Thematic Bible: Petition


Thematic Bible



But the descendants of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who inhabit the valley area have iron chariots, both at Beth-shean with its towns and in the Jezreel Valley.”

Joseph’s descendants said to Joshua, “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the Lord has been blessing us greatly.”

The daughters of Zelophehad approached; [Zelophehad was the] son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, "Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah's followers, who gathered together against the Lord. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. read more.
Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father's brothers." Moses brought their case before the Lord,

The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a [good] one for livestock. So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community and said: "[The territory of] Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
which the Lord struck down before the community of Israel, is [good] land for livestock, and your servants own livestock." They said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don't make us cross the Jordan."

They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our male relatives.” So they gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the Lord’s instruction.

The family leaders from the clan of the descendants of Gilead-the son of Machir, son of Manasseh-one of the clans of the sons of Joseph approached and addressed Moses and the leaders who were over the Israelite families. They said, "The Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites. My lord was further commanded by the Lord to give our brother Zelophehad's inheritance to his daughters. If they marry any of the men from the [other] Israelite tribes, their inheritance will be taken away from our fathers' inheritance and added to that of the tribe into which they marry. Therefore, part of our allotted inheritance would be taken away. read more.
When the Jubilee comes for the Israelites, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe." So Moses commanded the Israelites at the word of the Lord, "What the tribe of Joseph's descendants says is right.

The heads of the Levite families approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. They told them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan: "The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to live in, with their pasturelands for our livestock."


Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard [about it], for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon's presence, Jeroboam stayed in Egypt. They summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: read more.
"Your father made our yoke harsh. You, therefore, lighten your father's harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you." Rehoboam replied, "Go home for three days and then return to me." So the people left. Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" They replied, "Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever." But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him. He asked them, "What message do you advise that we send back to these people who said to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, "This is what you should say to these people who said to you, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!' This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.' " So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: "Return to me on the third day." Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him and spoke to them according to the young men's advice: "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips." The king did not listen to the people, because the turn of events came from the Lord to carry out His word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat. When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So Israel went to their tents, but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.


So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him. Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king, and he asked, "What do you want?" She replied, "My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, 'Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.' read more.
Now look, Adonijah has become king. And, my lord king, you didn't know [it]. He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep. He invited all the king's sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. Now, my lord king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals."


So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way? No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault." But he said, "You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, 'Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.' read more.
Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks."


When the woman returned from the land of the Philistines at the end of seven years, she went to appeal to the king for her house and field.

When the king asked the woman, she told him the story. So the king appointed a court official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, along with all the income from the field from the day she left the country until now.”


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