He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!” ¹ 

Even when their enemies drive them into captivity, ¹  from there ²  I will command the sword to kill them. I will not let them out of my sight; they will experience disaster, not prosperity.” ³ 

The one who builds his house by unjust gain is as good as dead. ¹  He does this so he can build his nest way up high and escape the clutches of disaster. ² 

Look, I have given you authority to tread ¹  on snakes and scorpions ²  and on the full force of the enemy, ³  and nothing will ⁴  hurt you.

Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers ¹  will in no way be harmed by the second death.’

Why ¹  should the Egyptians say, ²  ‘For evil ³  he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy ⁴  them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent ⁵  of this evil against your people.

Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives – he who has prevented me from harming you – if you had not come so quickly to meet me, by morning’s light not even one male belonging to Nabal would have remained alive!”

“So now the Lord, the God who rules over all, the God of Israel, ¹  asks, ‘Why will you do such great harm to yourselves? Why should every man, woman, child, and baby of yours be destroyed from the midst of Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant?

Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically ¹  unharmed by the fire. ²  The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!

Her ¹  leaders take bribes when they decide legal cases, ²  her priests proclaim rulings for profit, and her prophets read omens for pay. Yet they claim to trust ³  the Lord and say, “The Lord is among us. ⁴  Disaster will not overtake ⁵  us!”

You must not round off the corners of the hair on your head or ruin the corners of your beard. ¹ 

The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed. ¹ 

It’s like the old proverb says: ‘From evil people evil proceeds.’ But my hand will not be against you.

The one true God completely vindicates me; ¹  he makes nations submit to me. ² 

He is wise in heart ¹  and mighty ²  in strength ³  – who has resisted ⁴  him and remained safe? ⁵ 

If ¹  I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy ²  or exulted ³  because calamity ⁴  found him –

or have wronged my ally, ¹  or helped his lawless enemy, ² 

See the one who is pregnant with wickedness, who conceives destructive plans, and gives birth to harmful lies – ¹ 

His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; ¹  his tongue injures and destroys. ²