But how can it rest ¹  when I, the Lord, have ²  given it orders? I have ordered it to attack the people of Ashkelon and the seacoast. ³ 

פ (Pe) The Lord himself ¹  has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. They did not honor the priests; ²  they did not show favor to the elders. ³ 

Each moved straight ahead ¹  – wherever the spirit ²  would go, they would go, without turning as they went.

I will place the corpses of the people of Israel in front of their idols, ¹  and I will scatter your bones around your altars.

They will bear their punishment; ¹  the punishment of the one who sought an oracle will be the same as the punishment of the prophet who gave it ² 

The chariots ¹  race madly ²  through the streets, they rush back and forth ³  in the broad plazas; they look ⁴  like lightning bolts, ⁵  they dash here and there ⁶  like flashes of lightning. ⁷ 

and those who turn their backs on ¹  the Lord and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” ² 

I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet ¹  with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ²  in the kingdom of heaven,

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

I feel torn between the two, ¹  because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, ¹  mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel ²  and gave instructions about his burial. ³ 

“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, ¹  declares the sovereign Lord.’

So prophesy and say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Surely because they have made you desolate and crushed you from all directions, so that you have become the property of the rest of the nations, and have become the subject of gossip ¹  and slander among the people,

I will scatter you among the nations and unsheathe the sword ¹  after you, so your land will become desolate and your cities will become a waste.

After this, the Levites went in to do their work in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did.

The Lord will cause your enemies who attack ¹  you to be struck down before you; they will attack you from one direction ²  but flee from you in seven different directions.

Joshua wrote these words in the Law Scroll of God. He then took a large stone and set it up there under the oak tree near the Lord’s shrine.

The Israelites went up to Bethel ¹  and asked God, ²  “Who should lead the charge against the Benjaminites?” ³  The Lord said, “Judah should lead.”

The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel ¹  of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.” ² 

(Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.)