But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more ¹  to anyone in this name.”

But carefully select from among you, brothers, ¹  seven ²  men who are well-attested, ³  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge ⁴  of this necessary task. ⁵ 

but that we should write them a letter ¹  telling them to abstain ²  from things defiled ³  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ⁴  and from blood.

Agrippa ¹  said to Festus, ²  “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, ³  “you will hear him.”

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

For I do not want to see you now in passing, since I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord allows.

Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose ¹  is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. ² 

so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area.

who is the down payment ¹  of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, ²  to the praise of his glory.

For the one who enters God’s ¹  rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.

But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. ¹ 

And now, little children, remain ¹  in him, ²  so that when ³  he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. ⁴ 

So in the morning the older daughter ¹  said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. ²  Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ³ 

One of you must go and get ¹  your brother, while ²  the rest of you remain in prison. ³  In this way your words may be tested to see if ⁴  you are telling the truth. ⁵  If not, then, as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!”

Then the Israelites said to him, “We will go along the highway, and if we ¹  or our cattle drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We will only pass through on our feet, without doing anything else.”

The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, ¹  “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. ²  Then we ³  will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.

The Gazites were told, ¹  “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town ²  and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave. ³  They relaxed ⁴  all night, thinking, ⁵  “He will not leave ⁶  until morning comes; ⁷  then we will kill him!”

We will take ten of every group of a hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (and a hundred of every group of a thousand, and a thousand of every group of ten thousand) to get supplies for the army. ¹  When they arrive in Gibeah of Benjamin they will punish them for the atrocity which they committed in Israel.” ² 

When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us, ¹  we’ll say to them, “Do us a favor and let them be, ²  for we could not get each one a wife through battle. ³  Don’t worry about breaking your oath! ⁴  You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’” ⁵