He ¹  found favor ²  with ³  God and asked that he could ⁴  find a dwelling place ⁵  for the house ⁶  of Jacob.

So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister, ¹  for whom Christ died, is destroyed. ² 

as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, ¹  the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia,

And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you. ¹ 

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, ¹  heirs according to the promise.

So also we, when we were minors, ¹  were enslaved under the basic forces ²  of the world.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ¹  with your spirit, brothers and sisters. ²  Amen.

Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ¹ 

and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Disarming ¹  the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ² 

to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, ¹  quarrels, and fights about the law, ²  because they are useless and empty.

Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings.

May grace and peace be lavished on you ¹  as you grow ²  in the rich knowledge ³  of God and of Jesus our Lord! ⁴ 

I have no greater joy than this: to hear ¹  that my children are living according to the truth. ² 

The time of judgment ¹  is about to arrive! ²  The time of retribution ³  is imminent! ⁴  Let Israel know! ⁵ The prophet is considered a fool ⁶  – the inspired man ⁷  is viewed as a madman ⁸  – because of the multitude of your sins and your intense ⁹  animosity.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. ¹  Let them do this ²  with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken ¹  to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:

He did evil in the sight of ¹  the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations ²  whom the Lord drove out from before the Israelites.