But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

He said to them, “Would not any one of you, if he had one sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, take hold of it and lift it out?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ¹  you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! ²  How often I have longed ³  to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but ⁴  you would have none of it! ⁵ 

“Which one ¹  of you, if he has a hundred ²  sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture ³  and go look for ⁴  the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ 

For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. ¹ 

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard, ¹  and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

But Pharaoh hardened ¹  his heart this time also and did not release the people.

but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey further until the day it was lifted up. ¹ 

So the princes of Moab departed ¹  and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet,” ¹  but Jehoshaphat refused.

King Tiglath-pileser ¹  of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than support. ² 

“But they – our ancestors ¹  – behaved presumptuously; they rebelled ²  and did not obey your commandments.

then you plunge me into a slimy pit ¹  and my own clothes abhor me.

If I sinned, then you would watch me and you would not acquit me of my iniquity.

Because ¹  you have closed their ²  minds to understanding, therefore you will not exalt them. ³ 

For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction, ¹  and it would uproot ²  all my harvest.

Should he be informed that I want ¹  to speak? If a man speaks, surely he would be swallowed up!

Can you count on ¹  it to bring in ²  your grain, ³  and gather the grain ⁴  to your threshing floor? ⁵ 

Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things. ¹ 

But my people did not obey me; ¹  Israel did not submit to me. ²