When morning came, ¹  the Jews formed ²  a conspiracy ³  and bound themselves with an oath ⁴  not to eat or drink anything ⁵  until they had killed Paul.

We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure,

As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! ¹ 

Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless ¹  others ²  because you were called to inherit a blessing.

You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. ¹  Then the Lord will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors.

The Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they retreat because they have become subject to annihilation. ¹  I will no longer be with you, ²  unless you destroy what has contaminated you. ³ 

But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me! Each one of them followed the stubborn inclinations of his own wicked heart. So I brought on them all the punishments threatened in the covenant because they did not carry out its terms as I commanded them to do.’” ¹ 

Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither completely away, and his right eye become completely blind!”

Get up! Ritually consecrate the people and tell them this: ‘Ritually consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord God of Israel says, “You are contaminated, ¹  O Israel! You will not be able to stand before your enemies until you remove what is contaminating you.” ² 

There ¹  the prisoners ²  relax ³  together; ⁴  they do not hear the voice of the oppressor. ⁵ 

Whether it is for punishment ¹  for his land, or whether it is for mercy, he causes it to find its mark. ² 

But I ¹  am a worm, ²  not a man; ³  people insult me and despise me. ⁴ 

A generous person ¹  will be enriched, ²  and the one who provides water ³  for others ⁴  will himself be satisfied. ⁵ 

The one who builds a city by bloodshed is as good as dead ¹  – he who starts ²  a town by unjust deeds.

While they were screaming ¹  and throwing off their cloaks ²  and tossing dust ³  in the air,

There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ¹ 

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported ¹  to him the words of Balak.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, ¹  including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.

They annihilated everyone who lived there with the sword ¹  – no one who breathed remained – and burned ²  Hazor.

Joshua captured all these royal cities and all their kings and annihilated them with the sword, ¹  as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded.