for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quickly.” ¹ 

And if someone sitting down receives a revelation, the person who is speaking should conclude.

So I reflected on all this, ¹  attempting to clear ²  it all up. I concluded that ³  the righteous and the wise, as well as their works, are in the hand of God; whether a person will be loved or hated ⁴  – no one knows what lies ahead. ⁵ 

The first disappeared ¹  and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” I have not seen him since.

Then people will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

They said to one another, ¹  “Who did this?” ²  They investigated the matter thoroughly ³  and concluded ⁴  that Gideon son of Joash had done it.

Then Naomi ¹  said, “Stay put, ²  my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”

So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, ¹  but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens ²  to his advice. ³ 

Yet here he is, speaking publicly, ¹  and they are saying nothing to him. ²  Do the rulers really know that this man ³  is the Christ? ⁴ 

What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not!

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The ¹  rest were hardened,

These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

So then, brothers and sisters, ¹  be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid anyone from speaking in tongues. ² 

But the scripture imprisoned ¹  everything and everyone ²  under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness ³  of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.

“This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put ¹  my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds,” ² 

and he reasoned ¹  that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense ²  he received him back from there.

Her father said, “I really thought ¹  you absolutely despised ²  her, so I gave her to your best man. Her younger sister is more attractive than she is. Take her instead!” ³ 

I decided ¹  to carefully ²  and thoroughly examine ³  all that has been accomplished on earth. ⁴  I concluded: ⁵  God has given people ⁶  a burdensome task ⁷  that keeps them ⁸  occupied. ⁹ 

Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished ¹  and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, ²  I concluded: ³  “All these ⁴  achievements and possessions ⁵  are ultimately ⁶  profitless ⁷  – like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained ⁸  from them ⁹  on earth.”