We are not trying to commend ¹  ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, ²  so that you may be able to answer those who take pride ³  in outward appearance ⁴  and not in what is in the heart.

If anyone has an ear, he had better listen!

Come, let’s go down and confuse ¹  their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” ² 

and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ¹  which are within his means. ²  One will be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. ³ 

or his uncle or his cousin ¹  may redeem him, or anyone of the rest of his blood relatives – his family ²  – may redeem him, or if ³  he prospers he may redeem himself.

All these were the sons of Jediael. Listed in their genealogical records were 17,200 family leaders and warriors who were capable of marching out to battle.

So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first day of the seventh month.)

The Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. When he shows his anger the earth shakes. None of the nations can stand up to his fury.

Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, ¹  like a launderer’s soap.

He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.

It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Thus ¹  they were unable in the presence of the people to trap ²  him with his own words. ³  And stunned ⁴  by his answer, they fell silent.

because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so.

Were you called as a slave? ¹  Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, make the most of the opportunity.

This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper.

but as a reminder to us and you, ¹  and to our descendants who follow us, that we will honor the Lord in his very presence ²  with burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tokens of peace. ³  Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to our descendants, ‘You have no right to worship the Lord.’ ⁴ 

Amaziah assembled the people of Judah ¹  and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age ²  equipped with spears and shields. ³ 

Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, ¹  until I come to my lord at Seir.”

and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell ¹  how I made fools ²  of the Egyptians ³  and about ⁴  my signs that I displayed ⁵  among them, so that you may know ⁶  that I am the Lord.”

If he has not prospered enough to refund ¹  a balance to him, then what he sold ²  will belong to ³  the one who bought it until the jubilee year, but it must revert ⁴  in the jubilee and the original owner ⁵  may return to his property.