“Now the rest of the people – the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples ¹  because of the law of God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of whom are able to understand –

Gather together and come! Approach together, you refugees from the nations! Those who carry wooden idols know nothing, those who pray to a god that cannot deliver.

Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. ¹  “My servant ²  will acquit many, ³  for he carried their sins. ⁴ 

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

All their watchmen ¹  are blind, they are unaware. ²  All of them are like mute dogs, unable to bark. They pant, ³  lie down, and love to snooze.

Then Felix, ¹  who understood the facts ²  concerning the Way ³  more accurately, ⁴  adjourned their hearing, ⁵  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ⁶ 

correcting ¹  opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance and then knowledge of the truth ² 

When Mordecai learned of the conspiracy, ¹  he informed Queen Esther, ²  and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s behalf. ³ 

How you have advised the one without wisdom, and abundantly ¹  revealed your insight!

They ¹  neither know nor understand. They stumble ²  around in the dark, while all the foundations of the earth crumble. ³ 

O Lord, of what importance is the human race, ¹  that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, ²  that you should be concerned about them? ³ 

The mind that acts rashly will possess discernment ¹  and the tongue that stutters will speak with ease and clarity.

When reading this, ¹  you will be able to ²  understand my insight into this secret ³  of Christ.

Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. ¹ 

My goal is that ¹  their hearts, having been knit together ²  in love, may be encouraged, and that ³  they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ⁴ 

then if anything is done unintentionally ¹  without the knowledge of ²  the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offering – for a pleasing aroma to the Lord – along with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering.

I too will answer my part, I too will explain what I know.

No one thinks to himself, nor do they comprehend or understand and say to themselves: ‘I burned half of it in the fire – yes, I baked bread over the coals; I roasted meat and ate it. With the rest of it should I make a disgusting idol? Should I bow down to dry wood?’ ¹ 

young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, ¹  well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated ²  and having keen insight, ³  and who were capable ⁴  of entering the king’s royal service ⁵  – and to teach them the literature and language ⁶  of the Babylonians. ⁷ 

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,