“This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The Philistines ¹  have exacted merciless revenge, ²  showing intense scorn ³  in their effort to destroy Judah ⁴  with unrelenting hostility. ⁵ 

“‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword ¹  at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment.

“I will not overlook, ¹  O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, ²  or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. ³ 

Next I eradicated the three shepherds in one month, ¹  for I ran out of patience with them and, indeed, they detested me as well.

But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds ¹  among the wheat and went away.

He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So ¹  the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’

For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe ¹  man. You withdraw ²  what you did not deposit ³  and reap what you did not sow.’

But they will do all these things to you on account of ¹  my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. ² 

But Saul was trying to destroy ¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ²  both men and women and put them in prison. ³ 

As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ¹ 

Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. ¹ 

idolatry, sorcery, ¹  hostilities, ²  strife, ³  jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, ⁴  factions,

For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.

who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets ¹  and persecuted us severely. ²  They are displeasing to God and are opposed to all people,

and with every kind of evil deception directed against ¹  those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth ²  so as to be saved.

A certain one of them, in fact, one of their own prophets, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹ 

They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

And there will no longer be any curse, ¹  and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. ²  His ³  servants ⁴  will worship ⁵  him,

Come, let’s deal wisely ¹  with them. Otherwise ²  they will continue to multiply, ³  and if ⁴  a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with ⁵  our enemies and fight against us and leave ⁶  the country.”