It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. ¹  Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”

The king issued an order ¹  to summon the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and wise men ²  in order to explain his dreams to him. ³  So they came and awaited the king’s instructions. ⁴ 

What the king is asking is too difficult, and no one exists who can disclose it to the king, except for the gods – but they don’t live among mortals!” ¹ 

Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage ¹  demanded that they bring ²  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them ³  before the king.

But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted ¹  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed ²  by the leaping flames. ³ 

Where ¹  then is your king, that he may save you in all your cities? Where are ²  your rulers for whom you asked, saying, “Give me a king and princes”?

Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan ¹  who live on Mount Samaria! You ²  oppress the poor; you crush the needy. You say to your ³  husbands, “Bring us more to drink!” ⁴ 

They said to him, “Tell us, whose fault is it that this disaster has overtaken us? ¹  What’s your occupation? Where do you come from? What’s your country? And who are your people?” ² 

Then I will surround my temple ¹  to protect it like a guard ²  from anyone crossing back and forth; so no one will cross over against them anymore as an oppressor, for now I myself have seen it.

After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law, ¹  he asked them where the Christ ²  was to be born.

Then ¹  the entire town ²  came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

But he answered them, ¹  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

They ¹  tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.

But Jesus was silent. The ¹  high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, ²  the Son of God.”

He asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

They came again to Jerusalem. ¹  While Jesus ²  was walking in the temple courts, ³  the chief priests, the experts in the law, ⁴  and the elders came up to him

To the person who strikes you on the cheek, ¹  offer the other as well, ²  and from the person who takes away your coat, ³  do not withhold your tunic ⁴  either. ⁵ 

Now at one point ¹  the Pharisees ²  asked Jesus ³  when the kingdom of God ⁴  was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs ⁵  to be observed,

Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, ¹  each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ² 

When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ¹  and replied, ²  “Whoever among you is guiltless ³  may be the first to throw a stone at her.”