May Almighty God cause the man to have pity on you, so that he will give Benjamin and your other brother back to you. As for me, if I must lose my children, I must lose them."

"Go and get all the Jews in Susa together; hold a fast and pray for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant women and I will be doing the same. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die."

We could not convince him, so we gave up and said, "May the Lord's will be done."

After spending the night there, Jacob chose from his livestock as a present for his brother Esau: 200 female goats and 20 males, 200 female sheep and 20 males, 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 males.

(SEE 32:13)

He ordered the first servant, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these animals in front of you?'

He gave the same order to the second, the third, and to all the others who were in charge of the herds: "This is what you must say to Esau when you meet him.

He sent the gifts on ahead of him and spent that night in camp.

Jacob said, "No, please, if I have gained your favor, accept my gift. To see your face is for me like seeing the face of God, now that you have been so friendly to me.

While they were eating, they suddenly saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were loaded with spices and resins.

May their land be blessed with sun-ripened fruit, Rich with the best fruits of each season.

"If we go to him, what can we give him?" Saul asked. "There is no food left in our packs, and we don't have a thing to give him, do we?"

Please, sir, accept this present I have brought you, and give it to your men.

Solomon's kingdom included all the nations from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. They paid him taxes and were subject to him all his life.

Everyone who came brought him a gift---articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules. This continued year after year.

"Let us be allies, as our fathers were. This silver and gold is a present for you. Now break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will have to pull his troops out of my territory."

he said to Hazael, one of his officials, "Take a gift to the prophet and ask him to consult the LORD to find out whether or not I am going to get well."

Ahaz took the silver and gold from the Temple and the palace treasury, and sent it as a present to the emperor.

About that same time the king of Babylonia, Merodach Baladan, the son of Baladan, heard that King Hezekiah had been sick, so he sent him a letter and a present.

from your Temple in Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.

The kings of Spain and of the islands will offer him gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him offerings.

Give the LORD your God what you promised him; bring gifts to him, all you nearby nations. God makes everyone fear him;

Only someone with no sense would promise to be responsible for someone else's debts.

Do you want to meet an important person? Take a gift and it will be easy.

Everyone tries to gain the favor of important people; everyone claims the friendship of those who give out favors.

If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down.

Judah and Israel paid for your goods with wheat, honey, olive oil, and spices.

While they were eating, they suddenly saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were loaded with spices and resins.

Is there no medicine in Gilead? Are there no doctors there? Why, then, have my people not been healed?

The people of Rhodes traded with you; people of many coastal lands gave you ivory and ebony in exchange for your goods.

But I have promised you this rich and fertile land as your possession, and I will give it to you. I am the LORD your God, and I have set you apart from the other nations.

in addition to the taxes paid by merchants, the profits from trade, and tribute paid by the Arabian kings and the governors of the Israelite districts.

Your love delights me, my sweetheart and bride. Your love is better than wine; your perfume more fragrant than any spice.

of saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, or incense of every kind. Myrrh and aloes grow there with all the most fragrant perfumes.

Wake up, North Wind. South Wind, blow on my garden; fill the air with fragrance. Let my lover come to his garden and eat the best of its fruits.

I have entered my garden, my sweetheart, my bride. I am gathering my spices and myrrh; I am eating my honey and honeycomb; I am drinking my wine and milk. Eat, lovers, and drink until you are drunk with love!

Come to me, my lover, like a gazelle, like a young stag on the mountains where spices grow.