“For a short time I abandoned ¹  you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

“But now briefly ¹  we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position ²  in his holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes ³  and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude.

But so that I may not delay ¹  you any further, I beg ²  you to hear us briefly ³  with your customary graciousness. ⁴ 

five have fallen; one is, ¹  and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time.

that the elation of the wicked is brief, ¹  the joy of the godless ²  lasts but a moment. ³ 

that ¹  by revelation the divine secret ²  was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly. ³ 

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹  bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.

The ¹  ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority ²  as kings with the beast for one hour.

Take note of my brief lifespan! ¹  Why do you make all people so mortal? ² 

Actually, there are many advantages. ¹  First of all, ²  the Jews ³  were entrusted with the oracles of God. ⁴ 

I wrote something to the church, ¹  but Diotrephes, ²  who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. ³ 

“O Lord, help me understand my mortality and the brevity of life! ¹  Let me realize how quickly my life will pass! ² 

Jeremiah started to leave Jerusalem to go to the territory of Benjamin. He wanted to make sure he got his share of the property that was being divided up among his family there. ¹ 

They are exalted for a little while, and then they are gone, ¹  they are brought low ²  like all others, and gathered in, ³  and like a head of grain they are cut off.’ ⁴ 

For his anger lasts only a brief moment, and his good favor restores one’s life. ¹  One may experience sorrow during the night, but joy arrives in the morning. ² 

During the days of my fleeting life ¹  I have seen both ²  of these things: Sometimes ³  a righteous person dies prematurely ⁴  in spite of ⁵  his righteousness, and sometimes ⁶  a wicked person lives long ⁷  in spite of his evil deeds.

There will arise after him ¹  one ²  who will send out an exactor ³  of tribute to enhance the splendor of the kingdom, but after a few days he will be destroyed, ⁴  though not in anger or battle.

Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, ¹  and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ²  ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ ³  now I tell you the same. ⁴ 

because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

You ¹  do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? ²  For you are a puff of smoke ³  that appears for a short time and then vanishes.