AME Zion Universal Reading November 20th 2022
- Artisans Called by God
- Nov 14, 2022
- 20 min read
First Portion
Genesis Chapter 23
1And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.2And Sarah died in Kiriath arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and to bewail her.3And Abraham arose from before his dead, and he spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,4"I am a stranger and an inhabitant with you. Give me burial property with you, so that I may bury my dead from before me."5And the sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him,6"Listen to us, my lord; you are a prince of God in our midst; in the choicest of our graves bury your dead. None of us will withhold his grave from you to bury your dead."7And Abraham arose and prostrated himself to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth.8And he spoke with them, saying, "If it is your will that I bury my dead from before me, listen to me and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar.9That he may give me the Machpelah (double) Cave, which belongs to him, which is at the end of his field; for a full price let him give it to me in your midst for burial property."10Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the sons of Heth, of all those who had come into the gate of his city, saying,11"No, my lord, listen to me. I have given you the field, and the cave that is in it, I have given it to you. Before the eyes of the sons of my people, I have given it to you; bury your dead."12And Abraham prostrated himself before the people of the land.13And he spoke to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying, "But, if only you would listen to me. I am giving the money for the field; take [it] from me, and I will bury my dead there."14And Ephron replied to Abraham, saying to him,15"My lord, listen to me; a [piece of] land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is it between me and you? Bury your dead."16And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.
Ephesians 2:1–10 (NLT): Made Alive with Christ
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Second Portion
Genesis Chapter 23
17And so the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, facing Mamre, was established (as Abraham's possession). [This included] the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within its entire border around.18[It was] to Abraham as a possession before the eyes of the sons of Heth, in the presence of all who had come within the gate of his city.19And afterwards, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.20And the field and the cave within it were established to Abraham as burial property, [purchased] from the sons of Heth.
Genesis Chapter 24
1And Abraham was old, advanced in days, and the Lord had blessed Abraham with everything.2And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that was his, "Please place your hand under my thigh.3And I will adjure you by the Lord, the God of the heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose midst I dwell.4But you shall go to my land and to my birthplace, and you shall take a wife for my son, for Isaac."5And the servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not wish to go after me to this land. Shall I return your son to the land from which you came?"6And Abraham said to him, "Beware, lest you return my son back there.7The Lord, God of the heavens, Who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and Who spoke about me, and Who swore to me, saying, 'To your seed will I give this land' He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.8And if the woman will not wish to go after you, you will be absolved of this, my oath; only do not return my son back there."9And the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and he swore to him concerning this matter.
Monday
1 Timothy 1:1–17 (NLT): Greetings from Paul
This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.
2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
Warnings against False Teachings
3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.
Paul’s Gratitude for God’s Mercy
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.
15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
Third Portion
Genesis Chapter 24
10And the servant took ten camels of his master's camels, and he went, and all the best of his master was in his hand; and he arose, and he went to Aram naharaim, to the city of Nahor.11And he made the camels kneel outside the city beside the well of water, at eventide, at the time the maidens go out to draw water.12And he said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please cause to happen to me today, and perform loving kindness with my master, Abraham.13Behold, I am standing by the water fountain, and the daughters of the people of the city are coming out to draw water.14And it will be, [that] the maiden to whom I will say, 'Lower your pitcher and I will drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels,' her have You designated for Your servant, for Isaac, and through her may I know that You have performed loving kindness with my master."15Now he had not yet finished speaking, and behold, Rebecca came out, who had been born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, and her pitcher was on her shoulder.16Now the maiden was of very comely appearance, a virgin, and no man had been intimate with her, and she went down to the fountain, and she filled her pitcher and went up.17And the servant ran toward her, and he said, "Please let me sip a little water from your pitcher."18And she said, "Drink, my lord." And she hastened and lowered her pitcher to her hand, and she gave him to drink.19And she finished giving him to drink, and she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they will have finished drinking."20And she hastened, and she emptied her pitcher into the trough, and she ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.21And the man was astonished at her, standing silent, [waiting] to know whether the Lord had caused his way to prosper or not.22Now it came about, when the camels had finished drinking, [that] the man took a golden nose ring, weighing half [a shekel], and two bracelets for her hands, weighing ten gold [shekels].23And he said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there place for us for lodging in your father's house?"24And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."25And she said to him, "Both straw and fodder are plentiful with us; [there is] also a place to lodge."26And the man kneeled and prostrated himself to the Lord.
