Do not long for the cover of night to drag people away from their homes. ¹ 

The king contributed ¹  some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed ²  in the law of the Lord.

The Philistines again came up and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.

When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them. ¹ 

So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction ¹  to go up to the high place.

But the men ¹  who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!”

But they dared ¹  to go up to the crest of the hill, although ²  neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp.

Joshua and the whole army marched against Ai. ¹  Joshua selected thirty thousand brave warriors and sent them out at night.

But when the signal, a pillar of smoke, began to rise up from the city, the Benjaminites turned around and saw the whole city going up in a cloud of smoke that rose high into the sky. ¹ 

Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, ¹  but there was no sound, no answer, and no response. ² 

At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked ¹  Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. ² 

Men are nothing but a mere breath; human beings are unreliable. ¹  When they are weighed in the scales, all of them together are lighter than air. ² 

I listened and my stomach churned; ¹  the sound made my lips quiver. My frame went limp, as if my bones were decaying, ²  and I shook as I tried to walk. ³  I long ⁴  for the day of distress to come upon ⁵  the people who attack us.

The Israelites were satisfied with their report and gave thanks to God. ¹  They said nothing more about launching an attack to destroy the land in which the Reubenites and Gadites lived. ² 

I chose your ancestor ¹  from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites.

King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, ¹  the supervisor of the work crews, ²  out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ³ 

Ornan told David, “You can have it! ¹  My master, the king, may do what he wants. ²  Look, I am giving you the oxen for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for an offering. I give it all to you.”

King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, ¹  the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. ² 

and after several years ¹  went down to visit ²  Ahab in Samaria. ³  Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him. ⁴  He persuaded him to join in an attack ⁵  against Ramoth Gilead.

Then the leaders ¹  of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites – all those whose mind God had stirred – got ready ²  to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. ³