God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart ¹  desires, ²  yet God does not enable ³  him to enjoy ⁴  the fruit of his labor ⁵  – instead, someone else ⁶  enjoys ⁷  it! ⁸  This is fruitless and a grave misfortune. ⁹ 

Then I said, ¹  “Lord, you give me strength and protect me. You are the one I can run to for safety when I am in trouble. ²  Nations from all over the earth will come to you and say, ‘Our ancestors had nothing but false gods – worthless idols that could not help them at all. ³ 

“‘If you walk in hostility against me ¹  and are not willing to obey me, I will increase your affliction ²  seven times according to your sins.

“Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, ¹  her husband can confirm or nullify. ² 

You will see trouble in my dwelling place! ¹  Israel will experience blessings, ²  but there will not be an old man in your ³  house for all time. ⁴ 

So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict ¹  your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own.

For my life nears its end in pain; my years draw to a close as I groan. ¹  My strength fails me because of ²  my sin, and my bones become brittle. ³ 

And I cried out, ¹  “We are doomed! ²  Our wound is severe! We once thought, ‘This is only an illness. And we will be able to bear it!’ ³ 

“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations ¹  because of my name. ² 

For then there will be great suffering ¹  unlike anything that has happened ²  from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.

“But in those days, after that suffering, ¹  the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;

serving the Lord with all humility ¹  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ²  of the Jews.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ¹ 

For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality.

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, ¹  take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name.

Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, ¹  and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, ²  unless they repent of her deeds.

For we have been sold ¹  – both I and my people – to destruction and to slaughter and to annihilation! If we had simply been sold as male and female slaves, I would have remained silent, for such distress would not have been sufficient for troubling the king.”

You should not have entered the city ¹  of my people when they experienced distress. ²  You should not have joined ³  in gloating over their misfortune when they suffered distress. ⁴  You should not have looted ⁵  their wealth when they endured distress. ⁶ 

Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ¹  into prison so you may be tested, ²  and you will experience suffering ³  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ⁴ 

At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, ¹  with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my hands to the Lord my God.