Daniel 4 Cross References - ISV

¹ Nebuchadnezzar’s Testimonial AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING
To the people of all nations and languages who live on earth.
Peace and prosperity to you! ² It gives me great pleasure to tell about the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. ³ How great are his signs!How powerful are his wonders!His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.
⁴ Nebuchadnezzar’s DreamI, Nebuchadnezzar, was resting in my home and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me. ⁶ So I gave an order to bring in all of the advisors of Babylon so they would tell me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then the diviners, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers came in, and I told them the dream. But they could not reveal its interpretation to me. ⁸ Eventually, Daniel appeared before me. (He is called Belteshazzar, in accordance with the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is within him.) I told him my dream: ⁹ “Belteshazzar, chief of the diviners, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is within you, and no mystery too difficult for you, explain to me the vision of my dream that I saw, along with its interpretation. ¹⁰ This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and—listen carefully!—I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great. ¹¹ The tree grew large, became strong, and its top reached the sky. It could be seen to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it. ¹³ “Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed—and take careful notice!—I saw a holy observer descend from heaven. ¹⁴ He called out aloud:‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave its branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of an animal until seven seasons of time pass by for him. ¹⁷ This order is announced by the observers, and the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires, and he places the least important of men over them.’ ¹⁸ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, since none of the advisors in my kingdom can tell me its interpretation. But you are able to do so because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
¹⁹ Daniel’s InterpretationThen Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was greatly troubled for a while and was terrified by his thoughts. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its meaning terrify you.”
Belteshazzar responded, “Your majesty, if only the dream were about your enemies and its meaning about those who oppose you! ²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong until its top reached the sky and became visible to the whole earth ²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit—enough food for everyone—and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches— ²² it’s you, your majesty! You’ve become great and strong, your greatness has grown to the heavens, and your dominion reaches to the distant parts of the earth.
²³ “Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.’
²⁴ “This is the meaning, your majesty, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against his majesty, the king: ²⁵ You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires. ²⁶ Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything. ²⁷ Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what’s right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue.”
²⁸ The Dream Comes TrueAll of this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ About a year later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ he commented to himself, “Isn’t Babylon great? I’ve built a royal palace in it by my own might and power, for the sake of my majesty.”
³¹ As these words were being spoken by the king, a voice came out of heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: ‘The kingdom has been taken from you! ³² You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”
³³ The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”
³⁴ The King’s Sanity Returns“When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. ³⁵ All who live on the earth are nothing compared to him. He does what he wishes with the heavenly armies and with those who live on earth. No one can hold back his power or say to him, ‘What did you do?’
³⁶ At that moment I recovered my sanity, and my honor and majesty returned to me, for the sake of my kingdom. My advisors and officials sought me out, my throne was restored, and even more greatness than I had before was added to me. ³⁷ In conclusion, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and give glory to the King of heaven: For everything he does is true, his ways are just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, leader of the Thirty, and he said, “David, we belong to you; we’re with you, son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to the one who helps you! For your deliverer is your God.”
So David received them and assigned them to be officers over troops.

¹⁷ The Response of AhasuerusThe king replied: To: Governor Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues living in Samaria, and the remainder living beyond the Euphrates River. Greetings:

⁷ The letter sent to him was written like this: To: King Darius: Greetings!

¹² The king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and all that Haman commanded was written to the regional authorities of the king, to the governors who were over each province, and to the officials of each people. This order was translated in the name of King Ahasuerus into the language of each province and bore the seal of the king’s signet ring.

⁹ The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, which is the month Sivan, and everything that Mordecai commanded the Jewish people, the regional authorities, the governors, and the provincial officials of the 127 provinces from India to Cush was written down for each province according to its script, for each people according to their language, and for the Jewish people according to their script and language.

⁴ Then a herald proclaimed aloud: “People of all nations, and languages are commanded:

²⁹ So I decree that people from any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will be destroyed and their house reduced to rubble, because there is no other god who can save like this.”

