²¹ The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.

³ The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.

¹² Dear brothers, do not be surprised, as if it was something strange, if your faith is tested as by fire:

⁷ So that the true metal of your faith, being of much greater value than gold (which, though it comes to an end, is tested by fire), may come to light in praise and glory and honour, at the revelation of Jesus Christ:

³ He will take his seat, testing and cleaning the sons of Levi, burning away the evil from them as from gold and silver; so that they may make offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

⁹ And I will make the third part go through the fire, cleaning them as silver is made clean, and testing them as gold is tested: and they will make their prayer to me and I will give them an answer: I will say, It is my people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.

¹⁰ For you, O God, have put us to the test: testing us by fire like silver.

⁶ The words of the Lord are true words: like silver tested by fire and burned clean seven times.

⁶ And this Absalom did to everyone in Israel who came to the king to have his cause judged: so Absalom, like a thief, took away the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ Now at the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, Let me go to Hebron and give effect to the oath which I made to the Lord:

⁸ For while I was living in Geshur in Aram, your servant made an oath, saying, If ever the Lord lets me come back to Jerusalem, I will give him worship in Hebron.

⁹ And the king said to him, Go in peace. So he got up and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom at the same time sent watchers through all the tribes of Israel to say, At the sound of the horn you are to say, Absalom is king in Hebron.

¹¹ And with Absalom, at his request, went two hundred men from Jerusalem, who were completely unconscious of his designs.

¹² And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, one of David's helpers, from Giloh his town, while he was making the offerings. And the design against David became strong, for more and more people were joined to Absalom.

²⁵ Now in all Israel there was no one so greatly to be praised for his beautiful form as Absalom: from his feet to the crown of his head he was completely beautiful.

³⁰ Then the rulers of the Philistines went out to war: and whenever they went out, David did more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became greatly honoured.

¹⁵ And when Saul saw how wisely he did, he was in fear of him.

¹⁶ But David was loved by all Israel and Judah, for he went out and came in before them.

⁷ And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.

⁸ And Saul was very angry and this saying was unpleasing to him; and he said, They have given David credit for tens of thousands, and to me for only thousands: what more is there for him but the kingdom?