and said to one another, "Yes, now we are suffering the consequences of what we did to our brother; we saw the great trouble he was in when he begged for help, but we would not listen. That is why we are in this trouble now."

Reuben said, "I told you not to harm the boy, but you wouldn't listen. And now we are being paid back for his death."

You know very well all the wrong that you did to my father David. The LORD will punish you for it.

She said to Elijah, "Man of God, why did you do this to me? Did you come here to remind God of my sins and so cause my son's death?"

You have done all this, and I have said nothing, so you thought that I am like you. But now I reprimand you and make the matter plain to you.

and you know yourself that you have insulted other people many times.

Now King Herod heard about all this, because Jesus' reputation had spread everywhere. Some people were saying, "John the Baptist has come back to life! That is why he has this power to perform miracles."

When Herod heard it, he said, "He is John the Baptist! I had his head cut off, but he has come back to life!"

As thousands of people crowded together, so that they were stepping on each other, Jesus said first to his disciples, "Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees---I mean their hypocrisy.

So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight, and whatever you have whispered in private in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.

Their conduct shows that what the Law commands is written in their hearts. Their consciences also show that this is true, since their thoughts sometimes accuse them and sometimes defend them.

You say, "Do not commit adultery"---but do you commit adultery? You detest idols---but do you rob temples?

If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything.

He upsets the plans of cunning people, and traps the wise in their own schemes, so that nothing they do succeeds;

(SEE 5:12)

no wicked people have been happy for long.

Heaven reveals their sin, and the earth gives testimony against them.

The heathen have dug a pit and fallen in; they have been caught in their own trap.

The LORD has revealed himself by his righteous judgments, and the wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

May those who try to kill me be completely defeated and confused. May those who are happy because of my troubles be turned back and disgraced.

May those who attack me be defeated and destroyed. May those who try to hurt me be shamed and disgraced.

His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

He straightened up and said to her, "Where are they? Is there no one left to condemn you?"

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."