It was a night of vigil for the Lord to bring them out from the land of Egypt, ¹  and so ²  on this night all Israel is to keep the vigil ³  to the Lord for generations to come.

Be very careful, ¹  then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.

He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace.

Give the signal to attack Babylon’s wall! ¹  Bring more guards! ²  Post them all around the city! ³  Put men in ambush! ⁴  For the Lord will do what he has planned. He will do what he said he would do to the people of Babylon. ⁵ 

In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west ¹  on a road beside the hill.

I ¹  said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened in the early morning, ²  until those who are standing guard close the doors and lock them. ³  Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their guard stations and some near their homes.”

For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives?” ¹ 

He waits in ambush near the villages; ¹  in hidden places he kills the innocent. His eyes look for some unfortunate victim. ² 

“Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people. They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush. ¹  They set deadly traps ²  to catch people.

But I will keep watching for the Lord; I will wait for the God who delivers me. My God will hear my lament. ¹ 

Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. ¹  Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot ¹  away; for she thought, ²  “I refuse to watch the child die.” ³  So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. ⁴ 

And when Moses went out ¹  to the tent, all the people would get up ²  and stand at the entrance to their tents ³  and watch ⁴  Moses until he entered the tent. ⁵ 

“The Lord bless you ¹  and protect ²  you;

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David. I decided, ²  “I will watch what I say and make sure I do not sin with my tongue. ³  I will put a muzzle over my mouth while in the presence of an evil man.” ⁴ 

I will indeed ¹  see to it that disaster, not prosperity, happens to them. ²  All the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will die in war or from starvation until not one of them is left.

The whole town gathered by the door.

“You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over ¹  to councils ²  and beaten in the synagogues. ³  You will stand before governors and kings ⁴  because of me, as a witness to them.

or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly.

I will therefore have him flogged ¹  and release him.” ²