the Israelites counterattacked. ¹  Benjamin had begun to strike down the Israelites; ²  they struck down ³  about thirty men. They said, “There’s no doubt about it! They are totally defeated as in the earlier battle.”

Who is ¹  a ²  wise person? Who knows the solution ³  to a problem? ⁴  A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance, ⁵  and softens ⁶  his harsh countenance. ⁷ 

Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help ¹  him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege-walls are built to kill many people.

and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women ¹  and were inflamed in their passions ²  for one another. Men ³  committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds ¹  of the naive.

Until ¹  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ²  and separated himself ³  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ⁴ 

Masters, ¹  treat your slaves ²  the same way, ³  giving up the use of threats, ⁴  because you know that both you and they have the same master in heaven, ⁵  and there is no favoritism with him.

And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life ¹  and in the holy city that are described in this book.

If a man redeems ¹  part of his tithe, however, he must add one fifth to it. ² 

He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa. ¹ 

So the Lord sent a plague through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.

“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit? Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ¹ 

Why do you contend against him, that he does not answer all a person’s ¹  words?

For his eyes are on the ways of an individual, he observes all a person’s ¹  steps.

A person’s life is like grass. ¹  Like a flower in the field it flourishes,

For the ways of a person ¹  are in front of the Lord’s eyes, and the Lord ²  weighs ³  all that person’s ⁴  paths.

From the fruit of his speech ¹  a person eats good things, ²  but the faithless ³  desire ⁴  the fruit of violence. ⁵ 

There is abundant food in the field ¹  of the poor, but it is swept away by injustice. ² 

All a person’s ways ¹  seem right ²  in his own opinion, ³  but the Lord evaluates ⁴  the motives. ⁵ 

When a person’s ¹  ways are pleasing to the Lord, ²  he ³  even reconciles his enemies to himself. ⁴