Maybe they will pay attention and each of them will stop living the evil way they do. ¹  If they do that, then I will forgo destroying them ²  as I had intended to do because of the wicked things they have been doing. ³ 

I will say, ¹  ‘My dear children of Israel, ²  keep in mind the road you took when you were carried off. ³  Mark off in your minds the landmarks. Make a mental note of telltale signs marking the way back. Return, my dear children of Israel. Return to these cities of yours.

“The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Give a message to the king of Judah who sent you to ask me to help him. ¹  Tell him, “The army of Pharaoh that was on its way to help you will go back home to Egypt. ² 

“‘On that day I will assign Gog a grave in Israel. It will be the valley of those who travel east of the sea; it will block the way of the travelers. There they will bury Gog and all his horde; they will call it the valley of Hamon-Gog. ¹ 

The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story; ¹  for the structure ²  surrounding the temple went up story by story all around the temple. For this reason the width of the temple increased as it went up, and one went up from the lowest story to the highest by the way of the middle story.

The prince will enter by way of the porch of the gate from the outside, and will stand by the doorpost of the gate. The priests will provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he will bow down at the threshold of the gate and then go out. But the gate will not be closed until evening.

Let the priests, those who serve the Lord, weep from the vestibule all the way back to the altar. ¹  Let them say, “Have pity, O Lord, on your people; please do not turn over your inheritance to be mocked, to become a proverb ²  among the nations. Why should it be said ³  among the peoples, “Where is their God?”

The best of them is like a thorn; the most godly among them are more dangerous than a row of thorn bushes. ¹  The day you try to avoid by posting watchmen – your appointed time of punishment – is on the way, ²  and then you will experience confusion. ³ 

For you will pay in full for your violent acts against Lebanon; ¹  terrifying judgment will come upon you because of the way you destroyed the wild animals living there. ²  You have shed human blood and committed violent acts against lands, cities, and those who live in them.

“I am about to send my messenger, ¹  who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord ²  you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger ³  of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.

“I ¹  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ²  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ³  who refuse to help ⁴  the immigrant ⁵  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so ¹  the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”

Then Jesus called the ¹  disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way.”

For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, ¹  and some who were made eunuchs ²  by others, ³  and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, ¹  saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²  You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. ³ 

They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. ¹  Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.

When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality ¹  but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ²  Is it right ³  to pay taxes ⁴  to Caesar ⁵  or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, ¹  make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, ²  and the officer throw you into prison.

He came ¹  to us, took ²  Paul’s belt, ³  tied ⁴  his own hands and feet with it, ⁵  and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over ⁶  to the Gentiles.’”

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹  can testify about me. From them ²  I also received ³  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ⁴  to make arrests there and bring ⁵  the prisoners ⁶  to Jerusalem ⁷  to be punished.