You exalted yourselves against me with your speech ¹  and hurled many insults against me ²  – I have heard them all!

“Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching ¹  until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into ²  the flaming fire.

But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God,

For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

People were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that makes him mute.

Then ¹  his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven ²  and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ³ 

(Jesus ¹  spoke these words near the offering box ²  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ³  No one seized him because his time ⁴  had not yet come.) ⁵ 

and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. ¹  Then ²  they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ¹  in the Lycaonian language, ²  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ³ 

But so that I may not delay ¹  you any further, I beg ²  you to hear us briefly ³  with your customary graciousness. ⁴ 

“Their throats are open graves, ¹  they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.” ² 

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

Love never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside.

and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain.

Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving.

But now, put off all such things ¹  as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, ¹  stand firm and hold on to the traditions that we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. ² 

For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep ¹  his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.

yet was rebuked ¹  for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, ²  speaking with a human voice, ³  restrained the prophet’s madness). ⁴