And do everything in a decent and orderly manner.

And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? “My son, do not scorn ¹  the Lord’s discipline or give up when he corrects ²  you.

Through Silvanus, ¹  whom I know to be a faithful brother, ²  I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify ³  that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. ⁴ 

Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ¹  the money paid for us! ² 

You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. ¹  Only I, the king, will be greater than you. ² 

or has found something lost and denies it and swears falsely ¹  concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin ²  –

They may assist ¹  their colleagues ²  in the tent of meeting, to attend to needs, but they must do no work. This is the way you must establish ³  the Levites regarding their duties.”

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, ¹  for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

Then Mephibosheth ¹  bowed and said, “Of what importance am I, your servant, that you show regard for a dead dog like me?” ² 

In those days Ahithophel’s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation. ¹  Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel. ² 

Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have heard:

O God, invincible warrior, ¹  come back! Look down from heaven and take notice! Take care of this vine,

They will no longer trust in ¹  the altars their hands made, or depend on the Asherah poles and incense altars their fingers made. ² 

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales. He lifts ¹  the coastlands ²  as if they were dust.

ב (Bet) The precious sons of Zion were worth their weight in gold – Alas! – but now they are treated like ¹  broken clay pots, made by a potter. ² 

Even if you offer me burnt and grain offerings, ¹  I will not be satisfied; I will not look with favor on your peace offerings of fattened calves. ² 

because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. ¹  For ²  from now on ³  all generations will call me blessed, ⁴ 

For ¹  a while he refused, but later on ²  he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, ³ 

“Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals ¹  in the things they boast about.