²⁵ Darius Exonerates DanielAfterward, King Darius wrote to all peoples, nations, and languages who lived throughout his realm:
“May great prosperity be yours!

²⁷ He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

¹⁴ To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion—it will never pass away—and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

²³ “This is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘In the future, ten men speaking all the languages of the nations will grab hold of one Jewish person by the hem of his garment and say, “Let us go up to Jerusalem with you, because we heard that God is with you.”’”

⁶ When that sound came, a crowd quickly gathered, startled because each one heard the disciples speaking in his own language.

⁷ To: Everyone in Rome, loved by God and called to be holy.
May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!

² May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours!

² To: Timothy, my genuine child in the faith.
May grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Messiah Jesus, our Lord, be yours!

² the people chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah, and to be sprinkled with his blood.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance!

¹⁹ Joshua then spoke to Achan, “My son, give glory and praise to the LORD God of Israel. Tell me right now what you did. Don’t hide anything.”

¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of shedding blood, God, God of my salvation. Then my tongue will sing about your righteousness.

¹⁶ Come and listen, all of you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.

¹⁸ Also, when I reach old age and have gray hair, God, do not forsake me, until I have declared your power to this generation and your might to the next one.

¹ A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath Day
Praise and Thanksgiving to God It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praise to your name, Most High; ² to proclaim your gracious love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fire furnace. He shouted out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.

³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted this Way, even executing people, and kept tying up both men and women and putting them in prison, ⁵ as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.
⁶ “But while I was on my way and approaching Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷ I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’
⁸ “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“He told me, ‘I’m Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ ⁹ The men who were with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
¹⁰ “Then I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’
“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.’ ¹¹ Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.
¹² “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man with respect to the Law and who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, ¹³ came to me. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ At that moment I could see him.
¹⁴ “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice, ¹⁵ because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’

⁹ Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth. ¹⁰ That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death. ¹¹ I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.
¹² “That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests. ¹³ On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.
¹⁴ “All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.’
¹⁵ “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“The Lord answered, ‘I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet, because I’ve appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you’ve seen and of what I’ll show you.

³⁴ Or has any god ever taken for himself one nation out from another nation with testings, signs, wonders, wars, awesome power, and magnificent, terrifying deeds as the LORD your God did in Egypt before your eyes?

² “Dominion and fear belong to God; who fashions peace in his high heaven.

⁷ He rules by his power forever, his eyes watching over the nations. Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Interlude

¹⁹ Your many righteous deeds, God, are great, ²⁰ God, who can compare to you, who caused me to experience troubles that were numerous and disastrous? You will return to revive me and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

¹⁸ Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does awesome deeds.

¹⁹ Your way was through the sea, and your path through mighty waters, but your footprints cannot be traced.

¹⁰ For you are great, and you are doing awesome things; you alone are God.

⁵ How great are your works, LORD! Your thoughts are unfathomable.

²⁴ How numerous are your works, LORD! You have made them all wisely; the earth is filled with your creations.

²⁷ They performed his signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.

¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your authority endures from one generation to another. ^13bGod is faithful about everything he says and merciful in everything he does.

⁷ Of the growth of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule over his kingdom, sitting on the throne of David, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.

¹ Praise to the Victorious God LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for you have done marvelous things, plans made long ago in faithfulness and truth.

²⁹ This insight also comes from the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, who is distinguished in practical advice and magnificent in sound wisdom.”

¹⁰ The LORD is the true God; he’s the living God and the everlasting king. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

⁴⁴ “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

¹⁷ This order is announced by the observers, and the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires, and he places the least important of men over them.’

³⁴ The King’s Sanity Returns“When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation. ³⁵ All who live on the earth are nothing compared to him. He does what he wishes with the heavenly armies and with those who live on earth. No one can hold back his power or say to him, ‘What did you do?’

²⁶ “I hereby decree that in every area of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, who endures forever. His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed, and his dominion continues forever. ²⁷ He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

²⁷ Then the kingdom, authority, and magnificence of all nations of the earth will be given to the people who are the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will endure forever, and all authorities will serve him and obey him.’

