They would spend the night in their posts all around God’s sanctuary, ¹  for they were assigned to guard it and would open it with the key every morning.

He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.

King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard ¹  who protected the entrance to the royal palace.

He placed troops in all of Judah’s fortified cities and posted garrisons ¹  throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

When the men of Judah ¹  arrived at the observation post overlooking the desert and looked at ²  the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were no survivors!

This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors.

He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. ¹ 

He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter.

Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. ¹ 

So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the exposed places. ¹  I stationed the people by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.

A copy of this edict was to be presented as law throughout every province; it was to be made known to all the inhabitants, ¹  so that they would be prepared for this day.

A copy of the edict was to be presented as law throughout each and every province and made known to all peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that ¹  day to avenge themselves from their enemies.

When he pulls it out ¹  and it comes out of his back, the gleaming point ²  out of his liver, terrors come over him.

May he reign ¹  forever before God! Decree that your loyal love and faithfulness should protect him. ² 

A song of ascents. ²  Attention! ³  Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who serve ⁴  in the Lord’s temple during the night.

when he gave the sea his decree that the waters should not pass over his command, ¹  when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

There was once ¹  a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging ²  it and building strong ³  siege works against it.

Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, ¹  those who also accumulate landed property ²  until there is no land left, ³  and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. ⁴ 

At that time ¹  a root from Jesse ²  will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, ³  and his residence will be majestic.

Your very best valleys were full of chariots; ¹  horsemen confidently took their positions ²  at the gate.