For when anyone from the house of Israel, or the foreigner who lives in Israel, separates himself from me and erects his idols in his heart and sets the obstacle leading to his iniquity before his face, and then consults a prophet to seek something from me, I the Lord am determined to answer him personally.

Because they used to minister to them before their idols, and became a sinful obstacle ¹  to the house of Israel, consequently I have made a vow ²  concerning them, declares the sovereign Lord, that they will be responsible ³  for their sin.

He gave it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as a lasting promise, ¹ 

As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry ¹  were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.

All of these were built with the best ¹  stones, chiseled to the right size ²  and cut with a saw on all sides, ³  from the foundation to the edge of the roof ⁴  and from the outside to the great courtyard.

Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David. ¹  Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did.

He says, ¹  “Build it! Build it! Clear a way! Remove all the obstacles out of the way of my people!”

For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet ¹  long, while those facing the temple were 175 feet ²  long.

Therefore, I will soon ¹  fence her in ²  with thorns; I will wall her in ³  so that ⁴  she cannot find her way. ⁵ 

“I will destroy people and animals; I will destroy the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea. (The idolatrous images of these creatures will be destroyed along with evil people.) ¹  I will remove ²  humanity from the face of the earth,” says the Lord.

Jesus ¹  said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe ²  to the one through whom they come!

Now, brothers and sisters, ¹  if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? ²  In that case the offense of the cross ³  has been removed. ⁴ 

The two men turned ¹  and headed ²  toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ³ 

Then the angel of the Lord went farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.

Above the foundation ¹  the best ²  stones, chiseled to the right size, ³  were used along with cedar.

Why is light given ¹  to a man ²  whose way is hidden, ³  and whom God has hedged in? ⁴ 

They destroy ¹  my path; they succeed in destroying me ²  without anyone assisting ³  them.

Yet because of you ¹  we are killed all day long; we are treated like ²  sheep at the slaughtering block. ³ 

The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, ¹  but the path of the upright is like ²  a highway. ³ 

“When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I set an obstacle ¹  before him, he will die. If you have not warned him, he will die for his sin. The righteous deeds he performed will not be considered, but I will hold you accountable for his death.