But one after another they all ¹  began to make excuses. ²  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, ³  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ ⁴ 

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. ¹  But they no longer have any excuse for their sin.

For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people ¹  are without excuse.

Another ¹  said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, ²  and I am going out ³  to examine them. Please excuse me.’

¹ Therefore ²  you are without excuse, ³  whoever you are, ⁴  when you judge someone else. ⁵  For on whatever grounds ⁶  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

They ¹  show that the work of the law is written ²  in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend ³  them, ⁴ 

People ¹  do not despise a thief when he steals to fulfill his need ²  when he is hungry.

Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. ¹ 

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. ¹ 

So do not say, ¹  ‘We have found wisdom! God will refute ²  him, not man!’

The sluggard says, “There is a lion ¹  outside! I will be killed in the middle of the streets!” ² 

The sluggard ¹  says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion in the streets!” ² 

always giving thanks to God the Father for each other ¹  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Live ¹  as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. ² 

and they said to them, “May the Lord look on you and judge, ¹  because you have made us stink ²  in the opinion of ³  Pharaoh and his servants, ⁴  so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!” ⁵ 

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ¹  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ¹  only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ²  but through love serve one another. ³ 

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill or restore life? Why does he ask me to cure a man of his skin disease? ¹  Certainly you must see that he is looking for an excuse to fight me!” ² 

Have you been thinking all this time ¹  that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. ² 

You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him.