“Fall into ranks with your shields ready! ¹  Prepare to march into battle!

Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ¹  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ² 

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹  and the Lord had blessed him ²  in everything.

For ¹  look, the kings assemble; ²  they advance together.

When Joshua was very old, ¹  the Lord told him, “You are very old, and a great deal of land remains to be conquered.

I ¹  was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, ²  and was ³  extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ⁴ 

¹ Now David was the son of this Ephrathite named Jesse from Bethlehem ²  in Judah. He had eight sons, and in Saul’s days he was old and well advanced in years. ³ 

But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ¹  and they were both very old. ² 

A long time ¹  passed after the Lord made Israel secure from all their enemies, ²  and Joshua was very old. ³ 

So Joshua summoned all Israel, including the elders, rulers, judges, and leaders, and told them: “I am very old.

King David was very old; ¹  even when they covered him with blankets, ²  he could not get warm.

Some time later ¹  King Ahasuerus promoted ²  Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position ³  above that of all the officials who were with him.

Now all the actions carried out under his authority and his great achievements, along with an exact statement concerning the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution ¹  you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift ²  and not as something you feel forced to do. ³ 

So the Israelites marched toward ¹  the Benjaminites the next day.

He captured the fortified cities of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.

locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; ¹ 

You will advance; ¹  you will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the earth, you, all your troops, and the many other peoples with you.

Zechariah ¹  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ²  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ³ 

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, ¹  that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: ²