to be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

But for now ¹  I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, ²  coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger ³  and minister ⁴  to me in my need. ⁵ 

And he must be well thought of by ¹  those outside the faith, ²  so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap. ³ 

¹ Then Saul said to David, “Here’s my oldest daughter, Merab. I want to give her to you in marriage. Only be a brave warrior ²  for me and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul thought, “There’s no need for me to raise my hand against him. Let it be the hand of the Philistines!”

“And you, Solomon my son, obey ¹  the God of your father and serve him with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, ²  for the Lord examines all minds and understands every motive of one’s thoughts. If you seek him, he will let you find him, ³  but if you abandon him, he will reject you permanently.

Then Daniel (whose name is also Belteshazzar) was upset for a brief time; ¹  his thoughts were alarming him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream and its interpretation alarm you.” But Belteshazzar replied, “Sir, ²  if only the dream were for your enemies and its interpretation applied to your adversaries!

You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹  Jacob thought, ²  “I will first appease him ³  by sending a gift ahead of me. ⁴  After that I will meet him. ⁵  Perhaps he will accept me.” ⁶ 

So I am legally informing you: ¹  Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people! ²  If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so. ³  But if not, then tell me ⁴  so I will know. ⁵  For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.” ⁶  He replied, “I will redeem it.”

Then Jacob woke up ¹  and thought, ²  “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!”

Don’t worry ¹  about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt will be yours.’”

So Moses thought, ¹  “I will turn aside to see ²  this amazing ³  sight. Why does the bush not burn up?” ⁴ 

Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

“But these things ¹  you have concealed in your heart; I know that this ²  is with you: ³ 

Examine me, O Lord, and test me! Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! ¹ 

The Lord frustrates ¹  the decisions of the nations; he nullifies the plans ²  of the peoples.

Pay attention to me and answer me! I am so upset ¹  and distressed, ²  I am beside myself, ³ 

Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; ¹  their thoughts are sinful. ² 

Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought that the sovereign One ¹  might become inactive. ² 

If I say, “My foot is slipping,” your loyal love, O Lord, supports me.

The plans of the diligent ¹  lead ²  only to plenty, ³  but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. ⁴