Then Absalom said moreover, "Oh, that I were a judge in the land, and that all men which have pleas and matter in the law, should come to me. For I would do them justice."

And the man answered Joab, "Though I had a thousand sicles of silver told in my hand yet would I not stretch out mine hand against the king's son. For we heard with our ears when the king charged thee, Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Spare me the lad Absalom.'

And the king was moved and went up to a chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went thus he said, "My son Absalom, my son, my son, my son Absalom, would to God I had died for thee Absalom, my son, my son."

And he bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah, as a man would bow the heart of one man: so that they sent word to the king, that he should return with all his servants.

And he said, "My lord king, my servant deceived me. For thy servant said: that I would have mine ass saddled to ride thereon, for to go to the king, because thy servant is lame.

And Joab said to Amasa, "Are all things in rest and peace my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the chin with the right hand, as though he would have kissed him.

And one of Joab's men that stood by him said, "What is he that he would be as Joab, and what is he that would be unto David instead of Joab?"

And the Gibeonites said unto him, "We have no matter of silver or of gold with Saul or with his house: neither have we any man that we would kill in Israel." Then he said, "What say ye that I shall do for you?"

And anon the three mighty brake through the Host of the Philistines and fetched water out of the well of Bethlehem that was in the gate, and took and brought it to David: Nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but offered it unto the LORD

and said, "The LORD forbid that I should do so! Should I drink the blood of men that were in jeopardy of their lives?" And so he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

Then spake Solomon, "The LORD said that he would dwell in darkness.

But the man of God answered the king, "If thou wouldest give me half thine house, I would not go with thee - neither would I eat meat or drink water in this place.

Howbeit, for all that, Jeroboam turned not from his wicked way: but turned away and made of the lowest of the people priests of the hill altars. Whosoever would, he filled their hands, and they became priests of the hill altars.

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, because that he would let none of Asa's people, king of Judah, go in or out.

Then a certain man of the children of the Prophets said unto his fellow, with the word of the LORD, "Smite me, I pray thee." And the man would not smite him.

Then went Ahab unto his house wayward and evil apaid, because of the words which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken unto him, saying, "I will not give to thee the inheritance of my fathers." And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face, and would eat no meat.

Then said the king of Israel to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee, that he would prophesy no good unto me, but evil?"

Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with thine in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not.

And Elisha said, "As sure as the LORD of Hosts liveth - in whose sight I stand - and it were not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor yet see ye."

And the Damsel said unto her lady, "I would my master were with a prophet that is in Samaria: he would deliver him of his leprosy."

And Naaman was wroth and went away, and said, "Behold, I thought in myself, he would have come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and put his hand on the place of the disease, and so take away the leprosy.

But he said, "As surely as the LORD liveth before whom I stand, I will receive none." And the other would have constrained him to receive: but he would not do it.

Then a great lord on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God and said, "Though the LORD would make windows in heaven, yet would not this be." And he said again, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes and shalt not eat thereof."

And the lord answered the man of God and said, "Though the LORD made windows in heaven, yet would not this be." And the other said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, and shalt not eat thereof."

Neverthelater, the LORD would not destroy Judah because of David his servant, as he promised him to give him a light in his children always.

But the LORD had mercy on them and pitied them and turned to them because of his covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and would not destroy them, either cast them from him as yet.

But Amaziah would not hear. And so Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah saw either other at Bethshemesh in Judah.

Notwithstanding, they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the necks of their fathers that did not believe the LORD their God.

because they would not hearken unto the voice of the LORD their God. But transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would neither hear nor do.

O that the LORD thy God would hear all the words of Rabshakeh whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to rail on the living God, and to rebuke him with words which the LORD thy God hath heard. Wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left."

And I will stretch over Jerusalem the squaring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab. And I will wipe out Jerusalem, as a man would wipe a dish, and when he hath wiped it, turneth it upside down.

and for the innocent blood that he shed and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not forgive.

Then said Saul to his weapon bearer, "Draw thy sword and thrust me through therewith, that these uncircumcised come not and do me shame." And his weapon bearer would not, but feared exceedingly. Whereupon, Saul caught a sword and fell upon it.

And David longed and said, "Oh that one would give me of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is in the gate, for to drink."

And the three brake through the host of the Philistines and drew of the water of the well of Bethlehem that was in the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink of it, but offered it to the LORD,

and said, "God forbid it me, that I should do this thing, that I should drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in Jeopardy." For with the Jeopardy of their lives they brought it, and therefore he would not drink it. This did the three mightiest.

And when they were come as far as Baalperazim, David beat them there. And David said, "God hath divided mine enemies with mine hand as a man would divide water." And therefore they called the name of the said place Baalperazim.

and since the time I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and will bring under all thine enemies - for I told thee that the LORD would build thee a house.

And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon anymore.

But David took not the number of them under twenty years: for the LORD said he would increase Israel like unto the stars of the sky.

And now our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. For what am I? And what is my people, that would obtain strength to be so willing?

And when all Israel saw that the king would not hear them, the people answered the king, saying, "What part have we with David or inheritance with the son of Jesse? Let every man of Israel go to his tent. And now, David, see to thine own house!" And thereupon all Israel gat them to their tents,

In the thirty sixth year of the reign of Asa, came Baasha king of Israel against Judah and built Ramah - to the intent that he would let none that pertained to Asa king of Judah have passage in and out.

Then said the king of Israel to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee, that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?"

Howbeit, the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons forever.

