He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these ¹  people.

those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.

No one came to the rescue because the city ¹  was far from Sidon ²  and they had no dealings with anyone. ³  The city ⁴  was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites ⁵  rebuilt the city and occupied it.

So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you – a Jew ¹  – ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water ²  to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common ³  with Samaritans.) ⁴ 

So the five men journeyed on ¹  and arrived in Laish. They noticed that the people there ²  were living securely, like the Sidonians do, ³  undisturbed and unsuspecting. No conqueror was troubling them in any way. ⁴  They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. ⁵ 

The man’s name was Nabal, ¹  and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was both wise ²  and beautiful, but the man was harsh and his deeds were evil. He was a Calebite.

“Indeed, God does all these things, twice, three times, in his dealings ²  with a person,

How can I repay the Lord for all his acts of kindness to me?

The Lord abhors ¹  dishonest scales, ²  but an accurate weight ³  is his elight.

It is good for a man ¹  to bear ²  the yoke ³  while he is young. ⁴ 

adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.

“For the day of the Lord ¹  is approaching ²  for all the nations! ³  Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve. ⁴ 

Who is the Almighty, that ¹  we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray ²  to him?’ ³ 

But their prosperity is not their own doing. ¹  The counsel of the wicked is far from me! ² 

I put on righteousness and it clothed me, ¹  my just dealing ²  was like a robe and a turban;

No! ¹  You plan how to do what is unjust; ²  you deal out violence in the earth. ³ 

The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign, including his accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. ¹ 

He established a rule ¹  in Jacob; he set up a law in Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make his deeds known to their descendants, ² 

I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. ¹  I hate doing evil; ²  I will have no part of it. ³ 

So, brothers and sisters, ¹  I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, ²  as infants in Christ.