Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ¹  He was an eloquent speaker, ²  well-versed ³  in the scriptures.

Then Moses said to the Lord, ¹  “O ²  my Lord, ³  I am not an eloquent man, ⁴  neither in the past ⁵  nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” ⁶ 

captains of groups of fifty, the respected citizens, ¹  advisers and those skilled in magical arts, ²  and those who know incantations.

You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law!

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. ¹ 

To discern ¹  the meaning of ²  a proverb and a parable, ³  the sayings of the wise ⁴  and their ⁵  riddles. ⁶ 

Excessive ¹  speech ²  is not becoming for a fool; ³  how much less are lies ⁴  for a ruler! ⁵ 

Then I said, “O sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

One of his attendants replied, ¹  “I have seen a son of Jesse in Bethlehem ²  who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave warrior ³  and is articulate ⁴  and handsome, ⁵  for the Lord is with him.”