In those days Israel had no king. There was a Levite ¹  living temporarily in the remote region of the Ephraimite hill country. He acquired a concubine ²  from Bethlehem ³  in Judah.

But then an old man passed by, returning at the end of the day from his work in the field. ¹  The man was from the Ephraimite hill country; he was living temporarily in Gibeah. (The residents of the town were Benjaminites.) ² 

There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, ¹  from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

another band turned toward the road leading to Beth Horon; and yet another band turned toward the road leading to the border that overlooks the valley of Zeboim in the direction of the desert.

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.

When David reached the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

The God of Israel spoke, the protector ¹  of Israel spoke to me. The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God,

¹ Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel.

The half-tribe of Manasseh settled in the land from Bashan as far as Baal Hermon, Senir, and Mount Hermon. They grew in number.

They were allotted as cities ¹  of refuge Shechem and its pasturelands (in the hill country of Ephraim), Gezer and its pasturelands,

we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon ¹  and bring it ²  in raft-like bundles ³  by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.”

Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, in the Ephraimite hill country, and said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel!

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. ¹  He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow ²  the Lord God of their ancestors. ³ 

The Lord is in his holy temple; ¹  the Lord’s throne is in heaven. ²  His eyes ³  watch; ⁴  his eyes ⁵  examine ⁶  all people. ⁷ 

For you are my high ridge ¹  and my stronghold; for the sake of your own reputation ²  you lead me and guide me. ³ 

I am depressed, ¹  so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, ²  from Hermon, ³  from Mount Mizar. ⁴ 

All your garments are perfumed with ¹  myrrh, aloes, and cassia. From the luxurious palaces ²  comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. ³ 

From the most remote place on earth ¹  I call out to you in my despair. ²  Lead me ³  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ⁴ 

They ¹  spend all their time planning how to bring him ²  down. ³  They love to use deceit; ⁴  they pronounce blessings with their mouths, but inwardly they utter curses. ⁵  (Selah)

A song of ascents, ²  by David. O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor do I have a haughty look. ³  I do not have great aspirations, or concern myself with things that are beyond me. ⁴