in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves ¹  in the household of God, because it is ²  the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth.

Here is a message about Damascus: “Look, Damascus is no longer a city, it is a heap of ruins!

From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, ¹  so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. ² 

Consider its defenses! ¹  Walk through ²  its fortresses, so you can tell the next generation about it! ³ 

He will shelter you ¹  with his wings; ²  you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. ³ 

Fortified cities will disappear from Ephraim, and Damascus will lose its kingdom. ¹  The survivors in Syria will end up like the splendor of the Israelites,” says the Lord who commands armies.