The Lord commanded the enemy, ¹  “March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them. ²  But do not destroy them completely. Strip off their branches for these people do not belong to the Lord. ³ 

But he ¹  left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time.

“‘But I will spare some of you. Some will escape the sword when you are scattered in foreign lands. ¹ 

After ¹  entering into an alliance with him, he will behave treacherously; he will ascend to power with only a small force. ² 

But so that I may not delay ¹  you any further, I beg ²  you to hear us briefly ³  with your customary graciousness. ⁴ 

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The ¹  rest were hardened,

And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ¹ 

Jesus replied, ¹  “I performed one miracle ²  and you are all amazed. ³ 

That is why many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dead. ¹ 

A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise! ¹ 

Joshua and the Israelites almost totally wiped them out, but some survivors did escape to the fortified cities. ¹ 

Look, you make my days short-lived, ¹  and my life span is nothing from your perspective. ²  Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor. ³ 

For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as ¹  the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. ²  Destruction has been decreed; ³  just punishment ⁴  is about to engulf you. ⁵ 

This is what will happen throughout ¹  the earth, among the nations. It will be like when they beat an olive tree, and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest. ² 

The Lord told Jeremiah, ¹  “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. ²  Take with you ³  some of the leaders of the people and some of the leaders ⁴  of the priests.

Again, take more of them and throw them into the fire, ¹  and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.

For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.

“If thieves came to rob you ¹  during the night, ²  they would steal only as much as they wanted! ³  If grape pickers came to harvest your vineyards, ⁴  they would leave some behind for the poor! ⁵  But you will be totally destroyed! ⁶ 

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?”