¹² As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow, and with her was a large crowd from the town.

⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.

As he went, the crowds pressed in on him.

²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.^(A)

⁴ If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents, for this is pleasing in God’s sight.^{(A) 5} The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,^(B)

⁴¹ He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive.^(A)

³⁹ So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.^(A)

¹⁹ and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.^(A)

⁵² Everyone was weeping and grieving for her, but he said, “Do not cry, for she is not dead but sleeping.”^(A)

Mourning for the Pierced One

¹⁰ And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that, when they look on the one^[a] whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn.^(A)