But if my father intends to do you harm, may the Lord do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don’t let you know ¹  and send word to you so you can go safely on your way. ²  May the Lord be with you, as he was with my father.

When someone sets out to chase you and to take your life, the life of my lord will be wrapped securely in the bag ¹  of the living by the Lord your God. But he will sling away the lives of your enemies from the sling’s pocket!

Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: “Listen to me, you people of Judah ¹  and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord your God and you will be safe! ²  Trust in the message of his prophets and you will win.”

Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how ¹  can your gods rescue ²  you from my power?’”

He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words: ¹  “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.” ² 

They will eat up your crops and your food. They will kill off ¹  your sons and your daughters. They will eat up your sheep and your cattle. They will destroy your vines and your fig trees. ²  Their weapons will batter down ³  the fortified cities you trust in.

He will set fire ¹  to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. ²  He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. ³  He will leave there unharmed. ⁴ 

Make ¹  for yourself an ark of cypress ²  wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover ³  it with pitch inside and out.

but I will confirm ¹  my covenant with you. You will enter ²  the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

You must bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature from all flesh, ¹  male and female, to keep them alive ²  with you.

So tell them ¹  you are my sister ²  so that it may go well ³  for me because of you and my life will be spared ⁴  on account of you.”

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ¹  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ² 

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food ¹  to eat and clothing to wear,

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you ¹  and will bring you back to the land of your fathers.

Zebulun will live ¹  by the haven of the sea and become a haven for ships; his border will extend to Sidon. ² 

Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put in it an omer full of manna, and place it before the Lord to be kept for generations to come.”

and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, ¹  “The God of my father has been my help ²  and delivered ³  me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

“If a man gives his neighbor money or articles ¹  for safekeeping, ²  and it is stolen from the man’s house, if the thief is caught, ³  he must repay double.

If a man gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt ¹  or is carried away ²  without anyone seeing it, ³ 

¹ “I am going to send ²  an angel ³  before you to protect you as you journey ⁴  and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. ⁵