It makes its tail stiff ¹  like a cedar, the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.

Samson went and captured three hundred jackals ¹  and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair. ² 

They will lend to you but you will not lend to them; they will become the head and you will become the tail!

So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, both the shoots and stalk ¹  in one day.

The leaders and the highly respected people ¹  are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Egypt will not be able to do a thing, head or tail, shoots and stalk. ¹ 

But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and grab it by the tail” – so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand ¹  –

The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his ¹  commandments which I am urging ²  you today to be careful to do.

Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm! ¹  Don’t be afraid! Don’t be intimidated ²  by these two stubs of smoking logs, ³  or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah.