<t /><p class="bodytext">With regard to spiritual gifts,<n id="1" /> brothers and sisters,<n id="2" /> I do not want you to be uninformed.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">They court you eagerly,<n id="1" /> but for no good purpose;<n id="2" /> they want to exclude you, so that you would seek them eagerly.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Tell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand the law?<n id="1" />

since he wants<n id="1" /> all people<n id="2" /> to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

But do not accept younger widows on the list,<n id="1" /> because their passions may lead them away from Christ<n id="2" /> and they will desire to marry,

Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it,<n id="1" /> than for doing evil.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">&#8220;O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!<n id="2" /> How often I have longed<n id="3" /> to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but<n id="4" /> you would have none of it!<n id="5" />

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!<n id="2" /> How often I have longed<n id="3" /> to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but<n id="4" /> you would have none of it!<n id="5" />

I tell you the solemn truth,<n id="1" /> when you were young, you tied your clothes around you<n id="2" /> and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up<n id="3" /> and bring you where you do not want to go.&#8221;

But Festus,<n id="1" /> wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, &#8220;Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried<n id="2" /> before me there on these charges?&#8221;<n id="3" />

For I am afraid that somehow when I come I will not find you what I wish, and you will find me<n id="1" /> not what you wish. I am afraid that<n id="2" /> somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition,<n id="3" /> slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

If<n id="1" /> anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths<n id="2" /> and completely consumes<n id="3" /> their enemies. If<n id="4" /> anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way.

Because Joseph, her husband to be,<n id="1" /> was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her<n id="2" /> privately.

And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic,<n id="1" /> give him your coat also.

Give to the one who asks you,<n id="1" /> and do not reject<n id="2" /> the one who wants to borrow from you.p>

And a leper<n id="1" /> approached, and bowed low before him, saying,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Lord, if<n id="3" /> you are willing, you can make me clean.&#8221;

If<n id="1" /> you had known what this means: &#8216;<b><i>I want mercy and not sacrificei>b>,&#8217;<n id="2" /> you would not have condemned the innocent.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then some of the experts in the law<n id="1" /> along with some Pharisees<n id="2" /> answered him,<n id="3" /> &#8220;Teacher, we want to see a sign<n id="4" /> from you.&#8221;

But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt.