Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

God has made everything fit beautifully ¹  in its appropriate time, but ²  he has also placed ignorance ³  in the human heart ⁴  so that ⁵  people ⁶  cannot discover what God has ordained, ⁷  from the beginning to the end ⁸  of their lives. ⁹ 

“And you, son of man, this is what will happen on the day I take ¹  from them their stronghold – their beautiful source of joy, the object in which their eyes delight, and the main concern of their lives, ²  as well as their sons and daughters: ³ 

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, ¹  so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, ²  and turn to me, ³  and I would heal them.” ⁴ 

If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I – how can I dispossess them?”

Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, ¹  the Lord your God disciplines you.

Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods! ¹ 

Now if you say to yourselves, ¹  ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’ ²  –

But to this very day the Lord has not given you an understanding mind, perceptive eyes, or discerning ears! ¹ 

“I said, ‘I want to cut them in pieces. ¹  I want to make people forget they ever existed.

The Israelites did not remain true ¹  to the Lord their God, who had delivered them from all the enemies who lived around them.

Relent, ¹  let there be no falsehood; ²  reconsider, ³  for my righteousness is intact! ⁴ 

Will they not ¹  instruct you and ²  speak to you, and bring forth words ³  from their understanding? ⁴ 

“How long until you ¹  make an end of words? ²  You must consider, ³  and then ⁴  we can talk.

I said to myself, ‘Age ¹  should speak, ²  and length of years ³  should make wisdom known.’

to turn a person from his sin, ¹  and to cover a person’s pride. ² 

Yes, ¹  they intend to do you harm; ²  they dream up a scheme, ³  but they do not succeed. ⁴ 

I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about; ¹  I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar. ² 

If we had rejected our God, ¹  and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, ² 

Then they will place their confidence in God. They will not forget the works of God, and they will obey ¹  his commands.