³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

³³ In Praise of God’s WaysO how deep are God’s riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways!

¹⁷ Now to the King Eternal—the immortal, invisible, and only God—be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.

⁸ But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of your kingdom is a righteous scepter.

⁴ while God added his testimony through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

¹¹ Whoever speaks must speak God’s words. Whoever serves must serve with the strength that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah. Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen.

¹⁵ The Vision of the Seventh Angel Blowing His TrumpetWhen the seventh angel blew his trumpet, there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The world’s kingdom has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever.”

⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.” ⁷ By your favor, LORD, you established me as a strong mountain; Then you hid your face, and I was dismayed.

⁷ You said, ‘I will always continue—Queen forever!’ You didn’t take these things into your thinking, nor did you think about their consequences. ⁸ “Now hear this, you wanton creature, lounging with no cares, and saying to herself: ‘I am the one, and there will be none besides me; I won’t live as a widow, nor will I see the loss of children.’

¹² “‘Come!’ they say, ‘let’s have some wine, and let’s fill ourselves with strong drink! Then, tomorrow will be like today, or even much better!’”

¹¹ Moab has been at ease from his youth. He has been undisturbed like wine on its dregs and not poured from vessel to vessel. He has not gone into exile. Therefore, his flavor has remained, and his aroma has not changed.

² “Son of Man, tell Tyre’s Commander-in-Chief, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “Because your heart is arrogant, and because you keep saying, ‘I have taken my seat, I am a god, seated in God’s seat right in the middle of the sea,’ and because you’re a man, and not a god, even though you pretend that you have a god-like heart… ³ Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you? No secret is too mysterious for you! ⁴ Your wisdom and understanding brought you phenomenal wealth. You’ve brought gold and silver into your treasuries. ⁵ By your great wisdom, by your skills in trading you have amassed wealth for yourself and your heart has become arrogant because of your wealth.”

¹⁷ Your heart grew arrogant because of your beauty; you annihilated your own wisdom because of your splendor. Then I threw you to the ground in the presence of kings, giving them a good look at you!

³ Tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Watch out! I’m coming to get you, Pharaoh, king of Egypt! You big monster! You lay in wait in the middle of your waterways and say, “My waterways belong to me! I made them for myself!”

¹² And it will come about that I will search Jerusalem with candles, punishing the self-satisfied and complacent, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do neither good nor evil.’

¹⁹ Then I’ll say to myself, “You’ve stored up plenty of good things for many years. Take it easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’ ²⁰ But God told him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you’ve accumulated?’

² for you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.

¹ Pharaoh’s DreamTwo years later—to the day—Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,

¹³ For I’ve said, ‘My bed will comfort me; my couch will ease my burdens while I complain.’ ¹⁴ But then you scared me with dreams; you terrified me with visions.

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar’s DreamDuring the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn’t sleep.

²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.“While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows: ²⁹ Your majesty, when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place.

⁵ The Handwriting on the WallAt that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall. ⁶ While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels and his knees knocked together.

¹⁰ Hearing the voices of the king and his officials, the queen entered the banquet hall. “Your majesty, live forever,” the queen said. “Don’t be frightened by your thoughts or allow your facial expression to show it.

²⁸ “At this point the vision ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts continued to alarm me, and I lost my natural color, but I kept quiet about the matter.”

⁷ and ate up the seven plump, fruit-filled ears. Then Pharaoh woke up a second time, and it had been a very vivid dream!
⁸ Pharaoh Seeks an InterpretationThe very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

¹⁹ Rejecting Occultic Wisdom“So when they advise you, ‘Ask the mediums your questions, and quiz the spiritists who chirp and mutter,’ shouldn’t a people instead be consulting their God— and not the dead— on behalf of those who are living

¹² “But stand up now with your spells and your many incantations, at which you have labored from your childhood until today, ¹³ according to your multiple schemes. Let them stand up now— those who conjure the heavens and gaze at the stars, predicting at the new moons— and save you from what is about to happen to them. ¹⁴ “See, they are just like stubble; fire burns them up. They could not even save themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals for warming oneself, no fire to sit by.

