He said to them, “Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him?

So Philip ran up ¹  to it ²  and heard the man ³  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ⁴  asked him, ⁵  “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

when he said, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, ¹  but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, ²  but will never perceive.

For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. ¹ 

but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” ¹ 

But understand this, that in the last days difficult ¹  times will come.

By faith we understand that the worlds ¹  were set in order at God’s command, ²  so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. ³ 

So give your servant a discerning mind ¹  so he can make judicial decisions for ²  your people and distinguish right from wrong. ³  Otherwise ⁴  no one is able ⁵  to make judicial decisions for ⁶  this great nation of yours.” ⁷ 

“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. ¹  Far be it from ²  God to do wickedness, from the Almighty to do evil.

you asked, ¹  ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’ But ²  I have declared without understanding ³  things too wonderful for me to know. ⁴ 

When a country is rebellious ¹  it has many princes, ²  but by someone who is discerning and knowledgeable ³  order is maintained. ⁴ 

Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.” ¹ 

Whenever it sweeps by, it will overtake you; indeed, ¹  every morning it will sweep by, it will come through during the day and the night.” ²  When this announcement is understood, it will cause nothing but terror.

You will no longer see a defiant ¹  people whose language you do not comprehend, ²  whose derisive speech you do not understand. ³ 

I will do this so ¹  people ²  will observe and recognize, so they will pay attention and understand that the Lord’s power ³  has accomplished this, and that the Holy One of Israel has brought it into being.” ⁴ 

The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has fully carried out his intended purposes. ¹  In days to come ²  you people will come to understand this clearly. ³ 

not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand ¹  – surely if ²  I had sent you to them, they would listen to you!

Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to future days.”

At that time,” ¹  the Lord says, “I will destroy the wise sages of Edom! ²  the advisers ³  from Esau’s mountain! ⁴ 

But he denied it: ¹  “I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!” ²  Then ³  he went out to the gateway, and a rooster crowed. ⁴