“Will the one who contends ¹  with the Almighty correct him? ²  Let the person who accuses God give him an answer!”

The one who refuses correction despises himself, ¹  but whoever hears ²  reproof acquires understanding. ³ 

Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, ¹  so is a wise reprover to the ear of the one who listens. ² 

Be wise, my son, ¹  and make my heart glad, so that I may answer ²  anyone who taunts me. ³ 

It is better for a person to receive ¹  a rebuke from those who are wise ²  than to listen to the song ³  of fools.

Those who stray morally will gain understanding; ¹  those who complain will acquire insight. ² 

And let us not put Christ ¹  to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. ² 

We did this ¹  as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering.

If so, have you not made distinctions ¹  among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? ² 

For God wants you ¹  to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

¹ Therefore ²  you are without excuse, ³  whoever you are, ⁴  when you judge someone else. ⁵  For on whatever grounds ⁶  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

But who indeed are you – a mere human being ¹  – to talk back to God? ²  Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ³ 

¹ Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against ²  Moses because of the Cushite ³  woman he had married ⁴  (for he had married an Ethiopian woman).

With him I will speak face to face, ¹  openly, ²  and not in riddles; and he will see the form ³  of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. ¹  The whole community criticized ²  the leaders,

Then the whole army safely returned to Joshua at the camp in Makkedah. ¹  No one ²  dared threaten the Israelites. ³ 

The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds, ¹  and cisterns.

The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”

And you put my feet in the stocks ¹  and you watch all my movements; ²  you put marks ³  on the soles of my feet.

I also could speak ¹  like you, if ²  you were in my place; I could pile up ³  words against you and I could shake my head at you. ⁴