Tuesday
1 Timothy 2:1–8 (NLT): Instructions about Worship
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.
8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
Fourth Portion
Genesis Chapter 24
27And he said, "Blessed is the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, Who has not forsaken His loving kindness and His truth from my master. As for me, the Lord led me on the road to the house of my master's kinsmen."28And the maiden ran, and she told her mother's house what had happened.29Now Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran to the man outside, to the fountain.30And it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebecca, saying, "So did the man speak to me, " that he came to the man, and behold, he was standing over the camels at the fountain.31And he said, "Come, you who are blessed of the Lord. Why should you stand outside, when I have cleared the house, and a place for the camels?"32So the man came to the house and unmuzzled the camels, and he gave straw and fodder to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.33And [food] was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have spoken my words." And he said, "Speak."34And he said, "I am Abraham's servant.35And the Lord blessed my master exceedingly, and he became great, and He gave him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, man servants and maid servants, camels and donkeys.36And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master after she had become old, and he gave him all that he possesses.37And my master adjured me, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell.38Instead, you must go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.'39And I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me?'40And he said to me, 'The Lord, before Whom I walked, will send His angel with you and make your way prosper, and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.41You will then be absolved from my oath, when you come to my family, and if they do not give [her] to you, you will be absolved from my oath.'42So I came today to the fountain, and I said, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You desire to prosper my way upon which I am going43Behold, I am standing by the water fountain. When a maiden comes out to draw [water], I will say to her, 'Please, give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.'44And [if] she will say to me, 'You too may drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,' she is the woman whom the Lord has designated for my master's son.'45I had not yet finished speaking thus in my heart, and behold, Rebecca came out with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the fountain and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me to drink.'46And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and she said, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels.47And I asked her, and I said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she replied, 'The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' And I placed the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her hands.48And I kneeled and prostrated myself to the Lord, and I blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, Who led me on the true path, to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.49And now, if you will do loving kindness and truth with my master, tell me, and if not, tell me, and I will turn to the right or to the left."50And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The matter has emanated from the Lord. We cannot speak to you either bad or good.51Behold Rebecca is before you, take [her] and go, and let her be a wife for your master's son, as the Lord has spoken."52Now it came to pass when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he prostrated himself on the ground to the Lord.
Wednesday
1 Timothy 3:1–13 (NLT): Leaders in the Church
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” 2 So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
6 A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.
8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Fifth Portion
Genesis Chapter 24
53And the servant took out silver articles and golden articles and garments, and he gave [them] to Rebecca, and he gave delicacies to her brother and to her mother.54And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they lodged, and they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."55And her brother and her mother said, "Let the maiden stay with us a year or ten [months]; afterwards she will go."56But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my way prosper. Send me away, and I will go to my master."57And they said, "Let us call the maiden and ask her."58And they summoned Rebecca, and they said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."59So they sent away Rebecca their sister and her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men.60And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the cities of their enemies."61And Rebecca and her maidens arose and rode on the camels, and they followed the man; and the servant took Rebecca and left.62Now Isaac was on his way, coming from Be'er Lachai Ro'i, and he dwelt in the land of the south.63And Isaac went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching.64And Rebecca lifted her eyes, and saw Isaac, and she let herself down from the camel.65And she said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field towards us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." And she took the veil and covered herself.66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.67And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for [the loss of] his mother.
Thursday
Micah 6:1–8 (NLT): The Lord’s Case against Israel
Listen to what the Lord is saying:
“Stand up and state your case against me.
Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
2 And now, O mountains,
listen to the Lord’s complaint!
He has a case against his people.
He will bring charges against Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me?
Answer me!
4 For I brought you out of Egypt
and redeemed you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
5 Don’t you remember, my people,
how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
when I, the Lord, did everything I could
to teach you about my faithfulness.”
6 What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Sixth Portion
Genesis Chapter 25
1And Abraham took another wife and her name was Keturah.2And she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Jishbak and Shuah.3And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan, and the sons of Dedan were Ashurim, Letushim, and Leumim.4And the sons of Midian [were] Ephah and Epher and Enoch and Abida and Elda'ah; all these were the sons of Keturah.5And Abraham gave all that he possessed to Isaac.6And to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from his son Isaac while he [Abraham] was still alive, eastward to the land of the East.7And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life that he lived: one hundred years and seventy years and five years.8And Abraham expired and died in a good old age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people.9And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the Cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which faces Mamre,10The field that Abraham had bought from the sons of Heth there Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried.11Now it came to pass after Abraham's death, that God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt near Be'er Lachai Ro'i.
