“But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, ¹  the people increased greatly in number ²  in Egypt,

Cush was the father of ¹  Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth.

The man became wealthy. ¹  His influence continued to grow ²  until he became very prominent.

Judah acquired ¹  a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

Then ¹  seven heads of grain, thin and burned by the east wind, were sprouting up after them.

When ¹  the hands of Moses became heavy, ²  they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other, ³  and so his hands were steady ⁴  until the sun went down.

When Saul saw how very successful he was, he was afraid of him.

David’s power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies was with him. ¹ 

By his power he stills ¹  the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster ²  to pieces. ³ 

But it is you, ¹  a man like me, ²  my close friend in whom I confided. ³ 

He calmed the storm, ¹  and the waves ²  grew silent.

when he established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep grew strong, ¹ 

When ¹  the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ¹ 

Then they traveled from Mount Hor by the road to the Red Sea, ¹  to go around the land of Edom, but the people ²  became impatient along the way.

When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to ¹  other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. ² 

Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son, ¹  named Genubath. Tahpenes raised ²  him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons.

After this ¹  the son of the woman who owned the house got sick. His illness was so severe he could no longer breathe.

But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. ¹  He disobeyed ²  the Lord his God. He entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense on the incense altar.

Like a swallow or a thrush I chirp, I coo ¹  like a dove; my eyes grow tired from looking up to the sky. ²  O sovereign master, ³  I am oppressed; help me! ⁴