On the second day of the month the family leaders ¹  met with ²  Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law.

From the city the dying ¹  groan, and the wounded ²  cry out for help, but God charges no one with wrongdoing. ³ 

who shows no partiality to princes, and does not take note of ¹  the rich more than the poor, because all of them are the work of his hands?

A psalm of David. O Lord, hear my prayer! Pay attention to my plea for help! Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!

Also, do not pay attention to everything that people ¹  say; otherwise, ²  you might even hear ³  your servant cursing you.

You complacent ¹  women, get up and listen to me! You carefree ²  daughters, pay attention to what I say!

Yes, my hand founded the earth; my right hand spread out the sky. I summon them; they stand together.

But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better. ¹ 

Listen to this, you elders; ¹  pay attention, ²  all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your whole life ³  or in the lifetime ⁴  of your ancestors? ⁵ 

Now ¹  as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. ² 

So listen carefully, ¹  for whoever has will be given more, but ²  whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has ³  will be taken from him.”

nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. ¹  Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan ²  that operates by faith.

For the eyes of the Lord are ¹  upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil. ² 

He said, “If you will diligently obey ¹  the Lord your God, and do what is right ²  in his sight, and pay attention ³  to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all ⁴  the diseases ⁵  that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.” ⁶ 

“Every seven years each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you shall set them free.” ¹  But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention to me.

God paid attention ¹  to Leah; she became pregnant ²  and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. ³ 

Then God took note of ¹  Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. ² 

And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. He did not pay any attention to this. ¹ 

Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their place at the foot of the mountain.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; ignore the stubbornness, wickedness, and sin of these people.