And he said, All is well. My master has sent me, saying, Behold, even now there come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of r

Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you’re looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

But he replied, "No! You're not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you've taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!"

If we tell ourselves, "Let's remain in the city,' we'll die there since there's famine in the city. But if we sit here, we'll die, too. So let's go over to the Arameans! If they spare our lives, we'll live, and if they kill us"we're dying anyway!"

Then they said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will catch up with us. Let’s go tell the king’s household.”

so the king got up in the middle of the night and ordered his servants: "Let me explain what the Arameans have done to us. They know that we're hungry, so they've left their encampment to conceal themselves in the surrounding fields. They're telling themselves, "When they come out of the city, we'll capture them alive and enter the city!'"

One of his advisers replied, "Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people -- we're all going to die!) Let's send them out so we can know for sure what's going on."

"Why are you crying, sir?" Hazael asked. "Because I know the evil that you're about to bring on the Israelis," he replied. "You'll burn down their fortified cities, execute their young men with swords, dash to pieces their little ones, and you'll tear open their pregnant women!"

But they said, "You're lying! Tell us what he said." So he told them what he had said. He also related how he had said, "This is what the Lord says, 'I have designated you as king over Israel.'"

But Jehu wrote them another letter: "If you're loyal to me, and if you intend to obey my commands, then bring the heads of your master's sons and meet me in Jezreel about this time tomorrow."

Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”

They answered, “We’re Ahaziah’s relatives. We’ve come down to greet the king’s sons and the queen mother’s sons.”

You just defeated Edom and you're arrogant. Bask in your victory and stay home. Why incite trouble so that you yes, you! fall, along with Judah with you?"

""Why are you so confident? You're saying but they're only empty words "I have enough advice and resources to conduct warfare!'

""Now who are you relying on, that you have rebelled against me? Look, you're trusting on Egypt to lean on like a staff, but it's a crushed reed, and if you lean on it, it will collapse and pierce your hand. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is just like that to everyone who relies on him!

""Of course, you might tell me, "We rely on the LORD our God!" But isn't it he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has demolished, all the while telling Jerusalem, "You're to worship in front of this altar in Jerusalem?"'

“So now make a bargain with my master the king of Assyria. I’ll give you 2,000 horses if you’re able to supply riders for them!

In reply, Isaiah responded to them, "Here's how you're to report to your master:

But you won't need to force them to be accountable for money already paid to them, since they're faithful."

Eber, Peleg, Reu,

And Reaiah the son of Shobal begat Jahath; and Jahath begat Ahumai, and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

Micah his son, Reaia his son, Baal his son,

Later on, all of Israel gathered together at Hebron in order to tell David, "Look, we're your own flesh and blood!

The inhabitants of Jebus told David, "You're not coming in here!" Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, now known as the City of David.

Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said, "David, we belong to you; we're with you, son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to the one who helps you! For your deliverer is your God."

God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as he was about to do so, the LORD looked and withdrew the calamity by saying to the destroying angel, "Enough! Stop what you're doing!"

"but I didn't believe it at first! But then I came here and I've seen it for myself! It's amazing! I wasn't told half of what's really great about your wisdom. You're far better in person than what the reports have said about you!

Have ye not driven out the priests of LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for you after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? So that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven r

"Now as far as we're concerned, the LORD is our God, and we haven't abandoned him. The descendants of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the descendants of Levi continue their work.

Every morning and evening, they're offering burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD, the showbread is set out on the pure table, and they take care of the golden lamp stand so its lamps can continue to burn every evening. We continue to be faithful over what the LORD our God entrusted to us, but you have abandoned him.

Asa cried out to the LORD his God, telling him, "LORD, there is no one except for you to help between the powerful and the weak. So help us, LORD God, because we're depending on you and have come against this vast group in your name. LORD, you are our God. Let no mere mortal man defeat you!"

""I will go,' he announced, "and I will be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all of his prophets!' "So the LORD said, "You're just the one to deceive him. You will be successful. Go and do it.'

Look how they're rewarding us! They're coming to drive us from your property that you gave us to be our inheritance.

And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of LORD under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of LORD, to offer the burnt-offerings of LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with r

You claim you've defeated Edom, but you're really only puffed up with arrogant boasting. So stay home. Why stir up trouble so you die, and the rest of Judah with you?"

Now you're intending to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem to be your slaves. Surely you have your own sins against the LORD your God for which you're accountable, don't you?

In addition, we have prepared and rededicated all of the utensils that King Ahaz threw away during his unfaithful reign, and now they're back in service at the LORD's altar."

He re-established the high places that his father Hezekiah had demolished, he built altars to the Baals, erected Asherim, and worshipped and served the armies of heaven.

Because they abandoned me and have burned incense to other gods, provoking me to become angry at everything they're doing, therefore my wrath is about to be poured out on this place, and it won't be quenched.'"'

The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,

Some of the heads of the fathers’ households (extended families), when they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, made voluntary contributions for the house of God to rebuild it on its [old] foundation.

With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expences be given out of the king's house:

"My God, I am too ashamed and hurt to turn to you, because we're in our iniquities over our heads. Furthermore, my God, our sins have grown as high as the heavens. We have lived in great sin from the days of our ancestors even until today, and because of those iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered over to foreign kings, for execution, for captivity, for plunder, and for humiliation, as is the case today.

