But the Lord was angry at me because of you and would not listen to me. Instead, he ¹  said to me, “Enough of that! ²  Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.

The Lord will judge his people, and will change his plans concerning ¹  his servants; when he sees that their power has disappeared, and that no one is left, whether confined or set free.

One of the members of the prophetic guild, speaking with divine authority, ordered his companion, “Wound me!” ¹  But the man refused to wound him.

However, due to your abundant mercy you did not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are a merciful and compassionate God.

Stand up angrily, ¹  Lord! Rise up with raging fury against my enemies! ²  Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them! ³ 

Appear in your majesty and be victorious! ¹  Ride forth for the sake of what is right, ²  on behalf of justice! ³  Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts! ⁴ 

I also thought to myself, “It is ¹  for the sake of people, ²  so God can clearly ³  show ⁴  them that they are like animals.

No one is concerned about justice; ¹  no one sets forth his case truthfully. They depend on false words ²  and tell lies; they conceive of oppression ³  and give birth to sin.

They do not pray to me, ¹  but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves ²  for grain and new wine, but turn away from me.

Therefore, because of you, ¹  Zion will be plowed up like ²  a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, and the Temple Mount ³  will become a hill overgrown with brush! ⁴ 

Moreover, as for you, because of our covenant relationship secured with blood, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit.

Although it grieved the king, ¹  because of his oath and the dinner guests he commanded it to be given.

“Whoever welcomes ¹  one of these little children ²  in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

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

I do not mean yours but the other person’s. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience?

Instead, ¹  be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. ² 

The ¹  whole imperial guard ²  and everyone else knows ³  that I am in prison ⁴  for the sake of Christ,

We ¹  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ²  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy ¹  of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering.

May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment. ¹