So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Then some lawless men joined Jephthah and traveled with him.

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Since he had no way to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

Then the master of that slave had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

"At this, his fellow slave fell down and began begging him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

When the other slaves saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened.

Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'

Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over [the loss of] their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

The Danites said to him, "Don't raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives."

Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men. They are warriors and are desperate like a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier who won't spend the night with the people.

Give beer to one who is dying, and wine to one whose life is bitter.

"At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over My people Israel. He will save them from the hand of the Philistines because I have seen [the affliction of] My people, for their cry has come to Me."

The men treated us well. When we were in the field, we weren't harassed and nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them.

They were a wall around us, both day and night, the entire time we were herding the sheep.

but all the worthless men among those who had gone with David retorted, "Because they didn't go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except for each man's wife and children. They may take them and go."

Who can agree to your proposal? The share of the one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies. They will share equally."

Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out [to battle] and brought us back. The LORD also said to you, 'You will shepherd My people Israel and be ruler over Israel.'"

"Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, 'This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day [from now] you will go up to the LORD's temple.

Three of the 30 chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while the Philistine army was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

David was extremely thirsty and said, "If only someone would bring me water from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!"

David said, "I would never do such a thing in the presence of God! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?" For they brought it at the risk of their lives. So he would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.

He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious in his sight.

But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do.

Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

For it was fitting, in bringing many sons to glory, that He, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make the source of their salvation perfect through sufferings.