Then they will know that I am the Lord when I turn the land into a desolate ruin because of all the abominable deeds they have committed.’ ¹ 

They will say, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; the ruined, desolate, and destroyed cities are now fortified and inhabited.”

In the third ¹  year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar ²  of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem ³  and laid it under siege. ⁴ 

The grains of seed ¹  have shriveled beneath their shovels. ²  Storehouses have been decimated and granaries have been torn down, for the grain has dried up.

They stretch out on clothing seized as collateral; they do so right ¹  beside every altar! They drink wine bought with the fines they have levied; they do so right in the temple ²  of their God! ³ 

For the Lord will restore ¹  the majesty ²  of Jacob, as well as ³  the majesty of Israel, though ⁴  their enemies have plundered them ⁵  and have destroyed their fields. ⁶ 

Listen to the howling of shepherds, because their magnificence has been destroyed. Listen to the roaring of young lions, because the thickets of the Jordan have been devastated.

The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord – he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person ¹  – says,

Now ¹  when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, ²  sick with a fever.

And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Then he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. ¹  He bent down ²  and saw only the strips of linen cloth; ³  then he went home, ⁴  wondering ⁵  what had happened. ⁶ 

So they took away ¹  the stone. Jesus looked upward ²  and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. ³ 

And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet.

But Saul was trying to destroy ¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ²  both men and women and put them in prison. ³ 

When they heard this, ¹  they ceased their objections ²  and praised ³  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁴  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁵ 

So Paul stood ¹  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ²  in all respects. ³ 

where he stayed ¹  for three months. Because the Jews had made ²  a plot ³  against him as he was intending ⁴  to sail ⁵  for Syria, he decided ⁶  to return through Macedonia. ⁷ 

The whole city was stirred up, ¹  and the people rushed together. ²  They seized ³  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ⁴  and immediately the doors were shut.

And when the blood of your witness ¹  Stephen was shed, ²  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ³  and guarding the cloaks ⁴  of those who were killing him.’ ⁵