“So now, our God, accept ¹  the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to ²  your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. ³ 

Certainly ¹  I am aware of ²  your many rebellious acts ³  and your numerous sins. You ⁴  torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to ⁵  the needy at the city gate. ⁶ 

They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ¹  government officials and judges take bribes, ²  prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ³ 

Be silent before the Lord God, ¹  for the Lord’s day of judgment ²  is almost here. ³  The Lord has prepared a sacrificial meal; ⁴  he has ritually purified ⁵  his guests.

Know for sure that I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. ¹  All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, ²  and will worship him in unison. ³ 

Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build ¹  the temple. ²  Then I will be pleased and honored,’ ³  says the Lord.

“Choose some people ¹  from among the exiles, namely, Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, all of whom have come from Babylon, and when you have done so go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. ² 

Then take some silver and gold to make a crown ¹  and set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering.

no bag ¹  for the journey, or an extra tunic, ²  or sandals or staff, ³  for the worker deserves his provisions.

And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message, shake the dust off ¹  your feet as you leave that house or that town.

The ¹  seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth ²  choke the word, ³  so it produces nothing.

If ¹  he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If ²  he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like ³  a Gentile ⁴  or a tax collector. ⁵ 

The ¹  chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.”

So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story is told among the Jews to this day. ¹ 

For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer.” ¹  (This means all foods are clean.) ² 

The ¹  angel ²  came ³  to her and said, “Greetings, favored one, ⁴  the Lord is with you!” ⁵ 

So ¹  Mary said, “Yes, ²  I am a servant ³  of the Lord; let this happen to me ⁴  according to your word.” ⁵  Then ⁶  the angel departed from her.

Now one of the Pharisees ¹  asked Jesus ²  to have dinner with him, so ³  he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ⁴ 

As for the seed that ¹  fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but ²  as they go on their way they are choked ³  by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, ⁴  and their fruit does not mature. ⁵