Wherever I moved among all the Israelites, I did not say ¹  to any of the leaders ²  whom I appointed to care for ³  my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?”’

Wherever I moved throughout Israel, I did not say ¹  to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for my people Israel, ²  ‘Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?’”’

So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, ¹  and said to him, “Why have you not made ²  the Levites collect ³  from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?” ⁴ 

“I made myself available to those who did not ask for me; ¹  I appeared to those who did not look for me. ²  I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that did not invoke ³  my name.

Have you not copied their behavior ¹  and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time ²  you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were!

and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?” ¹ 

As day was about to dawn, ¹  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ²  and have gone ³  without food; you have eaten nothing. ⁴ 

As he approached ¹  Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, ²  I know that you are a beautiful woman. ³ 

Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. ¹  She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.

Let me please cross over to see the good land on the other side of the Jordan River – this good hill country and the Lebanon!” ¹ 

And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just ¹  as this whole law ²  that I am about to share with ³  you today?

You must have an accurate and correct ¹  stone weight and an accurate and correct measuring container, so that your life may be extended in the land the Lord your God is about to give you.

When the Philistine looked carefully at David, he despised him, for he was only a ruddy and handsome boy.

Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David’s son Amnon fell madly in love with her. ¹ 

The God of Israel spoke, the protector ¹  of Israel spoke to me. The one who rules fairly among men, the one who rules in the fear of God,

Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. ¹  Your servant will do as you say.” ²  So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ³ 

Let foreigners ¹  rejoice and celebrate! For you execute justice among the nations, and govern the people living on earth. ²  (Selah)

before the Lord, for he comes! For he comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, ¹  and the nations in accordance with his justice. ² 

before the Lord! For he comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, ¹  and the nations in a just manner.

The Beloved to Her Lover: Oh, how handsome you are, my lover! ¹  Oh, ²  how delightful ³  you are! The lush foliage ⁴  is our canopied bed; ⁵