Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! ¹  Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

With it we bless the Lord ¹  and Father, and with it we curse people ²  made in God’s image.

Elijah was a human being ¹  like us, and he prayed earnestly ²  that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!

but the inner person ¹  of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

yet was rebuked ¹  for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, ²  speaking with a human voice, ³  restrained the prophet’s madness). ⁴ 

But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. ¹ 

The locusts ¹  were not given permission ²  to kill ³  them, but only to torture ⁴  them ⁵  for five months, and their torture was like that ⁶  of a scorpion when it stings a person. ⁷ 

They have ¹  tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability ²  to injure people for five months is in their tails.

Then ¹  the four angels who had been prepared for this ²  hour, day, ³  month, and year were set free to kill ⁴  a third of humanity.

He ¹  performed momentous signs, even making fire come down from heaven in front of people ² 

Then ¹  the fourth angel ²  poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people ³  with fire.

Then ¹  the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, ²  and ³  all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They ⁴  will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven ⁵  with power and great glory.

Then some of the Pharisees began to say, ¹  “This man is not from God, because he does not observe ²  the Sabbath.” ³  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform ⁴  such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division ⁵  among them.

Then the crowd responded, ¹  “We have heard from the law that the Christ ²  will remain forever. ³  How ⁴  can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

“You are the salt ¹  of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, ²  how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

“Be ¹  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

Thus whenever you do charitable giving, ¹  do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues ²  and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, ³  they have their reward.

“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues ¹  and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.

“When ¹  you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive ²  so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, ³  they have their reward.