I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. ¹  I bowed down ²  in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. ³ 

Certainly ¹  spending just one day in your temple courts is better than spending a thousand elsewhere. ²  I would rather stand at the entrance ³  to the temple of my God than live ⁴  in the tents of the wicked.

So I loathed all the fruit of ¹  my effort, ²  for which I worked so hard ³  on earth, ⁴  because ⁵  I must leave it ⁶  behind ⁷  in the hands of my successor. ⁸ 

Since you are precious and special in my sight, ¹  and I love you, I will hand over people in place of you, nations in place of your life.

Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast? ¹  Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne? ²  Even if mothers ³  were to forget, I could never forget you! ⁴ 

I will bring on that land everything that I said I would. I will bring on it everything that is written in this book. I will bring on it everything that Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. ¹ 

Even if Babylon climbs high into the sky ¹  and fortifies her elevated stronghold, ²  I will send destroyers against her,” ³  says the Lord. ⁴ 

I gave it over to the leader of the nations. He has judged it thoroughly, ¹  as its sinfulness deserves. I have thrown it out.

So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard ¹  a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

Even if they raise their children, I will take away every last one of them. ¹  Woe to them! For I will turn away from them.

Ephraim will be struck down ¹  – their root will be dried up; they will not yield any fruit. Even if they do bear children, I will kill their precious offspring.

So now, Lord, kill me instead, ¹  because I would rather die than live!” ² 

yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out ¹  by her unending pleas.’” ² 

Therefore when you sent for me, ¹  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ²  you sent for me?”

“Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

For I could wish ¹  that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, ²  my fellow countrymen, ³ 

But I ask, have they ¹  not heard? ²  Yes, they have: ³  Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. ⁴ 

“All things are lawful for me” ¹  – but not everything is beneficial. “All things are lawful for me” – but I will not be controlled by anything.

For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward. But if I do it unwillingly, I am entrusted with a responsibility.

but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.