The Lord is a zealous ¹  and avenging ²  God; the Lord is avenging and very angry. ³  The Lord takes vengeance ⁴  against his foes; he sustains his rage ⁵  against his enemies.

This is what the Lord says: ¹  “Even though ²  they are powerful ³  – and what is more, ⁴  even though their army is numerous ⁵  – nevertheless, ⁶  they will be destroyed ⁷  and trickle away! ⁸  Although I afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. ⁹ 

For the message is a witness to what is decreed; ¹  it gives reliable testimony about how matters will turn out. ²  Even if the message ³  is not fulfilled right away, wait patiently; ⁴  for it will certainly come to pass – it will not arrive late.

I will bring distress on the people ¹  and they will stumble ²  like blind men, for they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dirt; their flesh ³  will be scattered ⁴  like manure.

I thought, ¹  ‘Certainly you will respect ²  me! Now you will accept correction!’ If she had done so, her home ³  would not be destroyed ⁴  by all the punishments I have threatened. ⁵  But they eagerly sinned in everything they did. ⁶ 

and said to him, “Hurry, speak to this young man ¹  as follows: ‘Jerusalem will no longer be enclosed by walls ²  because of the multitude of people and animals there.

I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. ¹  I will bring them to the lands of Gilead and Lebanon, for there will not be enough room for them in their own land.

I then said, “I will not shepherd you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be eradicated, let it be eradicated. As for those who survive, let them eat each other’s flesh!”

The Lord also will deliver the homes ¹  of Judah first, so that the splendor of the kingship ²  of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not exceed that of Judah.

“Be ¹  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

But whenever you pray, go into your room, ¹  close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. ² 

“When ¹  you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive ²  so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, ³  they have their reward.

so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ¹  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

The rain fell, the flood ¹  came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, ¹  he will never lose his reward.”

What do you think? If someone ¹  owns a hundred ²  sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? ³ 

“Woe to you, experts in the law ¹  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, ²  and when you get one, ³  you make him twice as much a child of hell ⁴  as yourselves!

Then ¹  he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, ²  Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God ³  – do not torment me!”

If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off ¹  your feet as a testimony against them.”