Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods ¹  that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control ²  your very breath and all your ways!

Then this stone ¹  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ²  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ³ 

Rachel ¹  said to her father, “Don’t be angry, ²  my lord. I cannot stand up ³  in your presence because I am having my period.” ⁴  So he searched thoroughly, ⁵  but did not find the idols.

They have made me jealous ¹  with false gods, ²  enraging me with their worthless gods; ³  so I will make them jealous with a people they do not recognize, ⁴  with a nation slow to learn ⁵  I will enrage them.

But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ ¹ 

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects ¹  the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath ²  remains ³  on him.

For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you.

However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” ¹  and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord ²  must turn away from evil.”

“To ¹  the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: ²  “This is the solemn pronouncement of ³  the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator ⁴  of God’s creation:

I sent all my servants the prophets to warn you over and over again. They said, “Every one of you, stop doing the evil things you have been doing and do what is right. ¹  Do not pay allegiance to other gods ²  and worship them. Then you can continue to live in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.” But you did not pay any attention or listen to me.

Josiah also got rid of ¹  the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits, ²  the magicians, personal idols, disgusting images, ³  and all the detestable idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. In this way he carried out the terms of the law ⁴  recorded on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord’s temple.

He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah, ¹  residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic ²  because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the Lord has incited you against me, may he take delight in ¹  an offering. But if men have instigated this, ²  may they be cursed before the Lord! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the Lord’s inheritance, saying, ‘Go on, serve other gods!’

The priest was happy. He took the ephod, the personal idols, and the carved image and joined the group. ¹ 

Because God fought for them, ¹  they killed many of the enemy. ²  They dispossessed the Hagrites and lived in their land until the exile. ³ 

He removed the pagan altars ¹  and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. ² 

For the arrows ¹  of the Almighty ²  are within me; my spirit ³  drinks their poison; ⁴  God’s sudden terrors ⁵  are arrayed ⁶  against me.

He entreats God, and God ¹  delights in him, he sees God’s face ²  with rejoicing, and God ³  restores to him his righteousness. ⁴ 

How blessed ¹  is the one ²  who trusts in the Lord ³  and does not seek help from ⁴  the proud or from liars! ⁵ 

But I ¹  am like a flourishing ²  olive tree in the house of God; I continually ³  trust in God’s loyal love.