³³ And while he was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! ^(A)Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still ^(A)hold fast your integrity? ^(B)Curse God and die.”

²¹ They will pass through the land,^[a] greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against^[b] their king and their God, and turn their faces upward.

⁹ They were scorched by the fierce heat, and ^(A)they cursed^[a] the name of God who had power over these plagues. ^(B)They did not repent ^(C)and give him glory.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on ^(D)the throne of the beast, and ^(E)its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish ¹¹ and cursed ^(F)the God of heaven for their pain and ^(G)sores. ^(H)They did not repent of their deeds.

¹¹ so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for ^(A)we are not ignorant of his designs.

⁷ so ^(A)you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought ^(A)always to pray and not ^(B)lose heart.

⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? ^(A)See to it yourself.” ⁵ And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, ^(B)he departed, and he went and hanged himself.