You have sacrificed to other gods! You have sinned against the Lord! You have not obeyed the Lord! You have not followed his laws, his statutes, and his decrees! That is why this disaster that is evident to this day has happened to you.” ¹ 

The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story; ¹  for the structure ²  surrounding the temple went up story by story all around the temple. For this reason the width of the temple increased as it went up, and one went up from the lowest story to the highest by the way of the middle story.

Then ¹  one who appeared to be a human being ²  was touching my lips. I opened my mouth and started to speak, saying to the one who was standing before me, “Sir, ³  due to the vision, anxiety has gripped me and I have no strength.

The next day, because the commanding officer ¹  wanted to know the true reason ²  Paul ³  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ⁴  to assemble. He then brought ⁵  Paul down and had him stand before them.

For our reason for confidence ¹  is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives ²  and sincerity which are from God ³  – not by human wisdom ⁴  but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more ⁵  toward you.

And so ¹  we too constantly thank God that when you received God’s message that you heard from us, ²  you accepted it not as a human message, ³  but as it truly is, God’s message, which is at work among you who believe.

Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ¹  That is why I have kept you ²  from sinning against me and why ³  I did not allow you to touch her.

So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ¹  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ²  Edom.) ³ 

That is why to this day ¹  the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck ²  the socket of Jacob’s hip near the attached sinew.

So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” ¹  “Why do that?” Jacob replied. ²  “My lord has already been kind enough to me.” ³ 

But ¹  Jacob traveled to Succoth ²  where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called ³  Succoth. ⁴ 

The Lord said, “I have surely seen ¹  the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. ² 

¹ In the future, ²  when your son asks you ³  ‘What is this?’ ⁴  you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand ⁵  the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the land of slavery. ⁶ 

for I am the Lord your God and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,

He ¹  has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, ²  nor has he seen trouble ³  in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; his acclamation ⁴  as king is among them.

(I was standing between the Lord and you at that time to reveal to you the message ¹  of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.) He said:

When your children ¹  ask you later on, “What are the stipulations, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God commanded you?”

These wineskins we filled were brand new, but look how they have ripped. Our clothes and sandals have worn out because it has been a very long journey.”

But Naomi replied, “Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! ¹  I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! ² 

He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king ¹  is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” ²  They said, “He is witness!”