Study Desk

Then a certain man drew his bow at random and struck [Ahab] the king of Israel between the scales of his armor. So Ahab said to his chariot driver, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I am seriously wounded."

thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.

"Behold, I will gather you to your fathers [in death], and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I am going to bring on this place and on its inhabitants."'" So they brought back word to the king.

But Neco sent messengers to Josiah, saying, "What business do we have with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you."

The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am badly wounded."

and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongdoings have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has grown to the heavens.

please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You, day and night, on behalf of Your servants, the sons (descendants) of Israel (Jacob), confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have committed against You; I and my father's house have sinned.

So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to [meet with] you?"

Haman also said, "Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the banquet she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her [together] with the king.

Then she said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him and the matter is proper in the king's view and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote [in order] to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.

"For the thing which I greatly fear comes upon me, And that of which I am afraid has come upon me.

"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, and yet trouble still comes [upon me]."

So am I allotted months of futility and suffering, And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

"When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise [and the night be gone]?' But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until the dawning of day.

"Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?

"If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You, O Watcher of mankind? Why have You set me as a target for You, So that I am a burden to myself?

"Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty; Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

"[Though] I am blameless, I do not care about myself; I despise my life.

I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come]; I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

"I am accounted wicked and held guilty; Why then should I labor in vain [to appear innocent]?