he reveals deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness, and light resides with him.

(12:1) ¹  Ephraim has surrounded me with lies; the house of Israel has surrounded me ²  with deceit. But Judah still roams about with ³  God; he remains faithful to the Holy One.

And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, ¹  and more will be added to you.

Then ¹  if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ ²  or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him.

for each tree is known ¹  by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered ²  from thorns, nor are grapes picked ³  from brambles. ⁴ 

And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ¹  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ² 

For the righteousness ¹  of God is revealed in the gospel ²  from faith to faith, ³  just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” ⁴ 

For I passed on to you as of first importance ¹  what I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves ¹  with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, ² 

For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” ¹  and, “The worker deserves his pay.” ² 

For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me ¹  when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”

The king called out loudly ¹  to summon ²  the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed ³  to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple ⁴  and have a golden collar ⁵  placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

In your distress when all these things happen to you in the latter days, ¹  if you return to the Lord your God and obey him ² 

For if you carefully observe all of these commandments ¹  I am giving you ²  and love the Lord your God, live according to his standards, ³  and remain loyal to him,

and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.”

There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, ¹  anyone who practices divination, ²  an omen reader, ³  a soothsayer, ⁴  a sorcerer, ⁵ 

But if you don’t obey ¹  the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king. ² 

For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and presumption is like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as ¹  king.”

Now be aware of this, and see what you can do. For disaster has been planned for our lord and his entire household. ¹  He is such a wicked person ²  that no one tells him anything!”

and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief ¹  from all your enemies. The Lord declares ²  to you that he himself ³  will build a dynastic house ⁴  for you.