ח (Khet) The Lord’s loyal kindness ¹  never ceases; ²  his compassions ³  never end.

Though he causes us ¹  grief, he then has compassion on us ²  according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. ³ 

Solomon replied, “You demonstrated ¹  great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served ²  you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. ³  You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. ⁴ 

Do not let truth and mercy ¹  leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. ² 

But so that I may not delay ¹  you any further, I beg ²  you to hear us briefly ³  with your customary graciousness. ⁴ 

Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth

I led them with leather ¹  cords, with leather ²  ropes; I lifted the yoke ³  from their neck, ⁴  and gently fed them. ⁵ 

Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love ¹  – often relenting from calamitous punishment. ² 

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: ¹  He wants you to ²  promote ³  justice, to be faithful, ⁴  and to live obediently before ⁵  your God.

The Lord deserves praise ¹  for he demonstrated his amazing faithfulness to me when I was besieged by enemies. ² 

How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” ¹ 

Your ¹  servant has found favor with you, ²  and you have shown me great ³  kindness ⁴  by sparing ⁵  my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because ⁶  this disaster will overtake ⁷  me and I’ll die. ⁸ 

I will say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I may drink.’ May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, ‘Drink, and I’ll give your camels water too.’ ¹  In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master.” ² 

Even if the mountains are removed and the hills displaced, my devotion will not be removed from you, nor will my covenant of friendship ¹  be displaced,” says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.

“Go and declare in the hearing of the people of Jerusalem: ¹  ‘This is what the Lord says: “I have fond memories of you, ²  how devoted you were to me in your early years. ³  I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, through a land that had never been planted.

Absalom said to Hushai, “Do you call this loyalty to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?”

He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ¹  he is faithful to his chosen ruler, ²  to David and to his descendants forever!”

Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated ¹  great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place.

Do not those who devise ¹  evil go astray? But those who plan good exhibit ²  faithful covenant love. ³