You must not say, ‘No, we will not stay. Instead we will go and live in the land of Egypt where we will not face war, ¹  or hear the enemy’s trumpet calls, ²  or starve for lack of food.’ ³ 

“‘What you plan ¹  will never happen. You say, “We will be ²  like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.” 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!

Therefore produce ¹  fruit ²  that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say ³  to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ ⁴  For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ⁵ 

But now we have been released from the law, because we have died ¹  to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code. ² 

We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored!

We are not trying to commend ¹  ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, ²  so that you may be able to answer those who take pride ³  in outward appearance ⁴  and not in what is in the heart.

Nor do we boast beyond certain limits ¹  in the work ²  done by others, but we hope ³  that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded ⁴  among you according to our limits, ⁵ 

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town ¹  and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”

When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph ¹  from their hands, ²  saying, ³  “Let’s not take his life!” ⁴ 

Then Moses summoned ¹  Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up. ² 

The Israelites said to Moses, “We are bound to die! ¹  We perish, we all perish!

If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I – how can I dispossess them?”

You must not do like we are doing here today, with everyone ¹  doing what seems best to him,

So now we are in your power. ¹  Do to us what you think is good and appropriate. ² 

Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die, because we have seen a supernatural being!” ¹ 

Jonathan replied, “All right! ¹  We’ll go over to these men and fight them.

All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your very flesh and blood! ¹ 

Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

For we were born yesterday ¹  and do not have knowledge, since our days on earth are but a shadow. ²