May your hand help me, for I choose to obey ¹  your precepts.

This will bring ¹  healing to your body, ²  and refreshment ³  to your inner self. ⁴ 

Do not be one who strikes hands in pledge or who puts up security for debts.

May their camp become desolate, their tents uninhabited! ¹ 

May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, ¹  or a belt ²  one wears continually!

Do not spend time ¹  among drunkards, ²  among those who eat too much ³  meat,

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, ¹  and do not deceive with your words. ² 

Do not let her be like a baby born dead, whose flesh is half-consumed when it comes out of its ¹  mother’s womb!”

Relent, ¹  let there be no falsehood; ²  reconsider, ³  for my righteousness is intact! ⁴ 

May you give support to the one you have chosen, ¹  to the one whom you raised up for yourself! ² 

Do not be wise in your own estimation; ¹  fear the Lord and turn away from evil. ² 

So do not be excessively righteous or excessively ¹  wise; ²  otherwise ³  you might ⁴  be disappointed. ⁵ 

Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise ¹  you might die before your time.

You too will act like drunkards; ¹  you will go into hiding; ²  you too will seek refuge from the enemy.

Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ¹ 

They replied, “We could plainly see ¹  that the Lord is with you. So we decided there should be ²  a pact between us ³  – between us ⁴  and you. Allow us to make ⁵  a treaty with you

Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, ¹  for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. ² 

Her father said, “I really thought ¹  you absolutely despised ²  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ³ 

Come from far away and attack Babylonia! ¹  Open up the places where she stores her grain! Pile her up in ruins! ²  Destroy her completely! ³  Do not leave anyone alive! ⁴ 

¹ Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior ²  for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”