For I desire (A)mercy[a] and (B)not sacrifice,
And the (C)knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 6:6 Or faithfulness or loyalty

22 So Samuel said:

(A)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (B)to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of [a]witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
(C)He also has rejected you from being king.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 15:23 divination

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I (A)anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! (B)Why have you (C)despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? (D)You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, (E)the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will (F)take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, (G)but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

13 (H)So David said to Nathan, (I)“I have sinned against the Lord.”

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has (J)put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord (K)to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” 15 Then Nathan departed to his house.

The Death of David’s Son

And the (L)Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.

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Lying to the Holy Spirit

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (A)But Peter said, “Ananias, why has (B)Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Then Ananias, hearing these words, (C)fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and (D)wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”

She said, “Yes, for so much.”

Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together (E)to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 (F)Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 (G)So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

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The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of (A)prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, (B)so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And (C)though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 NU so I may boast

With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
(A)Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand (B)rivers of oil?
(C)Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
[a]The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has (D)shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But (E)to do justly,
To love [b]mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 6:7 My own child
  2. Micah 6:8 Or lovingkindness

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