The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want ¹  to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren ¹  good-bye. You have acted foolishly!

That is why to this day ¹  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ²  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

So when they came home ¹  to their father Reuel, ²  he asked, “Why have you come home so early ³  today?”

Look, our fathers died violently ¹  and our sons, daughters, and wives were carried off ²  because of this.

¹ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ²  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ³ 

What good will it do you ¹  then ²  to go down to Egypt to seek help from the Egyptians? ³  What good will it do you ⁴  to go over to Assyria to seek help from the Assyrians? ⁵ 

כ (Kaf) For the Lord ¹  will not reject us forever. ² 

For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.

Then ¹  they said to him, “John’s ²  disciples frequently fast ³  and pray, ⁴  and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, ⁵  but yours continue to eat and drink.” ⁶ 

Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit ¹  will receive from me what is mine ²  and will tell it to you. ³ 

Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ¹  from being baptized?” ² 

So Peter went down ¹  to the men and said, “Here I am, ²  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

Now it was for this very purpose ¹  that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, ²  so that though ³  they were judged in the flesh ⁴  by human standards ⁵  they may live spiritually ⁶  by God’s standards. ⁷ 

Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become ¹  Pharaoh’s slaves. ²  Give us seed that we may live ³  and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.” ⁴ 

While he was speaking, Amaziah ¹  said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” ²  So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided ³  to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.”

He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought ¹  would happen ²  when I was in my own country. ³  This is what I tried to prevent ⁴  by attempting to escape to Tarshish! ⁵  – because I knew ⁶  that you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger ⁷  and abounding ⁸  in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. ⁹ 

When ¹  the woman saw that she could not escape notice, ²  she came trembling and fell down before him. In ³  the presence of all the people, she explained why ⁴  she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

When David’s ¹  oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry ²  with David and said, “Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit! ³  You have come down here to watch the battle!”

Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ¹  That is why I have kept you ²  from sinning against me and why ³  I did not allow you to touch her.