But Jesus said, ¹  “Enough of this!” And he touched the man’s ²  ear and healed ³  him.

To them belong the patriarchs, ¹  and from them, ²  by human descent, ³  came the Christ, ⁴  who is God over all, blessed forever! ⁵  Amen.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, ¹  and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ² 

But you should be eager for the greater gifts. And now I will show you a way that is beyond comparison. ¹ 

and most of the brothers and sisters, ¹  having confidence in the Lord ²  because of my imprisonment, now more than ever ³  dare to speak the word ⁴  fearlessly.

And just as Jannes and Jambres ¹  opposed Moses, so these people – who have warped minds and are disqualified in the faith ²  – also oppose the truth.

For he has come to deserve greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house deserves greater honor than the house itself!

So it was necessary for the sketches ¹  of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, ²  but the heavenly things themselves required ³  better sacrifices than these.

surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! ¹  Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! ²  No, ³  my daughters, you must not return with me. ⁴  For my intense suffering ⁵  is too much for you to bear. ⁶  For the Lord is afflicting me!” ⁷ 

At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival before the Lord our God for two entire weeks. This great assembly included people from all over the land, from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt ¹  in the south. ² 

After this Manasseh ¹  built up the outer wall of the City of David ²  on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.

I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews ¹  who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, ²  so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

I will perform a mighty act among them ¹  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ²  Lud ³  (known for its archers ⁴ ), Tubal, Javan, ⁵  and to the distant coastlands ⁶  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor.

So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, my servants. ¹  Do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land where you are captives. ²  The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. ³ 

He will arbitrate ¹  between many peoples and settle disputes between many ²  distant nations. ³  They will beat their swords into plowshares, ⁴  and their spears into pruning hooks. ⁵  Nations will not use weapons ⁶  against other nations, and they will no longer train for war.

Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; ¹  Sarah had long since passed menopause.) ² 

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, ¹  and the Lord had blessed him ²  in everything.

but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find ¹  a wife for my son.’

Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, ¹  for you have become much more powerful ²  than we are.”

But ¹  the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. ²