Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ¹  my teaching. ² 

On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹  put on his royal robes, ²  sat down on the judgment seat, ³  and made a speech ⁴  to them.

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride ¹  on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; ²  I am overflowing with joy in the midst of ³  all our suffering.

For we never appeared ¹  with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness –

These people are grumblers and ¹  fault-finders who go ²  wherever their desires lead them, ³  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁴  enchanting folks ⁵  for their own gain. ⁶ 

Lord, I have heard the report of what you did; ¹  I am awed, ²  Lord, by what you accomplished. ³  In our time ⁴  repeat those deeds; ⁵  in our time reveal them again. ⁶  But when you cause turmoil, remember to show us mercy! ⁷ 

“You must not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see ¹  and subverts the words of the righteous.

Then the Lord put a message ¹  in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” ² 

Then he uttered this oracle: “O, who will survive when God does this! ¹ 

Meanwhile for forty days the Philistine approached every morning and evening and took his position.

But you even break off ¹  piety, ²  and hinder ³  meditation ⁴  before God.

Are God’s consolations ¹  too trivial for you; ²  or a word spoken ³  in gentleness to you?

“How long until you ¹  make an end of words? ²  You must consider, ³  and then ⁴  we can talk.

Will it make numerous supplications to you, ¹  will it speak to you with tender words? ² 

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

They spew out threats ¹  and speak defiantly; all the evildoers boast. ² 

Wisdom ¹  calls out ²  in the street, she shouts loudly ³  in the plazas; ⁴ 

at the head of the noisy ¹  streets she calls, in the entrances of the gates in the city ²  she utters her words: ³ 

if ¹  you have been ensnared ²  by the words you have uttered, ³  and have been caught by the words you have spoken,

The teaching ¹  of the righteous is a fountain of life, ²  but the speech ³  of the wicked conceals ⁴  violence. ⁵