The Lord says, ¹  “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged. ²  They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered. ³ 

Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”

I said, “Listen, you leaders ¹  of Jacob, you rulers of the nation ²  of Israel! You ought to know what is just, ³ 

“Do not think that I have come to bring ¹  peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

But if ¹  that evil slave should say to himself, ²  ‘My master is staying away a long time,’

He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, ¹  will he? ² 

So ¹  they threw him out of the vineyard and killed ²  him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

There are probably many kinds of languages in the world, and none is without meaning.

Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away ¹  from the body and at home with the Lord.

In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

On the one hand a former command is set aside ¹  because it is weak and useless, ² 

But would you like evidence, ¹  you empty fellow, ²  that faith without works is useless? ³ 

Moses said ¹  to God, “If ²  I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ ³  – what should I say ⁴  to them?”

“When a person sins and commits a trespass ¹  against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen ²  in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen, ³ 

Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you – in one of your villages ¹  that the Lord your God is giving you – who sins before the Lord your God ²  and breaks his covenant

But just suppose you continue to say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.’ Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not say, “The Lord’s message is burdensome.” But you used the words “The Lord’s message is burdensome” anyway.

“Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful, and I stretch out my hand against it, cut off its bread supply, ¹  cause famine to come on it, and kill both people and animals.

“Which one ¹  of you, if he has a hundred ²  sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture ³  and go look for ⁴  the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ 

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins ¹  and loses ²  one of them, ³  does not light a lamp, sweep ⁴  the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it?

Suppose your own full brother, ¹  your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods ²  that neither you nor your ancestors ³  have previously known, ⁴