Let it richly bloom; ¹  let it rejoice and shout with delight! ²  It is given the grandeur ³  of Lebanon, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the grandeur of the Lord, the splendor of our God.

Bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you. Bring out ¹  every living thing, including the birds, animals, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. Let them increase ²  and be fruitful and multiply on the earth!” ³ 

Indeed, ¹  you had little before I arrived, ²  but now your possessions have increased many times over. ³  The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked. ⁴  But now, how long must it be before I do something for my own family too?” ⁵ 

God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms ¹  of living creatures and let birds fly ²  above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”

But ¹  the tents of robbers are peaceful, and those who provoke God are confident ²  – who carry their god in their hands. ³ 

Love the Lord, all you faithful followers ¹  of his! The Lord protects those who have integrity, but he pays back in full the one who acts arrogantly. ² 

In their streets they wear sackcloth; on their roofs and in their town squares all of them wail, they fall down weeping.

Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives! ¹  If I love you more, am I to be loved less?

In the same way ¹  God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, ²  and so he intervened with an oath,

Your beginning ¹  will seem so small, since your future will flourish. ² 

A generous person ¹  will be enriched, ²  and the one who provides water ³  for others ⁴  will himself be satisfied. ⁵ 

saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” ¹ 

God created the great sea creatures ¹  and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good.

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. ¹ 

We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, ¹  and rightly so, ²  because your faith flourishes more and more and the love of each one of you all for one another is ever greater.

You make me happier ¹  than those who have abundant grain and wine. ² 

I will thank the Lord profusely, ¹  in the middle of a crowd ²  I will praise him,

They will talk about the fame of your great kindness, ¹  and sing about your justice. ² 

He ¹  brings peace to your territory. ²  He abundantly provides for you ³  the best grain.

He then ¹  told them a parable: ²  “The land of a certain rich man produced ³  an abundant crop,