² So the king gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,

⁸ Pharaoh Seeks an InterpretationThe very next morning, he was frustrated about the dream, so he sent word to summon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them what he had dreamed, but no one could interpret them.

²⁵ who frustrates the omens of idle talkers, and drives diviners mad, who turns back the wise, and makes their knowledge foolish;

⁹ You aren’t to listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, and your sorcerers who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰ They’re prophesying a lie to you in order to remove you far away from your land. I’ll drive you out and you will perish.

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar’s DreamDuring the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him. As a result, he couldn’t sleep. ² So the king gave orders to summon diviners, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans to reveal to the king what he had dreamed. When they came and stood before him,

⁷ They replied again, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we’ll disclose its meaning.”

¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered the king directly, “There’s not a single man on earth who can do what the king has commanded. No king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such a thing from any diviner, enchanter, or Chaldean.

²⁷ By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king:“None of the advisors, enchanters, diviners, or astrologers can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known.

⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and their faith is a counterfeit. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those two men, their stupidity will be plain to everyone.

¹⁷ Then I’ll come down and speak with you. I’ll take some of the spirit that rests on you and apportion it among them, so that they may help you bear the burden of the people. That way, you won’t bear it by yourself.”
¹⁸ God Threatens to Provide Meat“But give this command to the people: ‘You are to consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow you’re going to eat meat, since you’ve complained where the LORD can hear it, “Who can give us meat to eat? After all, life was better with us in Egypt.” Therefore, the LORD is going to give you meat and you’ll eat— ¹⁹ not only for a day, or for two days, or for five days, or for ten days, or for 20 days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out your nostrils and makes you vomit. This is because you’ve despised the LORD, who is among you, and you cried out in his presence by complaining, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”
²¹ Moses Doubts God’s AbilityMoses responded, “I’m with 600,000 people on foot and you’re saying I am to give them enough meat to eat for a whole month? ²² What if we were to slaughter our entire inventory of flocks and herds for them? Would that be enough? What if we could gather all the fish in the sea in nets for them? Would that be enough, either?”
²³ God Rebukes MosesBut the LORD responded to Moses, “Is the LORD short on power? You’re now going to witness whether what I say will come to pass or not.”
²⁴ So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He gathered 70 men from the elders of the people and stationed them around the tent. ²⁵ The LORD came down in a cloud, spoke to Moses, and made an apportionment from the spirit who rested on him to the 70 elders. When the spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but that was it.
²⁶ Now two men had remained in camp. One was named Eldad and the other was named Medad. When the spirit rested on them, since they were among those who were listed but had not gone out to the tent, they stayed behind and prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
²⁸ In response, Nun’s son Joshua, Moses’ attendant and one of his choice men, exclaimed, “My master Moses! Stop them!”
²⁹ “Are you jealous on account of me?” Moses asked in reply. “I wish all of the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!” ³⁰ Then Moses—that is, he and the elders of Israel—returned to the camp.

¹ God is Unique and Eternal “Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low. Their idols are on beasts, on livestock. Your loads are more burdensome than their reports.

¹¹ Then they remembered the days of old, of Moses his servant. Where is the one who brought up out of the sea the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,

² “Declare and proclaim among the nations. Lift up a banner and proclaim. Don’t conceal anything. Say, ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be disgraced, and Marduk will be destroyed. Her idols will be disgraced, and her filthy images will be destroyed.’

⁷ The chief officer assigned the name “Belteshazzar” to Daniel, the name “Shadrach” to Hananiah, the name “Meshach” to Mishael, and the name “Abednego” to Azariah.

¹¹ Furthermore, what the king is asking is so difficult that no one can reveal it except the gods—and they don’t live with human beings.”

⁹ “Belteshazzar, chief of the diviners, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is within you, and no mystery too difficult for you, explain to me the vision of my dream that I saw, along with its interpretation.

