A time to be born, ¹  and a time to die; ²  a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;

I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying.

The Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury.

I will multiply the fruit of the trees and the produce of the fields, so that you will never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Ephraim will be like a bird; what they value ¹  will fly away. They will not bear children – they will not enjoy pregnancy – they will not even conceive! ² 

Just as lion cubs are born predators, ¹  so Ephraim will bear his sons for slaughter.

Wail, you who live in the market district, ¹  for all the merchants ²  will disappear ³  and those who count money ⁴  will be removed. ⁵ 

“As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals – I took them away from you; they became tribute and were a source of shame to you. ¹ 

Other seed fell among the thorns, ¹  and they grew up and choked it, ²  and it did not produce grain.

She ¹  exclaimed with a loud voice, ²  “Blessed are you among women, ³  and blessed is the child ⁴  in your womb!

Won’t ¹  God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out ²  to him day and night? ³  Will he delay ⁴  long to help them?

You study the scriptures thoroughly ¹  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ²  and it is these same scriptures ³  that testify about me,

So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. ¹ 

so that the rest of humanity ¹  may seek the Lord, namely, ²  all the Gentiles ³  I have called to be my own,’ ⁴  says the Lord, ⁵  who makes these things

When the ship was caught in it ¹  and could not head into ²  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ³  along.

But now ¹  apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) ²  has been disclosed –

I fed you milk, ¹  not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,

With regard to food sacrificed to idols, we know that “we all have knowledge.” ¹  Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

Then, when I arrive, I will send those whom you approve with letters of explanation to carry your gift to Jerusalem. ¹ 

and will secretly eat her afterbirth ¹  and her newborn children ²  (since she has nothing else), ³  because of the severity of the siege by which your enemy will constrict you in your villages.