But the midwives were God-fearing and so did not obey the king; instead, they let the boys live.

(SEE 1:20)

"Do not spread false rumors, and do not help a guilty person by giving false testimony.

Do not follow the majority when they do wrong or when they give testimony that perverts justice.

"Be honest and just when you make decisions in legal cases; do not show favoritism to the poor or fear the rich.

Then he said to the guards standing near him, "Kill the LORD's priests! They conspired with David and did not tell me that he had run away, even though they knew it all along." But the guards refused to lift a hand to kill the LORD's priests.

We know, Your Majesty, how much you want to capture him; so come to our territory, and we will make sure that you catch him."

Jehu wrote them another letter: "If you are with me and are ready to follow my orders, bring the heads of King Ahab's descendants to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow." The seventy descendants of King Ahab were under the care of the leading citizens of Samaria, who were bringing them up.

When Jehu's letter was received, the leaders of Samaria killed all seventy of Ahab's descendants, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.

King Joash joined in a conspiracy against Zechariah, and on the king's orders the people stoned Zechariah in the Temple courtyard.

If a ruler pays attention to false information, all his officials will be liars.

Everybody wants the good will of the ruler, but only from the LORD can you get justice.

But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up."

And he commanded the strongest men in his army to tie the three men up and throw them into the blazing furnace.

Now because the king had given strict orders for the furnace to be made extremely hot, the flames burned up the guards who took the men to the furnace.

Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement. He asked his officials, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?" They answered, "Yes, we did, Your Majesty."

Israel is suffering oppression; she has lost land that was rightfully hers, because she insisted on going for help to those who had none to give.

This will happen because you have followed the evil practices of King Omri and of his son, King Ahab. You have continued their policies, and so I will bring you to ruin, and everyone will despise you. People everywhere will treat you with contempt."

Then they returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

When Herod realized that the visitors from the East had tricked him, he was furious. He gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were two years old and younger---this was done in accordance with what he had learned from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared.

But Peter and John answered them, "You yourselves judge which is right in God's sight---to obey you or to obey God.

Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God, not men.