But David said to Abishai, “Don’t kill him! Who can extend his hand against the Lord’s chosen one ¹  and remain guiltless?”

So they got up and crossed over by number: twelve belonging to Benjamin and to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from the servants of David.

O Lord God, do not reject your chosen ones! ¹  Remember the faithful promises you made to your servant David!”

This was to take place on a certain day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus – namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar).

Now I am sure ¹  that the Lord will deliver ²  his chosen king; ³  he will intervene for him ⁴  from his holy heavenly temple, ⁵  and display his mighty ability to deliver. ⁶ 

He took him away from following the mother sheep, ¹  and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation. ² 

A psalm of Asaph. O God, foreigners ²  have invaded your chosen land; ³  they have polluted your holy temple and turned Jerusalem ⁴  into a heap of ruins.

I ¹  will sing to my love – a song to my lover about his vineyard. ²  My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill. ³ 

I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; ¹  I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, ²  my boasting, arrogant ones. ³ 

Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I summoned! I am the one; I am present at the very beginning and at the very end. ¹ 

The people I call my own ¹  have turned on me like a lion ²  in the forest. They have roared defiantly ³  at me. So I will treat them as though I hate them. ⁴ 

Many foreign rulers ¹  will ruin the land where I planted my people. ²  They will trample all over my chosen land. ³  They will turn my beautiful land into a desolate wasteland.

“People of Babylonia, ¹  you plundered my people. ²  That made you happy and glad. You frolic about like calves in a pasture. ³  Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion. ⁴ 

Then I perceived that the glory of the God of Israel was there, as in the vision I had seen earlier in the valley.

You have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have assigned foreigners ¹  to keep charge of my sanctuary for you.

but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared.” ¹ 

beginning from his baptism by John until the day he ¹  was taken up from us – one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.”

And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

who are Israelites. To them belong ¹  the adoption as sons, ²  the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, ³  and the promises.

And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “Though the number of the children ¹  of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved,