They are illustrations of this true proverb: ¹  “A dog returns to its own vomit,” ²  and “A sow, after washing herself, ³  wallows in the mire.” ⁴ 

The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. ¹  They said, “Too bad for ²  us! We’ve never seen anything like this!

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, ¹  “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know ²  the things that have happened there ³  in these days?”

and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations ¹  at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement ²  at what had happened to him.

For this reason these days are known as Purim, after the name of pur.

But we had hoped ¹  that he was the one who was going to redeem ²  Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened.

After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ¹  God for what had happened.

saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt ¹  – we do not know what has happened to him!’ ² 

The father ¹  of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him ²  and after praying, placed ³  his hands on him and healed ⁴  him.

as well as the persecutions and sufferings ¹  that happened to me in Antioch, ²  in Iconium, and in Lystra. ³  I endured these persecutions and the Lord delivered me from them all.

All this has happened to us, even though we have not rejected you ¹  or violated your covenant with us. ² 

When ¹  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ² 

These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

One day ¹  he went into the house to do his work when none of the household servants ²  were there in the house.

It happened just as he had said ¹  to us – Pharaoh ²  restored me to my office, but he impaled the baker.” ³ 

Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, ¹  along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, “If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, ²  you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!”

מ (Mem) But it happened ¹  due to the sins of her prophets ²  and the iniquities of her priests, who poured out in her midst the blood of the righteous.

For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know. ¹ 

But keep an eye on it. If it should go up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has brought this great calamity on us. But if that is not the case, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; rather, it just happened to us by accident.”

Now a wicked man ¹  named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjaminite, ²  happened to be there. He blew the trumpet ³  and said, “We have no share in David; we have no inheritance in this son of Jesse! Every man go home, ⁴  O Israel!”