Brothers and sisters, ¹  I offer an example from everyday life: ²  When a covenant ³  has been ratified, ⁴  even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.

Ben Hadad ¹  said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets ²  in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” ³  Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” ⁴  So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.

The king stood by the pillar and renewed ¹  the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow ²  the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, ³  by carrying out the terms ⁴  of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant. ⁵ 

The king stood by his pillar ¹  and renewed ²  the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow ³  the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, ⁴  by carrying out the terms ⁵  of this covenant recorded on this scroll.

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep ¹  the covenantal requirement ²  I am imposing on you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

When Joseph’s ¹  brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, ²  they hated Joseph ³  and were not able to speak to him kindly. ⁴ 

Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered ¹  is to pay this: a half shekel ²  according to the shekel of the sanctuary ³  (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering ⁴  to the Lord.

He gave Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written by the finger of God. ¹ 

Moses turned and went down from the mountain with ¹  the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides – they were written on the front and on the back.

He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the atonement lid on the ark.

collect ¹  five shekels for each ²  one individually; you are to collect ³  this amount ⁴  in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs). ⁵ 

From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught.

You must do what you are instructed, and the verdict they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate right or left from what they tell you.

‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

“If you refuse to obey ¹  all the words of this law, the things written in this scroll, and refuse to fear this glorious and awesome name, the Lord your God,

She said, “I agree to these conditions.” ¹  She sent them on their way ²  and then tied the red rope in the window.

The Lord was furious with Israel. ¹  He said, “This nation ²  has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors ³  by disobeying me. ⁴ 

Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” ¹  To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

So Jephthah went with the leaders of Gilead. The people made him their leader and commander. Jephthah repeated the terms of the agreement ¹  before the Lord in Mizpah.