In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, ¹  people ²  are shaken ³  and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. ⁴ 

Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, ¹  who do their work in secret and boast, ²  “Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” ³ 

Who acts and carries out decrees? ¹  Who ²  summons the successive generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning, and at the very end – I am the one. ³ 

Look, my earlier predictive oracles have come to pass; ¹  now I announce new events. Before they begin to occur, I reveal them to you.” ² 

I decreed and delivered and proclaimed, and there was no other god among you. You are my witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.

Yes, your land lies in ruins; it is desolate and devastated. ¹  But now you will be too small to hold your residents, and those who devoured you will be far away.

“Then there will arise in his place a despicable person ¹  to whom the royal honor has not been rightfully conferred. He will come on the scene in a time of prosperity and will seize the kingdom through deceit.

Look, I am about to empower ¹  the Babylonians, that ruthless ²  and greedy ³  nation. They sweep across the surface ⁴  of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.

so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ¹ 

And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off ¹  your feet as you leave that house or that town.

Wherever ¹  they do not receive you, ²  as you leave that town, ³  shake the dust off ⁴  your feet as a testimony against them.”

For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself ¹  does anything in secret. ²  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹  and they began to contradict ²  what Paul was saying ³  by reviling him. ⁴ 

But when the Jews from Thessalonica ¹  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ²  in Berea, ³  they came there too, inciting ⁴  and disturbing ⁵  the crowds.

He ¹  immediately took ²  soldiers and centurions ³  and ran down to the crowd. ⁴  When they saw ⁵  the commanding officer ⁶  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ⁷  Paul.

For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹  to him, ²  because I cannot believe ³  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ⁴  for this was not done in a corner. ⁵ 

so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation ¹  of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

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.

and to enlighten ¹  everyone about God’s secret plan ²  – a secret that has been hidden for ages ³  in God ⁴  who has created all things.