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!

And he said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully.

“‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have spoken false words and forecast delusion, look, ¹  I am against you, ²  declares the sovereign Lord.

Realize ¹  that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician. ²  They hear your words, but they do not obey them. ³ 

This is the interpretation of the words: ¹  As for mene ²  – God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end.

Then with smooth words he will defile ¹  those who have rejected ²  the covenant. But the people who are loyal to ³  their God will act valiantly. ⁴ 

“But you, Daniel, close up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will dash about, ¹  and knowledge will increase.”

They ¹  utter empty words, ²  taking ³  false oaths and making empty ⁴  agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds ⁵  in the furrows of a plowed field.

When ¹  you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.

“Everyone ¹  who hears these words of mine and does them is like ²  a wise man ³  who built his house on rock.

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them, ¹  “Children, how hard it is ²  to enter the kingdom of God!

All ¹  were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious words coming out of his mouth. They ²  said, “Isn’t this ³  Joseph’s son?”

“Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice ¹  – I will show you what he is like:

Thus ¹  they were unable in the presence of the people to trap ²  him with his own words. ³  And stunned ⁴  by his answer, they fell silent.

For I will give you the words ¹  along with the wisdom ²  that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ¹  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ² 

(Jesus ¹  spoke these words near the offering box ²  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ³  No one seized him because his time ⁴  had not yet come.) ⁵ 

Others said, “These are not the words ¹  of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, ²  can it?” ³ 

The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹  my words has a judge; ²  the word ³  I have spoken will judge him at the last day.