The furnishings included linen and purple curtains hung by cords of the finest linen ¹  and purple wool on silver rings, alabaster columns, gold and silver couches ²  displayed on a floor made of valuable stones of alabaster, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stone.

He went ¹  to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, ²  and who was expecting a child.

older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters – with complete purity.

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 

Do not stare at me because ¹  I am dark, for ²  the sun has burned my skin. ³  My brothers ⁴  were angry ⁵  with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards. Alas, my own vineyard ⁶  I could not keep! ⁷ 

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a brave warrior. His mother was a prostitute, but Gilead was his father. ¹ 

His second son ¹  was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow ²  of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur.

These were the sons born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, ¹  Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon – the mother of these four was Bathsheba ²  the daughter of Ammiel. ³ 

In ¹  Lystra ²  sat a man who could not use his feet, ³  lame from birth, ⁴  who had never walked.

Now ¹  an Israelite woman’s son whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Israelites, and the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man ²  had a fight in the camp.

These were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel; the second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel;

Due to the noise ¹  caused by the king and his nobles, the queen mother ²  then entered the banquet room. She ³  said, “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t be shaken!

The roar of battle will rise against your people; all your fortresses will be devastated, just as Shalman devastated ¹  Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children.

He also came to Derbe ¹  and to Lystra. ²  A disciple ³  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ⁴  but whose father was a Greek. ⁵ 

You must not slaughter an ox or a sheep and its young ¹  on the same day. ² 

His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons ¹  were all born to David in Hebron.

“Why did I not ²  die ³  at birth, ⁴  and why did I not expire as ⁵  I came out of the womb?

From whose womb does the ice emerge, and the frost from the sky, ¹  who gives birth to it,

In the womb he attacked his brother; in his manly vigor he struggled ¹  with God.

Finally he told her his secret. ¹  He said to her, “My hair has never been cut, ²  for I have been dedicated to God ³  from the time I was conceived. ⁴  If my head ⁵  were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be just like all other men.”