I also gave ¹  them decrees ²  which were not good and regulations by which they could not live.

I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall.

There was a row of masonry around each of the four courts, and places for boiling offerings were made under the rows all around.

Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night; we will rout ¹  them until the break of day. ²  We won’t leave any of them alive!” ³  They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.” ⁴  But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.”

They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them! ¹  If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.” ²  But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them. ³ 

And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them, ¹  will live. They boldly turned from you; ²  they rebelled ³  and did not obey.

young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, ¹  well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated ²  and having keen insight, ³  and who were capable ⁴  of entering the king’s royal service ⁵  – and to teach them the literature and language ⁶  of the Babylonians. ⁷ 

While the famine was over all the earth, ¹  Joseph opened the storehouses ²  and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt.

They made their lives bitter ¹  by ²  hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service ³  in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous. ⁴ 

They will take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and top of the doorframe of the houses where they will eat it.

The water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh that was coming after the Israelites into the sea ¹  – not so much as one of them survived! ² 

“I will send my terror ¹  before you, and I will destroy ²  all the people whom you encounter; I will make all your enemies turn their backs ³  to you.

“The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they may be anointed ¹  in them and consecrated ²  in them.

They are to eat those things by which atonement was made ¹  to consecrate and to set them apart, but no one else ²  may eat them, for they are holy.

He also made ¹  two gold rings for it under its border, on its two sides, on opposite sides, ²  as places ³  for poles to carry it with.

He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made the altar ¹  hollow, out of boards.

Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion ¹  throughout your generations ²  from the gifts of the Lord. Anyone who touches these gifts ³  must be holy.’” ⁴ 

So you must keep ¹  my statutes and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. ²  I am the Lord.

You must obey my charge to not practice any of the abominable statutes ¹  that have been done before you, so that you do not ²  defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.’”

Do not turn to the spirits of the dead and do not seek familiar spirits ¹  to become unclean by them. I am the Lord your God.