Jonadab replied to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. ¹  When your father comes in to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.’”

He said to them, “Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. ¹  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

For ¹  the burial place is already prepared; ²  it has been made deep and wide for the king. ³  The firewood is piled high on it. ⁴  The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone, will ignite it.

You were in Eden, the garden of God. ¹  Every precious stone was your covering, the ruby, topaz, and emerald, the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; ²  your settings and mounts were made of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared.

Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath ¹  (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), ²  the Jewish leaders ³  asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs ⁴  broken ⁵  and the bodies taken down. ⁶ 

So he went and got the goats ¹  and brought them to his mother. She ²  prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it.

We have prepared and consecrated all the items that King Ahaz removed during his reign when he acted unfaithfully. They are in front of the altar of the Lord.”

I will send men against it to destroy it ¹  with their axes and hatchets. They will hack up its fine cedar panels and columns and throw them into the fire.

“Make an announcement throughout Egypt. Proclaim it in Migdol, Memphis, and Tahpanhes. ¹  ‘Take your positions and prepare to do battle. For the enemy army is destroying all the nations around you.’ ² 

You will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, ¹  at my slaughter ²  which I have made for you.

But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects ¹  of wrath ²  prepared for destruction? ³ 

So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, ¹  he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Now ¹  the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On ²  their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, ³  and their faces looked like men’s ⁴  faces.

So we decided to build this altar, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices,

From Asher there were 40,000 warriors prepared for battle.

He did evil because he was not determined to follow the Lord. ¹ 

Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord his God. ¹ 

what he stores up ¹  a righteous man will wear, and an innocent man will inherit his silver.

When I went out to the city gate and secured my seat in the public square, ¹ 

But the Lord ¹  rules ²  forever; he reigns in a just manner. ³