To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays ¹  to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions.

Lord, you have been active from ancient times; ¹  my sovereign God, ²  you are immortal. ³  Lord, you have made them ⁴  your instrument of judgment. ⁵  Protector, ⁶  you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment. ⁷ 

So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific ¹  duties to the priests and the Levites.

When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, ¹ 

He established the earth on its foundations; it will never be upended.

Direct my steps by your word! ¹  Do not let any sin dominate me!

When the storm ¹  passes through, the wicked are swept away, ²  but the righteous are an everlasting foundation. ³ 

A wicked person ¹  shows boldness with his face, ²  but as for the upright, ³  he discerns ⁴  his ways.

Establish your work outside and get your fields ready; afterward build ¹  your house. ² 

A king brings stability ¹  to a land ²  by justice, but one who exacts tribute ³  tears it down.

encourage your hearts and strengthen you ¹  in every good thing you do or say. ² 

But the Lord is faithful, and he ¹  will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

Who is like me? Let him make his claim! ¹  Let him announce it and explain it to me – since I established an ancient people – ²  let them announce future events! ³ 

I commission you ¹  as my spokesman; ²  I cover you with the palm of my hand, ³  to establish ⁴  the sky and to found the earth, to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’” ⁵ 

so that your hearts are strengthened in holiness to be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. ¹ 

“Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, ¹  her husband can confirm or nullify. ² 

namely, to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beer Sheba!”

When he had secured control of the kingdom, ¹  he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. ² 

All those selected to be gatekeepers at the entrances numbered 212. Their names were recorded in the genealogical records of their settlements. David and Samuel the prophet ¹  had appointed them to their positions. ² 

This was the order in which they carried out their assigned responsibilities when they entered the Lord’s temple, according to the regulations given them by their ancestor ¹  Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had instructed him. ²