Nor will the Levitical priests ever lack someone to stand before me and continually offer up burnt offerings, sacrifice cereal offerings, and offer the other sacrifices.”’” ¹ 

From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, ¹  those who pray to me ²  will bring me tribute.

He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?

But some who were present indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ¹  ointment?

who will not receive many times more ¹  in this age ²  – and in the age to come, eternal life.” ³ 

In the beginning ¹  was the Word, and the Word was with God, ²  and the Word was fully God. ³ 

But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ¹  who should be here before you and bring charges, ²  if they have anything against me.

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, ¹  there is freedom.

For in this earthly house ¹  we groan, because we desire to put on ²  our heavenly dwelling,

Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away ¹  from the body and at home with the Lord.

So then whether we are alive ¹  or away, we make it our ambition to please him. ² 

You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹  Jacob thought, ²  “I will first appease him ³  by sending a gift ahead of me. ⁴  After that I will meet him. ⁵  Perhaps he will accept me.” ⁶ 

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

Along with the loaves of bread, ¹  you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, ²  one young bull, ³  and two rams. ⁴  They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord along with their grain offering ⁵  and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. ⁶ 

Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged ¹  all who were in Israel to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign ²  they did not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.

Listen attentively, ¹  my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins ²  and the city called by your name. ³  For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, ⁴  but because your compassion is abundant.

but has not brought it to the entrance of the Meeting Tent ¹  to present it as ²  an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord. He has shed blood, so that man will be cut off from the midst of his people. ³ 

“You are to speak to the Levites, and you must tell them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you are to offer up ¹  from it as a raised offering to the Lord a tenth of the tithe.

So Saul said to his servant, “All right, ¹  we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”