and his clothes became radiantly white, more so than any launderer in the world could bleach them.

For what does it benefit a person ¹  if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?

So neither the one who plants counts for anything, ¹  nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth.

For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident. ¹ 

Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing.

For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy.

¹ During ²  that long period of time ³  the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites ⁴  groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry ⁵  because of their slave labor went up to God.

After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. ¹  His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. ² 

and his colleagues – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani – with musical instruments of ¹  David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.) ² 

As he approached the town gate, a man ¹  who had died was being carried out, ²  the only son of his mother (who ³  was a widow ⁴ ), and a large crowd from the town ⁵  was with her.

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.

They took forty days, for that is the full time needed for embalming. ¹  The Egyptians mourned ²  for him seventy days. ³ 

You must not gather in the aftergrowth of your harvest and you must not pick the grapes of your unpruned ¹  vines; the land must have a year of complete rest.

That fiftieth year will be your jubilee; you must not sow the land, harvest its aftergrowth, or pick the grapes of its unpruned vines. ¹ 

Joshua told the priests, “Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people.

After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him. ¹ 

When Saul and his servant ¹  arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul ²  and he prophesied among them.

When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham ¹  crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers ²  of Judah along with half of the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over. ³ 

and he ¹  told them, “Take your master’s ²  servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. ³ 

while David and all Israel were energetically ¹  celebrating before God, singing and playing various stringed instruments, ²  tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.