He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I ¹  would be discredited. ² 

But he is unchangeable, ¹  and who can change ²  him? Whatever he ³  has desired, he does.

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 

“I, the Lord, officially commission you; ¹  I take hold of your hand. I protect you ²  and make you a covenant mediator for people, ³  and a light ⁴  to the nations, ⁵ 

You plan great things and you do mighty deeds. ¹  You see everything people do. ²  You reward each of them for the way they live and for the things they do. ³ 

But they do not know what the Lord is planning; they do not understand his strategy. He has gathered them like stalks of grain to be threshed ¹  at the threshing floor.

He replied, ¹  “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” ² 

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, ¹  each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ² 

The thief comes only to steal and kill ¹  and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ² 

So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, ¹  it will come to nothing, ² 

Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. ¹ 

For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? ¹  But we have the mind of Christ.

So then, dear brothers and sisters, ¹  be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹ 

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father,

From Paul, ¹  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], ²  the faithful ³  in Christ Jesus.

in which ¹  you formerly lived ²  according to this world’s present path, ³  according to the ruler of the kingdom ⁴  of the air, the ruler of ⁵  the spirit ⁶  that is now energizing ⁷  the sons of disobedience, ⁸ 

With every prayer and petition, pray ¹  at all times in the Spirit, and to this end ²  be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

Toward this goal ¹  I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully ²  works in me.