Notwithstanding yet God sent Prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD. And they testified unto them. But they would not hear.

but the men of the army which Amaziah had turned back and would not let go with his people to battle, ran upon the cities of Judah from Samaria unto Bethhoron and slew three thousand of them and won much spoil.

And now in the mean season we have destroyed the temple, and would no longer see the king's dishonour. Therefore sent we out, and caused the king to be certified thereof:

And they gave their hands thereupon, that they would put away their wives: and for their trespass offering to give a ram for their trespass.

My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according unto these their works, and of the Prophetess Noadiah and of the other Prophets, that would have put me in fear.

And the children went in, and possessed the land, and thou subduedest before them the inhabiters of the land, even the Cananites, and gavest them into their hand, and their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them what they would.

and testified unto them, that they should turn again unto thy law. Notwithstanding, they were proud, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned in thy laws, which a man should do and live in them, and turned the shoulder away, and were stiff-necked, and would not hear.

And many years didst thou forbear them, and testified unto them through thy spirit, even by the office of thy prophets, and yet would they not hear. Therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the nations in the lands.

and their lords that had rule of them, received it for their brethren. And they came to sware, and to bind themselves with an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, that they would observe and do according unto all the commandments, judgments, and statutes of the LORD our God:

and that we would not give our daughters unto the people in the land, neither to take their daughters for our sons.

And if the people of the land brought wares on the Sabbath, and all manner of victuals to sell, that we would not take it of them on the Sabbath and on the holy days. And that we would let the seventh year be free concerning all manner of charge.

But the queen Vashti would not come at the king's word by his chamberlains. Then was the king very wroth, and his indignation kindled in him.

for this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands before their eyes, and shall say, 'The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to come before him, but she would not.'

And when they spake this daily unto him and he followed them not, they told Haman, that they might see whether Mordecai's matters would endure: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

So Esther's damsels and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly astonished. And she sent raiment, that Mordecai should put them on and lay the sackcloth from him. But Mordecai would not take them.

And when Haman came in, the king said unto him, "What shall be done unto the man, whom the king would fain bring unto worship?" But Haman thought in his heart, "Whom desireth the king to bring unto worship, more than me?"

And Haman said unto the king, "Let the man unto whom the king would be glad to do worship, be brought hither,

And let this raiment and horse be delivered under the hand of one of the king's princes, that he may array the man withal, whom the king would fain honour: and carry him upon the horse through the streets of the city, and cause it to be proclaimed before him, 'Thus shall it be done to every man, whom the king would fain honour.'"

for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. And would God we were sold to be bondmen and bondwomen, then would I hold my tongue; although the enemy could not recompense the king's loss.

And Esther spake yet more before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him, that he would put away the wickedness of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had imagined against the Jews.

wherein the king granted the Jews - in what cities soever they were - to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, and for to root out, to slay and to destroy all the power of the people and land that would trouble them, with children and women, and to spoil their goods

Then gathered the Jews together in their cities within all the lands of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as would do them evil, and no man could withstand them: for the fear of them was come over all people.

And the Jews set it up, and took it upon them and their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, that they would not miss to observe these two days yearly, according as they were written and appointed;

and search for it more than for treasure. Which also would be exceedingly glad, and rejoice if they found their grave.

"O that I might have my desire! O that God would grant me the thing, that I long for!

That he would begin and smite me: that he would let his hand go, and hew me down.

Then should I have some comfort: yea, I would desire him in my pain, that he should not spare, for I will not be against the words of the holy one.

For like as a bond servant desireth the shadow, and as a hireling would fain have an end of his work:

If I had called upon him, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had heard my voice!

O that God would speak, and open his lips against thee,

Would God ye kept your tongue, that ye might be taken for wise men!

I could speak as ye do also. But would God, that your soul were in my soul's stead: then should I heap up words against you, and shake my head at you.

would God they were graven with an iron pen in lead or in stone.

That he favoured, that would he not forsake; but kept it close in his throat.

That I might know, what answer he would give me: and that I might understand, what he would say unto me.

If I had spoken, they would have it none other ways, my words were so well taken among them.

But now, they that are mine inferiors and younger than I, have me in derision; yea even they, whose fathers I would have thought scorn to have set with the dogs of my cattle.

I made a covenant with mine eyes, that I would not look upon a damsel.

O that I had one which would hear me. Lo, this is my cause: Let the almighty give me answer, and let him that is my contrary party, sue me with libel.

So these three men would strive no more with Job, because he held himself a righteous man.

For if I would go about to please men, I know not how soon my maker would take me away.

Therefore turned they back traitorously and unfaithfully from him, and would not receive his ways.

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand and seek after God.

"He trusted in the LORD, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, if he will have him."

What man is he that lusteth to live, and would fain see good days?

Let them not say in their hearts, "There! There! So would we have it!" Neither let them say, "We have devoured him."

For if thou hadst pleasure in sacrifice, I would give it thee: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that would understand, or seek after God.

O that the salvation were given unto Israel out of Zion! O that the LORD would deliver his people out of captivity! Then should Jacob rejoice, and Israel should be right glad.

And I said, "O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I flee away, and be at rest.

Lo, then would I get me away far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

I would make haste to escape from the stormy wind and tempest."

If it were mine enemy that reviled me, I could bear it: or if one that ought me evil will did threaten me, I would hide myself from him.

He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproof of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and truth.

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they that are mine enemies, and would destroy me guiltless, are mighty. I paid them the things that I never took.