Now, if you intend to fulfill your responsibility toward my master and treat him fairly, please tell me; if not, say so, and I will decide what to do."

When the time drew near for him to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "Place your hand between my thighs and make a solemn vow that you will not bury me in Egypt.

The men said to her, "May God take our lives if we don't do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the LORD gives us this land, we will treat you well."

she said to them, "Go back home and stay with your mothers. May the LORD be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died.

Never let go of loyalty and faithfulness. Tie them around your neck; write them on your heart.

may our promise to each other still be unbroken. If it is broken, the LORD will punish you."

Jonathan swore eternal friendship with David because of his deep affection for him.

The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

"The Mighty One is God! He is the LORD! The Mighty One is God! He is the LORD! He knows why we did this, and we want you to know too! If we rebelled and did not keep faith with the LORD, do not let us live any longer!

Absalom answered, "Because you wouldn't come when I sent for you. I wanted you to go to the king and ask for me: 'Why did I leave Geshur and come here? It would have been better for me to have stayed there.' " And Absalom went on, "I want you to arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty, then let him put me to death."

(SEE 7:3)

then let my enemies pursue me and catch me, let them cut me down and kill me and leave me lifeless on the ground!

If I have broken the law and done something for which I deserve the death penalty, I do not ask to escape it. But if there is no truth in the charges they bring against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to the Emperor."

David went to meet them and said, "If you are coming as friends to help me, you are welcome here. Join us! But if you intend to betray me to my enemies, even though I have not tried to hurt you, the God of our ancestors will know it and punish you."

even when I was afraid and said, "No one can be trusted."