Increase ¹  your merchants more than the stars of heaven! They are like ²  the young locust which sheds ³  its skin and flies away.

Now when ¹  all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, ²  the heavens ³  opened,

My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! ¹ 

And you know that Jesus ¹  was revealed to take away ²  sins, and in him there is no sin.

Dear friend, ¹  you demonstrate faithfulness ²  by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers).

It will be for a sign on your hand and for frontlets ¹  on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” ² 

The depths ¹  of the sea were exposed; the inner regions ²  of the world were uncovered by the Lord’s battle cry, ³  by the powerful breath from his nose. ⁴ 

Then Herod ¹  privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared.

For just like the lightning ¹  comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.

Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹  unless a person is born of water and spirit, ²  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent ¹  storm continued to batter us, ²  we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. ³ 

so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation ¹  of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the holy place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle ¹  was standing.

This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.

And now, little children, remain ¹  in him, ²  so that when ³  he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. ⁴ 

They must indeed be circumcised, ¹  whether born in your house or bought with money. The sign of my covenant ²  will be visible in your flesh as a permanent ³  reminder.

But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees. He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible.

As Aaron spoke ¹  to the whole community of the Israelites and they looked toward the desert, there the glory of the Lord ²  appeared ³  in the cloud,

For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be ¹  on it at night, in plain view ²  of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

The poles were so long their ends were visible from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. ¹  They have remained there to this very day.