He drew ¹  his bow and made me ²  the target for his arrow.

Then ¹  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

and a woman was there ¹  who had been disabled by a spirit ²  for eighteen years. She ³  was bent over and could not straighten herself up completely. ⁴ 

If a person ¹  does not repent, God sharpens his sword ²  and prepares to shoot his bow. ³ 

For they flee from the swords – from the drawn sword and from the battle-ready bow and from the severity of the battle.

Their arrows are sharpened, and all their bows are prepared. ¹  The hooves of their horses are hard as flint, ²  and their chariot wheels are like a windstorm. ³ 

My people are obsessed ¹  with turning away from me; ²  they call to Baal, ³  but he will never exalt them!

I am dazed ¹  and completely humiliated; ²  all day long I walk around mourning.

ד (Dalet) He prepared his bow ¹  like an enemy; his right hand was ready to shoot. ²  Like a foe he killed everyone, even our strong young men; ³  he has poured out his anger like fire on the tent ⁴  of Daughter Zion.

I led them with leather ¹  cords, with leather ²  ropes; I lifted the yoke ³  from their neck, ⁴  and gently fed them. ⁵ 

I will bend Judah as my bow; I will load the bow with Ephraim, my arrow! ¹  I will stir up your sons, Zion, against yours, Greece, and I will make you, Zion, ²  like a warrior’s sword.

(Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ¹  him.) ²  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ³ 

¹ The Lord supports all who fall, and lifts up all who are bent over. ² 

Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent?

“‘See how each of the princes of Israel living within you has used his authority to shed blood. ¹ 

He bent down ¹  and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, ²  but he did not go in.

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb.

let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and make their backs bend continually.” ¹ 

Evil men draw their swords and prepare their bows, to bring down ¹  the oppressed and needy, and to slaughter those who are godly. ² 

What is bent ¹  cannot be straightened, ²  and what is missing ³  cannot be supplied. ⁴