And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, ¹  and then the end will come.

They brought to him a deaf man who had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him.

When they heard this, they were delighted ¹  and promised to give him money. ²  So ³  Judas ⁴  began looking for an opportunity to betray him.

When this sound ¹  occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, ²  because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

And now, Lord, pay attention to ¹  their threats, and grant ²  to your servants ³  to speak your message ⁴  with great courage, ⁵ 

Then he fell ¹  to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” ²  When ³  he had said this, he died. ⁴ 

“No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ¹  can he?” ² 

This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ¹  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ² 

First of all, ¹  I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

For just as through the disobedience of the one man ¹  many ²  were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man ³  many ⁴  will be made righteous.

But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹ 

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers.

Remind people ¹  of these things and solemnly charge them ²  before the Lord ³  not to wrangle over words. This is of no benefit; it just brings ruin on those who listen. ⁴ 

For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone ¹  who gazes at his own face ²  in a mirror.

And if we know ¹  that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.

When such a person ¹  hears the words of this oath he secretly ²  blesses himself ³  and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” ⁴  This will destroy ⁵  the watered ground with the parched. ⁶ 

So your servant said, ‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!’”

Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the chief adviser, “Speak to your servants in Aramaic, ¹  for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Judahite dialect ²  in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”

And you solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned against your ordinances – those by which an individual, if he obeys them, ¹  will live. They boldly turned from you; ²  they rebelled ³  and did not obey.

So I will choose severe punishment ¹  for them; I will bring on them what they dread, because I called, and no one responded, I spoke and they did not listen. They did evil before me; ²  they chose to do what displeases me.”