But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.

for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.

But the Lord is faithful, and he ¹  will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee ¹  of a better covenant.

For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive.

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

This requires ¹  the steadfast endurance ²  of the saints – those who obey ³  God’s commandments and hold to ⁴  their faith in Jesus. ⁵ 

So Moses extended his hand toward the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state ¹  when the sun began to rise. ²  Now the Egyptians were fleeing ³  before it, but the Lord overthrew ⁴  the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.

But Moses sought the favor ¹  of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

“O, Lord God, ¹  you have begun to show me ²  your greatness and strength. ³  (What god in heaven or earth can rival your works and mighty deeds?)

Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by strength and power. ¹  That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to observe ²  the Sabbath day.

They gave him a slice of pressed figs and two bunches of raisins to eat. This greatly refreshed him, ¹  for he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

While he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s adviser, ¹  to come from his city, Giloh. ²  The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were starting to side with Absalom.

My God ¹  is my rocky summit where I take shelter, ²  my shield, the horn that saves me, ³  my stronghold, my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence! ⁴ 

“But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much? ¹  Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours. ² 

Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky ¹  and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him. ² 

He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors, ¹  you are the God who lives in heaven ²  and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you.

Now all the actions carried out under his authority and his great achievements, along with an exact statement concerning the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia?

For innumerable dangers ¹  surround me. My sins overtake me so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me. ²