The Lord says, ¹  ‘You must make sure to obey me. You must not bring any loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day. You must set the Sabbath day apart to me. You must not do any work on that day.

But as you excel ¹  in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you ²  – make sure that you excel ³  in this act of kindness ⁴  too.

But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord’s servant gave you. Love ¹  the Lord your God, follow all his instructions, ²  obey ³  his commands, be loyal to him, ⁴  and serve him with all your heart and being!” ⁵ 

When Herod ¹  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ²  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ³  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men.

As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, ¹  make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, ²  and the officer throw you into prison.

Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you ¹  about our common salvation, I now feel compelled ²  instead to write to encourage ³  you to contend earnestly ⁴  for the faith ⁵  that was once for all ⁶  entrusted to the saints. ⁷ 

And now, if you will diligently listen to me ¹  and keep ²  my covenant, then you will be my ³  special possession ⁴  out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,

But if you diligently obey him ¹  and do all that I command, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will be an adversary to your adversaries.

We will be innocent if we carefully keep all these commandments ¹  before the Lord our God, just as he demands.” ² 

If you obey these ordinances and are careful to do them, the Lord your God will faithfully keep covenant with you ¹  as he promised ²  your ancestors.

You must then do as they have determined at that place the Lord chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught.

Whatever you vow, you must be careful to do what you have promised, such as what you have vowed to the Lord your God as a freewill offering.

Today the Lord your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul. ¹ 

On the third day ¹  you should go down quickly ²  and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. ³  Stay near the stone Ezel.

They worked hard and made the repairs. ¹  They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it. ² 

Let the oppressed eat and be filled! ¹  Let those who seek his help praise the Lord! May you ²  live forever!

I ¹  look for ²  you during the night, my spirit within me seeks you at dawn, for when your judgments come upon the earth, those who live in the world learn about justice. ³ 

They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ¹  government officials and judges take bribes, ²  prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ³ 

Then Herod ¹  privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared.

For the unconverted ¹  pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.