The man replied to Joab, “Even if ¹  I were receiving ²  a thousand pieces of silver, ³  I would not strike ⁴  the king’s son! In our very presence ⁵  the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ ⁶ 

The countries are assembled all around you; ¹  take once more your rightful place over them! ² 

They made him angry by the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered ¹  because of them,

They ¹  devour widows’ property, ²  and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

and to esteem them most highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod ¹  had married her.

“If a man strikes the eye of his male servant or his female servant so that he destroys it, ¹  he will let the servant ²  go free ³  as compensation for the eye.

If he knocks out the tooth of his male servant or his female servant, he will let the servant ¹  go free as compensation for the tooth.

You are children ¹  of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave your forehead bald ²  for the sake of the dead.

Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!” ¹ 

You who tear yourself ¹  to pieces in your anger, will the earth be abandoned ²  for your sake? Or will a rock be moved from its place? ³ 

The Lord says, ‘Be very careful if you value your lives! ¹  Do not carry any loads ²  in through ³  the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

Then I will stop the plague ¹  from ruining your crops, ²  and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord who rules over all.

I knew that you always listen to me, ¹  but I said this ²  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Now a large crowd of Judeans ¹  learned ²  that Jesus ³  was there, and so they came not only because of him ⁴  but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, ¹  believe because of the miraculous deeds ²  themselves.

But they will do all these things to you on account of ¹  my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. ² 

So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ¹  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ² 

but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience,