Yes, ¹  my spirit was bitter, ²  and my insides felt sharp pain. ³ 

As ¹  iron sharpens ²  iron, so a person ³  sharpens his friend. ⁴ 

At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites once again.” ¹ 

So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites on the Hill of the Foreskins. ¹ 

They ¹  sharpen their tongues like a sword; they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, ² 

For they flee from the swords – from the drawn sword and from the battle-ready bow and from the severity of the battle.

“Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

Cut sharply on the right! Swing to ¹  the left, wherever your edge ²  is appointed to strike.

But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses’ feet, ¹  and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood ²  to me.”

The pillars ¹  of the heavens tremble and are amazed at his rebuke. ² 

“‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers ¹  or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. ²  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.

Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive ¹  I may not have to deal harshly with you ²  by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!

But when you assemble the community, ¹  you must blow, but you must not sound an alarm. ² 

For ¹  it has been hidden from the eyes of every living creature, and from the birds of the sky it has been concealed.

before the vindictive enemy who ridicules and insults me. ¹ 

Sons born during one’s youth are like arrows in a warrior’s hand. ¹ 

To impart ¹  shrewdness ²  to the morally naive, ³  and ⁴  a discerning ⁵  plan ⁶  to the young person. ⁷ 

For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

But Jesus ¹  turned and rebuked them, ² 

Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people ¹  because of these words.