² So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(A) if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”^(B)

¹⁰ Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust^(A) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

³¹ He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”

¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(A) if even death separates you and me.”^(B)

⁴ After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.^(A)

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.^(B)

⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains,^(C) and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen,^(A) you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”^{(B) 14} Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.^(C)

¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god^(A) will be able to rescue^(B) you from my hand?”