¹⁸ “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, since none of the advisors in my kingdom can tell me its interpretation. But you are able to do so because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

¹¹ There’s a man in your kingdom in whom dwells the spirit of the holy gods. During your grandfather’s reign, he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom, like that of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar—your kingly predecessor—appointed him to be chief administrator over the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, ¹² because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding, along with an ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. His name is Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel, and he will reveal the meaning of the writing.”

¹⁴ I’ve heard about you, that a spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom.

⁶ The LORD said, “Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them! ⁷ Come on! Let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they won’t understand each other’s speech.”
⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city.

⁹ The Security Advisor’s DreamSo the senior security advisor related his dream to Joseph. “In my dream,” he said, “all of a sudden there was a vine in front of me! ¹⁰ On the vine were three branches that budded. Blossoms shot out, and clusters grew up that produced ripe grapes. ¹¹ Then, with Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, then handed the cup directly to Pharaoh.”
¹² Then Joseph told him, “This is what your dream means: The three branches are three days. ¹³ Within three days, Pharaoh will encourage you and return you to your responsibilities. You’ll attend to Pharaoh’s personal wine cup, just as you did when you were his senior security advisor. ¹⁴ But keep me in mind when things go well for you. Be sure to extend kindness to me by remembering me to Pharaoh. Bring me out of this prison, ¹⁵ because I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews. Not only that, I haven’t done anything that deserves me being confined to this pit.”
¹⁶ The Head Chef’s DreamWhen the head chef heard that the interpretation was good, he told Joseph, “I was also in my dream. All of a sudden, there were three baskets with white bread stacked on top of my head. ¹⁷ There was all kinds of food in the basket that was on top, including baked food for Pharaoh. The birds were eating them from the basket on my head.”
¹⁸ Joseph replied, “This is what your dream means: The three baskets are also three days. ¹⁹ Within three more days, Pharaoh will behead you and hang you on gallows, where birds will eat your flesh from you.”

¹⁵ “I’ve had a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “but nobody can interpret it. I’ve heard that you can interpret dreams.”
¹⁶ “I can’t do that,” Joseph replied, “but God is concerned about Pharaoh’s well-being.”
¹⁷ So Pharaoh told Joseph, “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, ¹⁸ and all of a sudden seven healthy, plump, beautiful cows emerged from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds that line the bank. ¹⁹ Just then, seven other cows emerged after them, poor, ugly, and appearing very gaunt in their flesh. I’ve never seen anything as ugly as those cows anywhere in the entire land of Egypt! ²⁰ But those thin, gaunt cows gobbled up the first seven healthy cows! ²¹ Not only that,” Pharaoh continued, “after they had finished devouring the cows, nobody could tell that they had gobbled them up, because they were just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. ²² Later, I also dreamed about seven plump, fruit-filled ears of grain that grew up out of a single stalk. ²³ All of a sudden, seven thin, withered ears of grain, scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. ²⁴ But the thin ears gobbled up the seven good ears. I told all this to my advisors, but nobody was able to explain it to me.”
²⁵ Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream“Pharaoh’s dreams are identical,” Joseph replied. “God has told Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. ²⁶ The seven healthy cows represent seven years, as do the seven healthy ears. The dreams are identical. ²⁷ The seven gaunt cows that arose after the healthy cows are seven years, as are the seven gaunt ears scorched by the east wind. There will be seven years of famine. ²⁸ So the message that I have for Pharaoh is that God is telling Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. ²⁹ Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that ³¹ there will be no surplus in the land due to the coming famine, because it will be very severe.
³² “Now since Pharaoh had that dream twice, it means that this event has been scheduled by God, and God will bring it to pass very soon. ³³ Therefore let Pharaoh select a wise, discerning person to place in charge over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Also, let Pharaoh immediately proceed to appoint supervisors over the land of Egypt, who will collect one fifth of its agricultural production during the coming seven years of abundance. ³⁵ Let them collect all the food during the coming fruitful years, store up the grain in cities governed by Pharaoh’s authority, and place it under guard. ³⁶ Let the food be kept in reserve to feed the land for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout Egypt, so the people don’t die during the famine.”

³⁸ so Pharaoh asked his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—someone in whom the Spirit of God lives?

¹³ Gideon arrived just as a soldier was talking to a friend about a dream. “Look!” he was saying. “I had a dream that went like this: A loaf of barley bread rolled into the Midianite encampment, came to a tent, and collided with it. The loaf of bread fell down, turned upside down, and the tent collapsed!”
¹⁴ Then his friend replied, “Can this be anything else than the sword of Joash’s son Gideon, that man from Israel? God must have given Midian and the entire encampment into his control!”
¹⁵ When Gideon heard the tale of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down in worship and then returned to the Israeli encampment.
Gideon’s 300 AttackThere he announced, “Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite army into your control!”

⁸ How terrible for us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert.

¹⁸ Your mind will ponder at that time of terror: ‘Where is the king’s accountant? Where is the one who weighed the revenue? Where is the officer who supervises the towers?’

¹⁴ “In righteousness you’ll be established; you will be far from tyranny, for you won’t be afraid, and from terror, for it won’t come near you.

³ Look! You’re wiser than Daniel, aren’t you? No secret is too mysterious for you!

²⁰ In every matter of wisdom or understanding that the king discussed with them, he found them ten times superior to all the astrologers and enchanters in his entire palace.

³ the king told them, “I have dreamed a dream and I will remain troubled until I can understand it.”
⁴ The Chaldeans responded to the king in Aramaic: “May the king live forever. Tell the dream to your servants, and we’ll reveal its meaning.”
⁵ In reply the king told the Chaldeans, “Here is what I have commanded: If you don’t tell me both the dream and its meaning, you’ll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

⁴⁸ Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and lavished many great gifts on him, including making him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over the advisors of Babylon.

⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me.

⁸ Eventually, Daniel appeared before me. (He is called Belteshazzar, in accordance with the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is within him.) I told him my dream:

¹¹ There’s a man in your kingdom in whom dwells the spirit of the holy gods. During your grandfather’s reign, he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom, like that of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar—your kingly predecessor—appointed him to be chief administrator over the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

³⁵ I once observed a wicked and oppressive person, flourishing like a green tree in native soil. ³⁶ But then he passed away; in fact, he simply was not there. When I looked for him, he could not be found.

³³ Behold, the Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies will lop off its boughs with terrifying power; the tallest in height will be cut down, and the lofty will be brought low. ³⁴ He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an ax, and Lebanon will fall by the Majestic One.”

² You plant them and they take root, they grow and bear fruit. “You are near to us,” they say with their mouths, but the truth is that you’re far from their hearts.

