So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you ¹  made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give,

So all of you approached me and said, “Let’s send some men ahead of us to scout out the land and bring us back word as to how we should attack it and what the cities are like there.”

That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. ¹  Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.

He built a hedge around it, ¹  removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it, and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead. ² 

We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. ¹  We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.

Finally, brothers and sisters, ¹  whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

But Abel brought ¹  some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest ²  of them. And the Lord was pleased with ³  Abel and his offering,

When the man ¹  saw that he could not defeat Jacob, ²  he struck ³  the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

Judah said, “Let her keep the things ¹  for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. ²  I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”

The warden did not concern himself ¹  with anything that was in Joseph’s ²  care because the Lord was with him and whatever he was doing the Lord was making successful.

Binding his foal to the vine, and his colt to the choicest vine, he will wash ¹  his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.

You are to overlay ¹  it with pure gold – both inside and outside you must overlay it, ²  and you are to make a surrounding border ³  of gold over it.

“You are to make an atonement lid ¹  of pure gold; ²  its length is to be three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches.

You are to make its plates, ¹  its ladles, ²  its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings; ³  you are to make them of pure gold.

“You are to make a special curtain ¹  of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen; it is to be made ²  with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer.

“You are to make a hanging ¹  for the entrance of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. ² 

“You are to make the courtyard ¹  of the tabernacle. For the south side ²  there are to be hangings ³  for the courtyard of fine twisted linen, one hundred fifty feet long for one side, ⁴ 

The length of the courtyard is to be one hundred fifty feet ¹  and the width seventy-five feet, ²  and the height of the fine twisted linen hangings ³  is to be ⁴  seven and a half feet, with their bronze bases.

“They are to make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen, the work of an artistic designer.

You are to weave ¹  the tunic of fine linen and make the turban of fine linen, and make the sash the work of an embroiderer.