The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ² 

When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him ¹  to come down and heal his son, who was about to die.

Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ¹  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

He answered, ¹  “I told you already and you didn’t listen. ²  Why do you want to hear it ³  again? You people ⁴  don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

“Men of Israel, ¹  listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, ²  wonders, and miraculous signs ³  that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know –

Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey ¹  him in everything he tells you. ² 

I have certainly seen the suffering ¹  of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. ²  Now ³  come, I will send you to Egypt.’ ⁴ 

For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ¹  him, ²  and they fulfilled the sayings ³  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ⁴  him. ⁵ 

A ¹  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ²  from the city of Thyatira, ³  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁴  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁵  to what Paul was saying.

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ¹  and turned away ²  a large crowd, ³  not only in Ephesus ⁴  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ⁵  by saying ⁶  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ⁷ 

Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ¹  has already chosen ²  you to know his will, to see ³  the Righteous One, ⁴  and to hear a command ⁵  from his mouth,

For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” ¹  Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!

You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, ¹  that it may give grace to those who hear.

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message ¹  would be fully proclaimed ²  for all the Gentiles to hear. And so I was delivered from the lion’s mouth!

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. ¹  Let them do this ²  with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! ¹  Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him?

What we have seen and heard we announce ¹  to you too, so that ²  you may have fellowship ³  with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ).

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. ¹  The old commandment is the word that you have already ²  heard.

Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ¹  and obey it, ²  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ³  know at what hour I will come against ⁴  you.

Then ¹  I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: ²  “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power ³  forever and ever!”