³ Think about Assyria, that cedar of Lebanon, beautiful with its branches, like a shady forest, with an awesome height, its summit touches the clouds. ⁴ Abundant water made it great, Subterranean rivers made it grow. Rivers surrounded the area where it had been planted, and water channels nourished all the trees in the fields. ⁵ That’s why it grew taller than any of the trees in the fields. Its boughs flourished. Its branches grew luxurious because all the water made it spread out well. ⁶ The birds in the sky made nests in its boughs; all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches. All the great nations rested in its shade. ⁷ ‘Beautiful because it was so great, with its long branches, it was rooted in many bodies of water. ⁸ The cedars in God’s garden could not compare to it; Fir trees could not match its boughs. The plane tree never grew branches like it, and no tree in God’s garden compares to its beauty. ⁹ I made it beautiful, including all of its branches; all the trees in God’s garden of Eden envied it!’”
¹⁰ Assyria’s Fall Due to Arrogance“Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because of its towering height, with its summit reaching into the clouds, and because it was haughty in its position, ¹¹ I turned it over to the leader of those nations, who dealt with it thoroughly. I have driven it away because of its wickedness. ¹² Foreign dictators have trimmed it down to size and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen off on mountains and in all the valleys. Its boughs have broken off in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth have moved out of its shade and abandoned it. ¹³ All the birds in the sky will live among its ruins, and the wild animals will forage among its branches. ¹⁴ As a result, none of its watered trees will grow tall, their tops will never reach to the clouds, and they’ll never grow so high again, because all of them have been appointed to death in the world beneath where human beings go, that is, down to the Pit.’”
¹⁵ Fear at Assyria’s Fall“This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the day that it descended into Sheol, I shut down its water supplies, covered over its deep water, and shut down its rivers. As a result its abundant water sources dried up, and I caused Lebanon to mourn for it. All the trees of the field wilted because of it. ¹⁶ I made the nations tremble when they heard that Assyria was falling, descending into Sheol to join those who go down into the Pit. Then all of the trees of Eden in the world below were comforted, including the choicest and best of Lebanon, all of whom were well-watered. ¹⁷ They also went down with it into Sheol, to those who had been killed violently and to those who had trusted in its strength by living in its shadow among the nations. ¹⁸ So tell me now, which of the trees of Eden compares to you in glory or greatness? Nevertheless, you’ll be brought down, along with those trees of Eden, to the earth below. You’ll lie in the middle of the uncircumcised, with those who have been killed in war. Pharaoh and all his gang will be just like this!’ declares the Lord GOD.”

²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong until its top reached the sky and became visible to the whole earth ²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit—enough food for everyone—and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches— ²² it’s you, your majesty! You’ve become great and strong, your greatness has grown to the heavens, and your dominion reaches to the distant parts of the earth.
²³ “Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.’
²⁴ “This is the meaning, your majesty, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against his majesty, the king: ²⁵ You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires. ²⁶ Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything.

⁴ Then they said, “Come on! Let’s build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let’s make a name for ourselves so we won’t be scattered over the surface of the whole earth.”

¹ When the LORD Fulfills His Promise“Listen, Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and dispossess greater and mightier nations than you, who live in large cities that are fortified to the sky.

²¹ with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit—enough food for everyone—and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches— ²² it’s you, your majesty! You’ve become great and strong, your greatness has grown to the heavens, and your dominion reaches to the distant parts of the earth.

²³ “And you, Capernaum! You won’t be lifted up to heaven, will you? You’ll go down to Hell! Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.

⁶ Now I’ve given all these lands to my servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I’ve even given him the wild animals to serve him. ⁷ All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his country’s time also comes, and then many nations and great kings will use him as a slave.

²⁰ The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. About him we had said, “Under his protection we will survive among the nations.”

²³ I’ll transplant it on Israel’s land, and it will grow branches, bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. All sorts of birds will rest under it, and they’ll settle down in the shade of its branches.

⁶ The birds in the sky made nests in its boughs; all the beasts of the field gave birth under its branches. All the great nations rested in its shade. ⁷ ‘Beautiful because it was so great, with its long branches, it was rooted in many bodies of water.

³² Although it is the smallest of all seeds, when it is fully grown it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, and the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.”

³² The Unknown Day and Hour of the Messiah’s Return
“No one knows when that day or hour will come—not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.

¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”

² He said: “The LORD came from Sinai. Rising from Seir upon us, he shone forth from Mount Paran, accompanied by a myriad of his holy ones, with flaming fire from his right hand for them.

⁷ God is feared in the council of the holy ones, revered by all those around him.

²⁰ Bless the LORD, you angels who belong to him, you mighty warriors who carry out his commands, who are obedient to the sound of his words.

¹⁰ This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and—listen carefully!—I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great.

²³ “Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.’

¹ The Vision of the Four BeastsIn the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel dreamed a dream, receiving visions in his mind while in bed, after which he recorded the dream, relating this summary of events.

¹⁷ He said, ‘These four great animals are four kings who will rise to power from the earth.

²³ So he said: ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trampling it down and crushing it.

¹³ The Duration of the Desolation“Then I heard one holy person speaking, and another holy person addressed the one who was speaking: ‘In the vision about the regular burnt offering, how much time elapses while the desecration terrifies and both the Holy Place and the Heavenly Army are trampled?’

