives!&#8217;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">If you do,<n id="2" /> the nations will pray to be as blessed by him as you arep> <p class="poetry">and will make him the object of their boasting.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

I will take delight in doing good to them. I will faithfully and wholeheartedly plant them<n id="1" /> firmly in the land.&#8217;p>

So if you have shown loyalty and integrity to Jerub-Baal and his family<n id="1" /> today, then may Abimelech bring you happiness and may you bring him happiness!<n id="2" />

However, fear the <sc>Lordsc> and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you!

&#8220;Please, <sc>Lordsc>. Remember how I have served you<n id="1" /> faithfully and with wholehearted devotion,<n id="2" /> and how I have carried out your will.&#8221;<n id="3" /> Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">O God, because of your great loyal love,p> <p class="poetry">answer me with your faithful deliverance!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Then a trustworthy king will be established;p> <p class="poetry">he will rule in a reliable manner,p> <p class="poetry">this one from David&#8217;s family.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">He will be sure to make just decisionsp> <p class="poetry">and will be experienced in executing justice.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, love justicep> <p class="poetry">and hate robbery and sin.p> <p class="poetry">I will repay them because of my faithfulness;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make a permanent covenant with them.p>

So if a prophet prophesied<n id="1" /> peace and prosperity, it was only known that the <sc>Lordsc> truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.&#8221;p>

And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God,<n id="1" /> in truth and righteousness.&#8217;p>

Only King Og of Bashan was left of the remaining Rephaites. (It is noteworthy<n id="1" /> that his sarcophagus<n id="2" /> was made of iron.<n id="3" /> Does it not, indeed, still remain in Rabbath<n id="4" /> of the Ammonites? It is thirteen and a half feet<n id="5" /> long and six feet<n id="6" /> wide according to standard measure.)<n id="7" />p>

The thornbush said to the trees, &#8216;If you really want to choose<n id="1" /> me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches!<n id="2" /> Otherwise<n id="3" /> may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!&#8217;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Now, if you have shown loyalty and integrity when you made Abimelech king, if you have done right to Jerub-Baal and his family,<n id="1" /> if you have properly repaid him<n id="2" /> &#8211;

and the <sc>Lordsc> will fulfill his promise to me,<n id="1" /> &#8216;If your descendants watch their step<n id="2" /> and live faithfully in my presence<n id="3" /> with all their heart and being,<n id="4" /> then,&#8217; he promised,<n id="5" /> &#8216;you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.&#8217;<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">At that time<n id="1" /> those left in Israel, those who remain of the family<n id="2" /> of Jacob, will no longer rely on a foreign leader that abuses them.<n id="3" /> Instead they will truly<n id="4" /> rely on the <sc>Lordsc>, the Holy One of Israel.<n id="5" />

&#8220;Please, <sc>Lordsc>. Remember how I have served you<n id="1" /> faithfully and with wholehearted devotion,<n id="2" /> and how I have carried out your will.&#8221;<n id="3" /> Then Hezekiah wept bitterly.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">Listen to this, O family of Jacob,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">you who are called by the name &#8216;Israel,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">and are descended from Judah,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">who take oaths in the name of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">and invoke<n id="3" /> the God of Israel &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">but not in an honest and just manner.<n id="4" />p>