taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately,

However, you may chop down any tree you know is not suitable for food, ¹  and you may use it to build siege works ²  against the city that is making war with you until that city falls.

The bravehearted ¹  were plundered; ²  they “fell asleep.” ³  All the warriors were helpless. ⁴ 

He provides grass ¹  for the cattle, and crops for people to cultivate, ²  so they can produce food from the ground, ³ 

Of what ¹  use is money in the hand of a fool, ²  since he has no intention ³  of acquiring wisdom? ⁴ 

If an iron axhead ¹  is blunt and a workman ²  does not sharpen ³  its edge, ⁴  he must exert a great deal of effort; ⁵  so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

I used you to smash men and women. I used you to smash old men and young men. I used you to smash young men and young women.

For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, ¹ 

“Their throats are open graves, ¹  they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.” ² 

When he speaks of a new covenant, ¹  he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear. ² 

Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another ¹  as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

“You shall not take ¹  the name of the Lord your God in vain, ²  for the Lord will not hold guiltless ³  anyone who takes his name in vain.

You must not make use of the name of the Lord your God for worthless purposes, ¹  for the Lord will not exonerate anyone who abuses his name that way. ² 

Or who among you has planted a vineyard and not benefited from it? He may go home, lest he die in battle and someone else benefit from it.

You will be engaged to a woman and another man will rape ¹  her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not even begin to use it.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me. ¹  In fact, it would be better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting! ² 

Though I have many other ¹  things to write to you, I do not want to do so with ²  paper and ink, ³  but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face, ⁴  so that our joy may be complete. ⁵ 

and all the women whose heart stirred them to action and who were skilled ¹  spun goats’ hair.

Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, ¹  as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. ²