Be distressed, ¹  farmers; wail, vinedressers, over the wheat and the barley. For the harvest of the field has perished.

When the news ¹  reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes.

Many nations have now assembled against you. They say, “Jerusalem must be desecrated, ¹  so we can gloat over Zion!” ² 

‘Even the dust of your town ¹  that clings to our feet we wipe off ²  against you. ³  Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.’ ⁴ 

(Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ¹  him.) ²  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ³ 

They replied, ¹  “You were born completely in sinfulness, ²  and yet you presume to teach us?” ³  So they threw him out.

The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now.

“‘Any man from the Israelites ¹  or from the foreigners who reside ²  in their ³  midst who hunts a wild animal ⁴  or a bird that may be eaten ⁵  must pour out its blood and cover it with soil,

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. ¹ 

David reached his hand into the bag and took out a stone. He slung it, striking the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank deeply into his forehead, and he fell down with his face to the ground.

Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely ¹  if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.” ² 

You will fall; while lying on the ground ¹  you will speak; from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. ²  Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; ³  from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. ⁴ 

The Egyptians are mere humans, not God; their horses are made of flesh, not spirit. The Lord will strike with ¹  his hand; the one who helps will stumble and the one being helped will fall. Together they will perish. ² 

I will put it into the hand of your tormentors ¹  who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’ You made your back like the ground, and like the street for those who walked over you.”

Wail and cry out in anguish, you rulers! Roll in the dust, you who shepherd flocks of people! ¹  The time for you to be slaughtered has come. You will lie scattered and fallen like broken pieces of fine pottery. ² 

I will bring distress on the people ¹  and they will stumble ²  like blind men, for they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dirt; their flesh ³  will be scattered ⁴  like manure.

And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In ¹  the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”

“For this reason I ¹  am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, ²  some of whom you will kill and crucify, ³  and some you will flog ⁴  in your synagogues ⁵  and pursue from town to town,

He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and restores all things. And why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised?