This is a message ¹  about the animals in the Negev: Through a land of distress and danger, inhabited by lionesses and roaring lions, ²  by snakes and darting adders, ³  they transport ⁴  their wealth on the backs of donkeys, their riches on the humps of camels, to a nation that cannot help them. ⁵ 

Whoever speaks, let it be with ¹  God’s words. ²  Whoever serves, do so with the strength ³  that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong ⁴  the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help, when I lift my hands ¹  toward your holy temple! ² 

¹ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ²  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ³ 

An oracle of the word of the Lord concerning the land of Hadrach, ¹  with its focus on Damascus: ²  The eyes of all humanity, ³  especially of the tribes of Israel, are toward the Lord,

They said to him, “Seek a divine oracle for us, ¹  so we can know if we will be successful on our mission.” ² 

He prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord could be placed there.

Then Jehoshaphat added, ¹  “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” ² 

the pure gold lampstands and their lamps which burned as specified at the entrance to the inner sanctuary,

Then Jehoshaphat added, ¹  “First seek an oracle from the Lord.” ² 

They will bear their punishment; ¹  the punishment of the one who sought an oracle will be the same as the punishment of the prophet who gave it ² 

Did the word of God begin with you, ¹  or did it come to you alone?

Elijah ¹  said to the king, ²  “This is what the Lord says, ‘You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle! ³  Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.’” ⁴ 

Jehu ordered ¹  his officer Bidkar, “Pick him up and throw him into the part of the field that once belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. Remember, you and I were riding together behind his father Ahab, when the Lord pronounced this judgment on him,

Gaal again said, “Look, men are coming down from the very center ¹  of the land. A unit ²  is coming by way of the Oak Tree of the Diviners.” ³ 

He built an extension all around the walls of the temple’s main hall and holy place and constructed side rooms in it. ¹ 

He built a wall 30 feet in from the rear of the temple as a partition for an inner sanctuary that would be the most holy place. ¹  He paneled the wall with cedar planks from the floor to the rafters. ² 

The inner sanctuary was 30 feet ¹  long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He plated it with gold, ²  as well as the cedar altar. ³ 

Solomon plated the inside of the temple with gold. ¹  He hung golden chains in front of the inner sanctuary and plated the inner sanctuary ²  with gold.

He plated the entire inside of the temple with gold, as well as the altar inside the inner sanctuary. ¹