so she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.’

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.

And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.

Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.

and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;

and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.

Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;

And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,

Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you.

then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

The Lord will vindicate his people
and relent concerning his servants
when he sees their strength is gone
and no one is left, slave or free.

For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
and there is none remaining, bond or free.

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, ‘We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.’

Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.”

The angel of the Lord replied, ‘Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord.’ (Manoah did not realise that it was the angel of the Lord.)

And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.)

As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came towards him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, ‘This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.’

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”

David replied, ‘Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!’

And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?”

Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.

Araunah said, ‘Why has my lord the king come to his servant?’

‘To buy your threshing-floor,’ David answered, ‘so that I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.’

And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people.”

David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

‘When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray towards this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

‘“Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel – slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone.

therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone.

The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’

So Elijah said, ‘Go and tell Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”’

And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’”

He says, “I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel – slave or free.

Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.

She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, ‘Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.’

Then she saddled the donkey, and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.”

The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel – slave or free.

For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel.

The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them.

For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.

But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.

But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle;

Now these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.

David said to him, ‘Let me have the site of your threshing-floor so that I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.’

And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.”

‘But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?

‘When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray towards this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

‘When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,

Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, ‘Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us,Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army.Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.’

And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”

Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.’ The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

He then went in search of Ahaziah, and his men captured him while he was hiding in Samaria. He was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, ‘He was a son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with all his heart.’ So there was no one in the house of Ahaziah powerful enough to retain the kingdom.

He searched for Ahaziah, and he was captured while hiding in Samaria, and he was brought to Jehu and put to death. They buried him, for they said, “He is the grandson of Jehoshaphat who sought the Lord with all his heart.” And the house of Ahaziah had no one able to rule the kingdom.

Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, ‘Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you – by night they are coming to kill you.’

Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.”

‘If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
But who can keep from speaking?

“If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
Yet who can keep from speaking?

‘Blessed is the one whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

“Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.

If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.

If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.

He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth round their waist.

He looses the bonds of kings
and binds a waistcloth on their hips.

I hear a rebuke that dishonours me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.

I hear censure that insults me,
and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.

the chief men refrained from speaking
and covered their mouths with their hands;

the princes refrained from talking
and laid their hand on their mouth;

He makes them listen to correction
and commands them to repent of their evil.

He opens their ears to instruction
and commands that they return from iniquity.

‘Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?

‘Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied its ropes?

“Who has let the wild donkey go free?
Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

‘Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.’

“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.

For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.

They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.

For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.

But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.

Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stayed.

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.

Truly I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains.

O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;

To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,

for receiving instruction in prudent behaviour,
doing what is right and just and fair;

to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.

You will say, ‘How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!

and you say “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!

For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.