So get up it's your responsibility! We're with you. Be strong, and get to work."

The king asked me, "Why do you look so troubled, since you're not ill? This cannot be anything else but troubles of the heart."

Later I told them, "You all are watching the predicament we're in, how Jerusalem lies desolate, with its gates burned by fire. Let's rebuild the Jerusalem wall so we're no longer a disgrace."

When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

In reply to them, I said, "The God of Heaven will prosper us. That's why we're preparing to build. But as far as you're concerned, there exists no ancestral heritage, no legal right, nor any historic claim in Jerusalem.

Tobiah the Ammonite stood to the side, commenting, "If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse their stone wall!"

And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.”

Others were saying, "We're having to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes so we can buy grain during this famine."

Now our bodies are no different than the bodies of our relatives, and our children are like their children. Nevertheless, we're about to force our sons and daughters into slavery, and some of our daughters are already in bondage. It's beyond our power to do anything about it, because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

I accused them, "To the best of our ability, we've been buying back our fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners. Even now you're selling your fellow countrymen, only for them to be sold back to us!" They kept quiet and never spoke a word.

So I said, "What you're doing isn't right! Shouldn't you live in the fear of our God to avoid shame from our foreign enemies?

It is reported among the nations and Gashmu confirms this that you and the Jews are planning a revolt, and that you're rebuilding the wall in order to declare yourself king. According to these reports, you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, "There is a king in Judah!" Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let's meet together.

I sent word back to him, "Nothing has happened as you've claimed. You're making up these charges in your imagination."

Later I visited Delaiah's son Shemaiah, a grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined at home. He kept urging me, "Let's meet together at the house of God, within the Temple, and take refuge there, because they're coming to kill you. In fact, they're coming at night to kill you!"

The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

I rebuked the officials of Judah, saying to them, "What's this evil thing that you're doing by profaning the Sabbath day?

Didn't your ancestors do the same? And didn't our God bring on us and on this city all of this trouble? Now you're adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"

If the king approves, let it be decreed that they're to be destroyed, and I'll measure out 10,000 silver talents and bring it to the king's treasury for those who will do the work."

Then the king's scribes were called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it. And there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the r

But he replied to her, "You're talking like foolish women do. Are we to accept what is good from God but not tragedy?" Throughout all of this, Job did not sin by what he said.

"But now it's your turn, and you're the one who is worn out! Now it's striking you, and you're dismayed!

Now please think: Who has ever perished when they're innocent? Where have the upright been destroyed?

"And now you're all just like them, aren't you? You see my terror and are terrified.

""You have brought new witnesses against me, you're even more angry with me you've brought fresh troops to attack me!

You'll be secure, because there is hope; you'll see that you're at rest and safe.

"Because you're the one who closed their hearts to compassion; therefore, you won't let them triumph.

if I call out to the Pit, "You're my father!' or say to the worm, "My mother!' or "My sister!'

Why do you think we're like dumb animals? Do you think we're stupid?

You're tearing yourself to pieces in your anger. Will the land be abandoned because of you, or the rock be moved from its place?"

"How long do you intend to keep torturing me and trying to break me by what you're saying?

Ten times you've tried to humiliate me! You're not ashamed to wrong me!

"When you're thinking about asking yourselves, "How will we pursue him, since the root of the problem is with him?'

Their children grow up while they're alive, and they live to see their grandchildren.

"For when they're humbled, you may respond; "It's their pride!' but he delivers the humble.

They're exalted momentarily, but then they are gone; they are humbled, just like all the others. They are cut down like heads of corn.

Far be it from me to admit that you're right! I intend to maintain my integrity even if it kills me!

You changed toward me, and now you're cruel to me; with your mighty hand you are persecuting me;

I know that you're about to kill me, so I'm about to go to the house that's appointed for all the living."

"If I've put my confidence in gold, if I've told gold, "You're my security,'

Barachel's son Elihu from Buz responded and said: "I'm younger than you are. Because you're older, I was terrified to tell you what I know.

Shall I continue to wait, since they're no longer talking? After all, they're only standing there; they're no longer responding.

Can one say to a king, "You're vile!' or to nobles, "You're wicked!'?

"If they're bound in chains, caught in ropes of affliction,

"Will your wealth sustain you when you're in distress, despite your most powerful efforts?

"Where were you when I laid the foundation of my earth? Tell me, since you're so informed!

She mistreats her young as though they're not hers, and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain,

Indeed would you annul my justice and condemn me, just so you can claim that you're righteous?

Who hath removed his outer garment, through his double row of teeth, who would enter?

I, therefore. in thee, have put ray trust, O Yahweh, I have said, My God, thou art!

Like the desire of the roe for the water-streams, so is my soul's desire for you, O God.

Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.

Therefore God's people return there and drink it all in like water until they're satiated.

Just look at these wicked people! They're perpetually carefree as they increase their wealth.

now they're tearing down all its carved work with hatchets and hammers.

Get up, God, and prosecute your case remember that you're being scorned by fools all day long.

You are awesome! who can stand in your presence when you're angry?

We live for 70 years, or 80 years if we're healthy, yet even in the prime years there are troubles and sorrow. They pass by quickly and we fly away.

Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.