Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us? And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?

Then she said, Please let the king remember Jehovah your God, that you would not allow the avengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they should destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.

Since you came only yesterday, should I make you go up and down with us today? Since I go where I may, you may return and take back your brothers. May mercy and truth be with you.

And Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.

And again, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father's presence, so I will be in your presence.

And the man said to Joab, Though I should receive a thousand silverlings in my hand, yet I would not put forth my hand against the king's son. For in our ears the king charged you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Beware you who go against the young man, against Absalom.

And David said, What do I have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be my foes today? Shall there be any man put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that I am king over Israel today?

And Barzillai said to the king, How long do I have to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

I am eighty years old today, and can I discern between good and evil? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I any more hear the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be still a burden to my lord the king?

Your servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we also have more right in David than you. Why then did you despise us, so that our advice should not be sought first in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were more fierce than the words of the men of Israel.

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

And they answered the king, The man who destroyed us, and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,

And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this. Is it not the blood of the men who went in danger of their lives? And he would not drink it. These three mighty men did these things.

And you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.

Is this thing done by my lord the king, and have you not shown your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's. For it was his from Jehovah.

then hear in Heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, and of Your people Israel, for You shall teach them the good way in which they should walk, and give rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; and he did not keep that which Jehovah commanded.

And Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.

And his servant said, What? Should I set this before a hundred men? He said again, Give to the people so that they may eat, for so says Jehovah, They shall eat and shall leave some.

While he still talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And he said, Behold, this evil is from Jehovah. Why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?

And the third officer answered the man of God and said, Behold, if Jehovah should make windows in heaven, then such a thing might be. And he said, Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.

And Hazael said, What! Is your servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah has shown me that you shall be king over Syria.

And Jehoiada made a covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, that they should be the people of Jehovah; also between the king and the people.

And the man of God was angry with him, and said, You should have stricken five or six times, then you would have stricken Syria until it was finished. But now you shall strike Syria three times.

You have indeed stricken Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Rejoice and stay at home, for why should you meddle to your harm, so that you should fall, you and Judah with you?

And one of the priests whom they had removed from Samaria came and lived in Bethel. And he taught them how they should fear Jehovah.

Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their land out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

Have you not heard it from afar, I made it? From days of old I fashioned it! Now I have caused it to come; that you should make fortified cities desolate heaps of ruins.

because your heart was tender and you have humbled yourself before Jehovah, when you heard what I spoke against this place, and against its people (that they should become a waste and a curse, and have torn your clothes and wept before Me), I have heard you, says Jehovah.

And certain of them were over the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by count.

And now you shall say this to My servant David, So says Jehovah of Hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, so that you should be ruler over My people Israel.

And David said to God, Did not I command to number the people? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed. But these sheep, what have they done? I pray You, let Your hand be on me, O Jehovah my God, and on my father's house, but not on Your people, that they should be plagued.

And the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar to Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated so that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before Jehovah, to minister to Him, and to bless in His name forever.

and that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the Holy Place, and the charge of their brothers, the sons of Aaron, in the service of the house of Jehovah.

But who am I, and who my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things are from You, and we have given to You that which is Yours.

But who is able to build Him a house, since the heavens and heaven of the heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a house, except only to burn sacrifice before Him?

and the lampstands of pure gold with their lamps, so that they should burn according to the Law before the holy place;

then hear from Heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, when You have taught them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

Should you not know that Jehovah, the God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

and that whoever would not seek Jehovah, the God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate Jehovah? And by this bring wrath on you from before Jehovah.

And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people and between the king, that they should be Jehovah's people.

And the sons of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell on the cities of Judah from Samaria even to Beth-horon, and struck three thousand of them and took much plunder.

And it happened as he talked with him, the king said to him, Have we made you of the king's counsel? Stop! Why should you be stricken? And the prophet stopped. And he said, I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.

You have said, Lo, I have stricken the Edomites, and your heart lifts you up to boast. Now stay at home. Why should you meddle to your hurt, so that you should fall, you and Judah with you?

My sons, do not be negligent now. For Jehovah has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that you should minister to Him and burn incense.

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Jehovah, the God of Israel.

And they established a decree to send a notice throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Jehovah, the God of Israel at Jerusalem. For not many of them had done as it was written.

And there were gathered many people, who stopped all the fountains, and the torrent which ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the king of Assyria come and find much water?

Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers completely destroyed is able to deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

And take heed that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?

Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven, let it be carefully done for the house of the God of Heaven, for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

And I sent them with command to Iddo the chief of the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say to Iddo, to his brothers the temple slaves, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.

should we again break Your commandments and join hands with the people of these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had crushed us, until there is no remnant nor survivor?

Then Ezra arose and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they should do according to this word. And they swore.

And I said to the king, Let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?

And I said, What you do is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

And they said, We will restore, and will ask nothing from them. So we will do as you say. Then I called the priests and took an oath from them that they should do according to this promise.

And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?

And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

Therefore he was hired that I should be afraid, and do so, and I should sin, and be for them an evil name, with which they might reproach me.

And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the holy things until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

And they found written in the Law which Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month,

and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mountain and bring olive branches and pine branches and myrtle branches and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

And You led them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way in which they should go.

And You gave them bread from the heavens for their hunger, and brought forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst. And You promised them that they should go in to possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

yet You in Your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day to lead them in the way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light and the way in which they should go.

And You multiplied their sons like the stars of the heavens, and brought them into the land concerning which You had promised to their fathers that they should go in to possess it.

And if the people of the land should bring goods or any food on the Sabbath day to sell it, that we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath or on the holy day, and that we would leave the seventh year, and the interest of every debt.

and that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all kinds of trees, of wine and of oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites, and they, the Levites, might have the tithes in all the cities we farmed.

For it was the king's commandment concerning them that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people. And in it was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever,

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them so that he should curse them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.

And it happened when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants at the gates, so that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath day.

And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

And the drinking was according to the law, no one compelling, for so the king had commanded every chief of his house that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing of it, and to every people in their language, so that every man should bear rule in his own house, and published according to the language of every people.

Esther had not revealed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not show it.

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree which was given at Shushan in order to destroy them, to show it to Esther and to declare it to her, and to command her that she should go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to seek help for her people.

The copy of the writing for a command to be given in every province was announced to all people, even that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

to establish among them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

as the days in which the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions to one another, and gifts to the poor.

But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the wooden gallows.

the Jews ordained, and took on them and on their seed, and on all such as joined themselves to them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their time every year,

and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, and these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

Why did the knees go before me; or why the breasts, that I should suck?

For now I should have lain still and been quiet; I should have slept. Then I would have been at rest

What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should be patient?

What is man, that You should magnify him, and that You should set Your heart on him,

I have been condemned; why then should I labor in vain?

For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in judgment;

Is it good to You that You should press down, that You should despise the work of Your hands, and shine on the counsel of the wicked?

I should have been as though I had not been; I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?

Should your lies make men silent? And will you mock and no one make you ashamed?

Is it good that He should search you out? Or as one man mocks another, do you mock Him?