Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor ¹  Felix, ²  greetings.

Will your idle talk ¹  reduce people to silence, ²  and will no one rebuke ³  you when you mock? ⁴ 

Their houses are safe ¹  and without fear; ²  and no rod of punishment ³  from God is upon them. ⁴ 

But the one who listens ¹  to me will live in security, ²  and will be at ease ³  from the dread of harm.

Discipline your child, and he will give you rest; ¹  he will bring you ²  happiness. ³ 

They were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, “Don’t respond to him.”

In light of all this, ¹  how can you still hold back, Lord? How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?

When such a person ¹  hears the words of this oath he secretly ²  blesses himself ³  and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” ⁴  This will destroy ⁵  the watered ground with the parched. ⁶ 

Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest ¹  with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything.

“You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. ¹  During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; ²  when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. ³ 

Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, ¹  came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely ²  returned, Mephibosheth ³  had not cared for his feet ⁴  nor trimmed ⁵  his mustache nor washed his clothes.

David went out to meet them and said, ¹  “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. ²  But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, ³  may the God of our ancestors ⁴  take notice and judge!”

The Lord answered, ¹  “If you have raced on foot against men and they have worn you out, how will you be able to compete with horses? And if you feel secure only ²  in safe and open country, ³  how will you manage in the thick undergrowth along the Jordan River? ⁴ 

All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.’ ¹ 

He will set fire ¹  to the temples of the gods of Egypt. He will burn their gods or carry them off as captives. ²  He will pick Egypt clean like a shepherd picks the lice from his clothing. ³  He will leave there unharmed. ⁴ 

Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody – each one – against everyone else.

Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, ¹  and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” ²  So Aaron kept silent.

(13:23) ¹  Abijah passed away ²  and was buried in the City of David. ³  His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign ⁴  the land had rest for ten years.

Whom are you worried about? Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully and not remember me or think about me? ¹  Because I have been silent for so long, ²  you are not afraid of me. ³ 

“For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem ¹  I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines brightly ²  and her deliverance burns like a torch.”