The Philistines stayed right on the heels of ¹  Saul and his sons. They ²  struck down Saul’s ³  sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua.

Then the Lord took me from tending ¹  flocks and gave me this commission, ²  ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’

So ¹  it seemed good to me as well, ²  because I have followed ³  all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account ⁴  for you, most excellent Theophilus,

When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle.

So the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom ¹  set out together. They wandered around on the road for seven days and finally ran out of water for the men and animals they had with them.

Those among all the Israelite tribes who were determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem ¹  to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. ² 

But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better. ¹ 

But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me! Each one of them followed the stubborn inclinations of his own wicked heart. So I brought on them all the punishments threatened in the covenant because they did not carry out its terms as I commanded them to do.’” ¹ 

Then you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose regulations you have not carried out. Instead you have behaved according to the regulations of the nations around you!’”

For some time ago ¹  Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He ²  was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. ³ 

After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, ¹  and incited people to follow him in revolt. ²  He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.

The Israelites followed the Lord’s instructions to Moses and divided up the land. ¹ 

Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.

He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, ¹  for his mother gave him evil advice. ² 

Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests of the Lord followed him in.

Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, ¹  in the midst of young women playing tambourines. ² 

You have followed the ways of your sister, so I will place her cup of judgment ¹  in your hand.

The ¹  next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees ²  assembled before Pilate

They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ¹  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ²  them and made the Lord angry.

So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ¹  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ²  All the people ³  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.