Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah! Listen to me! You wives of Lamech, hear my words! I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me.

Abram added, "Since you have not given me a descendant, then look, one born in my house will be my heir!"

The Lord said to him, "Take for me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

Abraham's servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a sip of water from your jug."

Here I am, standing by the spring. When the young woman goes out to draw water, I'll say, "Give me a little water to drink from your jug."

"Before I finished praying in my heart, along came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'

Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way."

Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son." That is why she named him Dan.

Then Leah said, "God has granted me a reward because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife." So she named him Issachar.

Then Leah said, "God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

So Laban asked, "What should I give you?" "You don't need to give me a thing," Jacob replied, "but if you agree to this one condition, I will continue to care for your flocks and protect them:

Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought ruin on me by making me a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land -- among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number; they will join forces against me and attack me, and both I and my family will be destroyed!"

He replied, "I'll send you a young goat from the flock." She asked, "Will you give me a pledge until you send it?"

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, "Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon."

So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Jacob said to Joseph, "The sovereign God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

and you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites."

You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you.

If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it.

Let them make for me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites, therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them."

Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send again and again to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?"

For in the wilderness of Zin when the community rebelled against me, you rebelled against my command to show me as holy before their eyes over the water -- the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin."

"Command the Israelites: 'With regard to my offering, be sure to offer my food for my offering made by fire, as a pleasing aroma to me at its appointed time.'

So now, promise me this with an oath sworn in the Lord's name. Because I have shown allegiance to you, show allegiance to my family. Give me a solemn pledge

Now, assign me this hill country which the Lord promised me at that time! No doubt you heard at that time that the Anakites live there in large, fortified cities. But, assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer them, as the Lord promised."

She answered, "Please give me a special present. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water. So he gave her both upper and lower springs.

She answered, "Please give me a special present. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water." So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

He said to her, "Give me a little water to drink, because I'm thirsty." She opened a goatskin container of milk and gave him some milk to drink. Then she covered him up again.

Then the survivors came down to the mighty ones; the Lord's people came down to me as warriors.

Gideon said to him, "If you really are pleased with me, then give me a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me.

Gideon said to God, "If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, as you promised, then give me a sign as proof.

Gideon continued, "I would like to make one request. Each of you give me an earring from the plunder you have taken." (The Midianites had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'

She said to him, "My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites."

I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down on me at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord's favor.' So I felt obligated to offer the burnt offering."

So Saul said to his servants, "Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me."

Then the Philistine said, "I defy Israel's troops this day! Give me a man so we can fight each other!"

For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!"

So Saul instructed his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so that I may go to her and inquire of her." His servants replied to him, "There is a woman who is a medium in Endor."

He asked me, 'Who are you?' I told him, 'I'm an Amalekite.'

Now be courageous and prove to be valiant warriors, for your lord Saul is dead. The people of Judah have anointed me as king over them."

David replied to Michal, "It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over the Lord's people Israel.

Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?"'

Absalom would then say, "If only they would make me a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement."

You rescue me from a hostile army; you preserve me as a leader of nations; people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.

"Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised him by the Lord, 'I will not strike you down with the sword.'

Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David's throne, and established a dynasty for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!"

The king ordered, "Get me a sword!" So they placed a sword before the king.

Now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, 'You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your descendants watch their step and serve me as you have done.'

So he got up and went to Zarephath. When he went through the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. He called out to her, "Please give me a cup of water, so I can take a drink."

As she went to get it, he called out to her, "Please bring me a piece of bread."

Now send out messengers and assemble all Israel before me at Mount Carmel, as well as the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel supports.

So the prophet said to him, "Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him.

When the king passed by, he called out to the king, "Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. He told me, 'Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver.'

Elisha said, "Get me a new jar and put some salt in it." So they got it.

But now, get me a musician." When the musician played, the Lord energized him,

When he left there, he met Jehonadab, son of Rekab, who had been looking for him. Jehu greeted him and asked, "Are you as committed to me as I am to you?" Jehonadab answered, "I am!" Jehu replied, "If so, give me your hand." So he offered his hand and Jehu pulled him up into the chariot.

Don't listen to Hezekiah!' For this is what the king of Assyria says, 'Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern,

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." Shaphan read it out loud before the king.

So they marched against Baal Perazim and David defeated them there. David said, "Using me as his instrument, God has burst out against my enemies like water bursts out." So that place is called Baal Perazim.

"Go, tell my servant David: 'This is what the Lord says: "You must not build me a house in which to live.

Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, 'Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?'"'

He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty permanent.

Solomon sent a message to King Huram of Tyre: "Help me as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs for the construction of his palace.

"Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple, crimson, and violet colored fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled craftsmen here in Jerusalem and Judah, whom my father David provided.

You must serve me as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations.

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." Shaphan read it out loud before the king.

I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat.

If I have sinned -- what have I done to you, O watcher of men? Why have you set me as your target? Have I become a burden to you?

Remember that you have made me as with the clay; will you return me to dust?

If I lift myself up, you hunt me as a fierce lion, and again you display your power against me.

Why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy?

"O that you would hide me in Sheol, and conceal me till your anger has passed! O that you would set me a time and then remember me!

He has made me a byword to people, I am the one in whose face they spit.

My guests and my servant girls consider me a stranger; I am a foreigner in their eyes.

"If this is not so, who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?"

They waited for me as people wait for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rains.

whose heart did not bless me as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,

Yet God finds occasions with me; he regards me as his enemy!

"Be patient with me a little longer and I will instruct you, for I still have words to speak on God's behalf.

may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me; may he trample me to death and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah)

Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! Hide me in the shadow of your wings!

You rescue me from a hostile army; you make me a leader of nations; people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.

Yes, wild dogs surround me -- a gang of evil men crowd around me; like a lion they pin my hands and feet.

By day the Lord decrees his loyal love, and by night he gives me a song, a prayer to the living God.

For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills.

Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me!

Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh! Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my royal scepter.

O God, arrogant men attack me; a gang of ruthless men, who do not respect you, seek my life.

You cause those who know me to keep their distance; you make me an appalling sight to them. I am trapped and cannot get free.

Gilead belongs to me, as does Manasseh! Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my royal scepter.

Appoint an evil man to testify against him! May an accuser stand at his right side!

May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, or a belt one wears continually!

and listened to me. As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help.

Give me a desire for your rules, rather than for wealth gained unjustly.

I seek your favor with all my heart. Have mercy on me as you promised!

May your loyal love console me, as you promised your servant.

Sustain me as you promised, so that I will live. Do not disappoint me!