Friday
Psalm 37:1–9 (NLT):
1 Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
2 For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
6 He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
7 Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
8 Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
9 For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Psalm 37:37–40 (NLT):
37 Look at those who are honest and good,
for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
38 But the rebellious will be destroyed;
they have no future.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
Seventh Portion
Genesis Chapter 25
12Now these are the generations of Ishmael the son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, the maidservant of Sarah, bore to Abraham.13And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names, according to their births: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, and Kedar and Adbe'el and Mibsam,14And Mishma and Dumah and Massa,15Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedmah.16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names in their open cities and in their walled cities, twelve princes to their nations.17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred years and thirty years and seven years; and he expired and died and was gathered to his people.18And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which borders on Egypt, going towards Asshur; before all his brothers he dwelt.
Saturday
1 Samuel 3:1–10 (NLT): The Lord Speaks to Samuel
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went back to bed.
10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
Maftir Portion
Genesis Chapter 25
16These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names in their open cities and in their walled cities, twelve princes to their nations.17And these are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred years and thirty years and seven years; and he expired and died and was gathered to his people.18And they dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which borders on Egypt, going towards Asshur; before all his brothers he dwelt.
Haftarah
I Kings Chapter 1
1And king David was old, he came into his old age, and they covered him with clothes, but he was not warmed.2And his servants said to him, "Let them seek for my lord the king a young girl, a virgin, and she shall stand before the king, and she shall be to him a warmer, and she shall lie in your lap, and it shall be warm for my lord the king."3And they sought a beautiful young girl throughout the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunemitess and brought her to the king.4And the young girl was very beautiful, and she was a warmer to the king, and she ministered to him, but the king did not know her.5And Adoniahu the son of Haggith exalted himself saying: 'I will be king,' and he made for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.6And his father had not angered him all his days saying, "Why have you done so?" And he too was of very handsome appearance, and she bore him after Absalom.7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest and they helped [by following] after Adoniahu.8And Zadok the priest and Benaiahu the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei and Rei, and the mighty men, who were with David, were not with Adoniahu.9And Adoniahu slew sheep and oxen and fatlings, by the stone of Zoheleth which is beside En-Rogel, and he called all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the kings servants.10And Nathan the prophet and Benaiahu and the mighty men and his brother, Solomon, he did not call.11And Nathan said to Bath-Sheba, Solomon's mother, saying, "You have surely heard that Adoniahu the son of Haggith has reigned, and our lord, David, did not know [it].12And now come and I shall council you with advice, and you shall save your life and the life of your son Solomon.13Go and come to king David, and you shall say to him, 'Surely, you, my lord the king, did swear to your maid saying that, 'Solomon your son will reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne,' Now why did Adoniahu reign?"14Behold, you are talking there with the king, and I shall come in after you and I shall complete your words."15And Bath Sheba came in unto the king, into the chamber; and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunemitess ministered the king.16And Bath-Sheba bowed her head, and prostrated herself unto the king, and the king said, "What is your [wish]?"17And she said to him, "My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your maid, that, 'Solomon, your son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.'18And now, behold Adoniahu has reigned, and now my lord the king, you did not know.19And he has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance and he called all the king's sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the general of the army, but Solomon, your servant, he did not call.20And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, that you should tell them, who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.21And [otherwise] when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, and I and my son Solomon shall be [considered] offenders."22And behold, she was still speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet came.23And they told the king saying, "Behold, Nathan the prophet." And he came in before the king and he prostrated himself unto the king upon his face, to the ground.24And Nathan said, "My lord the king, did you say 'Adoniahu shall reign after me and he shall sit upon my throne?'"25For he has gone down this day and has slain oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and he called all the King's sons, and the officers of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and behold they eat and drink before him, and they said, "Long live King Adoniahu."26And me, [even] me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiahu the son of Yehoiada and Solomon, your servant, he did not call.27If this matter stems from my lord the king, [I wonder that] you have not informed your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.28And king David answered and said, "Call Bath Sheba to me. And she came before the king and stood before the king.29And he swore and said, "[I swear as] God lives who redeemed my soul from all distress.30Indeed, as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel saying, 'Surely Solomon, your son, shall reign after me and he shall sit on my throne in my stead,' surely, so will I do this day."31And Bath-Sheba bowed [her] face to the earth, and she prostrated herself to the king and said, "Let my lord King David live forever."
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