Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

After three days ¹  Paul ²  called the local Jewish leaders ³  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ⁴  although I had done ⁵  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ⁶  from Jerusalem ⁷  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ⁸ 

Then she saw ¹  the king standing by the pillar, according to custom. The officers stood beside the king with their trumpets and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!” ² 

I answered them ¹  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ²  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ³  and had been given ⁴  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ⁵ 

You must not walk in the statutes of the nation ¹  which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.

So ¹  Simeon, ²  directed by the Spirit, ³  came into the temple courts, ⁴  and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, ⁵ 

If anyone intends to quarrel about this, we have no other practice, nor do the churches of God.

“It is not our custom here,” ¹  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ²  before the firstborn.

So the Jews committed themselves to continue what they had begun to do and to what Mordecai had written to them.

Turn toward me and extend mercy to me, as you typically do to your loyal followers. ¹ 

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your trade partners; for lambs, rams, and goats they traded with you.

During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, ¹  whomever they wanted.

During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, ¹  whomever they requested.

Then ¹  Jesus ²  went out and made his way, ³  as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives, ⁴  and the disciples followed him.

You must obey my charge to not practice any of the abominable statutes ¹  that have been done before you, so that you do not ²  defile yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.’”

(Now this used to be the customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel: ¹  A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party. ²  This was a legally binding act ³  in Israel.)

Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: ¹  Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork ²  in his hand.

One law and one custom must apply to you and to the resident foreigner who lives alongside you.’”

But they ¹  pay no attention; instead they observe their earlier practices.

The king then inquired of the wise men who were discerners of the times – for it was the royal custom to confer with all those who were proficient in laws and legalities. ¹