“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, ¹  Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were ²  gone.” ³ 

“It is not right ¹  to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” ²  he said. ³ 

Because ¹  he was not able to repay it, ²  the lord ordered him to be sold, along with ³  his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made.

But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, ¹  and they were both very old. ² 

And he will go as forerunner before the Lord ¹  in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ²  to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, ¹  do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves ²  and for your children.

But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name ¹  – he has given the right to become God’s children

For the promise ¹  is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹ 

that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world ¹ 

I put this charge ¹  before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, ²  in order that with such encouragement ³  you may fight the good fight.

like Sarah who obeyed ¹  Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children ²  when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so. ³ 

Their eyes, ¹  full of adultery, ²  never stop sinning; ³  they entice ⁴  unstable people. ⁵  They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children! ⁶ 

By this ¹  we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments.

I rejoiced greatly because I have found some ¹  of your children living according to the truth, ²  just as the Father commanded us. ³ 

and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

If you then, although you are evil, ¹  know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts ²  to those who ask him!

Just then ¹  some people ²  brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. ³  When Jesus saw their ⁴  faith, he said to the paralytic, “Have courage, son! Your sins are forgiven.” ⁵