“Bring trouble ¹  to the Midianites, and destroy them,

Ephraim’s jealousy will end, ¹  and Judah’s hostility ²  will be eliminated. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah, and Judah will no longer be hostile toward Ephraim.

The archers will attack him, ¹  they will shoot at him and oppose him.

Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass Moab and provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as your territory. This is because I have given Ar ¹  to the descendants of Lot ²  as their possession.

But when you come close to the Ammonites, do not harass or provoke them because I am not giving you any of the Ammonites’ land as your possession; I have already given it to Lot’s descendants ¹  as their possession.

because they bring trouble to you by their treachery with which they have deceived ¹  you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, ²  their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague that happened as a result of Peor.”

When ¹  he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, ²  like sheep without a shepherd.

But just as at that time the one born by natural descent ¹  persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, ²  so it is now.

Then the local people ¹  began to discourage ²  the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.

Do you wish to torment ¹  a windblown ²  leaf and chase after dry chaff? ³ 

For they harass ¹  the one whom you discipline; ²  they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. ³ 

All your commands are reliable. I am pursued without reason. ¹  Help me!

For tyrants will disappear, those who taunt will vanish, and all those who love to do wrong will be eliminated ¹  –

This is how they will be repaid for their arrogance, ¹  for they taunted and verbally harassed ²  the people of the Lord who commands armies.

Now because Jesus was doing these things ¹  on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders ²  began persecuting ³  him.

About that time King Herod ¹  laid hands on ²  some from the church to harm them. ³ 

I ¹  persecuted this Way ²  even to the point of death, ³  tying up ⁴  both men and women and putting ⁵  them in prison,

Fathers, ¹  do not provoke ²  your children, so they will not become disheartened.

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.

May those who persecute me be disgraced. Do not let me be disgraced. May they be dismayed. Do not let me be dismayed. Bring days of disaster on them. Bring on them the destruction they deserve.” ¹