You made him lower than the angels for a little while. You crowned him with glory and honor. ¹ 

Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith.

But you have dishonored the poor! ¹  Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?

Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint ¹  him with oil in the name of the Lord.

So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you:

From ¹  the elder, ²  to an elect lady ³  and her children, whom I love in truth ⁴  (and not I alone, but also all those ⁵  who know the truth),

Then ¹  I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their ²  number was ten thousand times ten thousand ³  – thousands times thousands –

They ¹  cried out with a loud voice, ²  “How long, ³  Sovereign Master, ⁴  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”

And all the angels stood ¹  there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground ²  before the throne and worshiped God,

Then ¹  the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground ²  and worshiped God

with these words: ¹  “We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, ²  the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign. ³ 

Then ¹  I heard the altar reply, ²  “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, ³  your judgments are true and just!”

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground ¹  and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”

Then ¹  I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army.

So Achish summoned David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you ¹  serving ²  with me in the army. ³  I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion ⁴  of the leaders, you are not reliable. ⁵ 

He was driven from human society, his mind ¹  was changed to that of an animal, he lived ²  with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.

God blessed ¹  them and said ²  to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! ³  Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” ⁴ 

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. ¹  I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. ²  He will become the father of twelve princes; ³  I will make him into a great nation.

May the sovereign God ¹  grant you mercy before the man so that he may release ²  your other brother ³  and Benjamin! As for me, if I lose my children I lose them.” ⁴ 

When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the servant who was over his household, “Bring the men to the house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for the men will eat with me at noon.”