¹⁸ And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them.

Freedom in Christ

5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.^(A) Stand firm,^(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.^(C)

⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(A)—it is by grace you have been saved.^(B)

⁸ For it is by grace^(A) you have been saved,^(B) through faith^(C)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

⁸ You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,^(A)