אַךְ

…the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.”

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.”

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have committed all this evil, do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”

And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”

Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”

But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”

Now David had just said, “In vain I have protected all that belonged to this man in the wilderness. Nothing that belongs to him has gone missing, yet he has paid me back evil for good.

Achish replied, “I know that you are as pleasing in my sight as an angel of God. But the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go into battle with us.’

Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David.

“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

…but Eleazar stood his ground and struck the Philistines until his hand grew weary and stuck to his sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. Then the troops returned to him, but only to plunder the dead.

As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.

Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

Because of this, I will humble David’s descendants—but not forever.’”

“Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to her. “Go and do as you have said. But first make me a small cake of bread from what you have, and bring it out to me. Afterward, make some for yourself and your son,

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.

And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life, that this man expects me to cure a leper? Surely you can see that he is seeking a quarrel with me!”

However, the money brought into the house of the LORD was not used for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver for the house of the LORD.

Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.

You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?

But they need not account for the money put into their hands, since they work with integrity.”

Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the fury of His burning anger, which was kindled against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to provoke Him to anger.

So Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but to meet Pharaoh’s demand he taxed the land and exacted the silver and the gold from the people, each according to his wealth.

Surely this happened to Judah at the LORD’s command, to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all that he had done,

Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God.

The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

(Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this plan.)

“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:

He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself.”

Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

Surely such is the dwelling of the wicked and the place of one who does not know God.”

He has removed my brothers from me; my acquaintances have abandoned me.

Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.

Yet no one stretches out his hand against a ruined man when he cries for help in his distress.

Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.

You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.