⁵ You will run away through my mountain valley, because the valley of the mountains will extend as far as Azal. You will flee, as you fled from the earthquake during the reign of King Uzziah of Judah. And so the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones will be accompanying you.”

³¹ The Judgment of the Nations“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels are with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

²⁴ “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

³⁴ “Oh, no! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

¹⁴ Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about these people when he said, “Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy ones.

¹⁰ will drink the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured undiluted into the cup of his anger. He will be tortured with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb.

⁶ Flee from Babylon, and each of you, escape with your life! Don’t be destroyed because of her guilt, for it’s time for the LORD’s vengeance. He is paying back what is due to her.

⁹ We tried to heal Babylon, but she wouldn’t be healed. Leave her, and let each of us go to his own country. For her judgment has reached to the heavens, and is lifted up to the sky.

¹² Foreign dictators have trimmed it down to size and abandoned it. Its branches have fallen off on mountains and in all the valleys. Its boughs have broken off in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth have moved out of its shade and abandoned it. ¹³ All the birds in the sky will live among its ruins, and the wild animals will forage among its branches.

¹² Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it.

²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

¹⁰ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree that isn’t producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹⁹ Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.

⁹ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.”

⁷ So he told the gardener, ‘Look here! For three years I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this tree but I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it waste the soil?’ ⁸ But the gardener replied, ‘Sir, leave it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ Maybe next year it will bear fruit. If not, then cut it down.’”

³ he shouted in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he shouted, the seven thunders spoke with voices of their own.

² He cried out in a powerful voice, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a prison for every unclean spirit, a prison for every unclean bird, and a prison for every unclean and hated beast.

⁷ Death is Certain“There is hope for the tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots won’t stop growing. ⁸ Even if its roots have grown ancient in the earth, and its stump begins to rot in the ground, ⁹ the presence of water will make it to bud so that it sprouts new branches like a young plant.

¹⁴ I’ll restore the economy of Egypt and return them to the land of Pathros, from which they originated, and there they will remain an insignificant kingdom, ¹⁵ the least significant of kingdoms. It will never again dominate other nations. I will make them so small that they will never again rule any nation.

²⁵ You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires. ²⁶ Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything. ²⁷ Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what’s right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue.”

¹⁰ Dull the mind of this people, deafen their ears, and blind their eyes. By doing so, they won’t see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed.”

²⁵ You’ll be driven from people, and you’ll live among wild animals of the field. You’ll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by—until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.

³¹ As these words were being spoken by the king, a voice came out of heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: ‘The kingdom has been taken from you! ³² You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”
³³ The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”

²⁵ He’ll speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One. He’ll attempt to alter times and laws, and they’ll be given into his control for a time, times, and half a time.

¹³ The northern king will return and raise a greater army than before. After a few years, he’ll advance with a great force and with a vast amount of armaments.’”

⁷ “I heard the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river as he lifted his right and left hands to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half. When the shattering of the power of the holy people has occurred, all these things will conclude.”

⁴ He had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him. ⁵ He kept screaming night and day among the tombs and on the mountainsides, and kept cutting himself with stones.

²⁷ When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a man from the city met him. This man was controlled by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he screamed, fell down in front of him, and cried out in a loud voice, “What do you want from me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!” ²⁹ because Jesus was in the process of ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the man. On many occasions the unclean spirit had seized the man, and though he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon into deserted places.

¹¹ They will come to an end, but you will remain forever. They will all wear out like clothes.

¹⁴ However, the woman was given the two wings of a large eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time.

¹⁶ However, I’ve kept you standing in order to show you my power and to declare my name in all the earth.

⁸ He raises the poor up from the dust, he lifts up the needy from the trash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has set the world on them.

²⁵ It can be truly said that no one else sold himself to practice what the LORD considered to be evil quite like the way Ahab did, because his wife Jezebel incited him.

¹⁹ But Micaiah responded, “Therefore, listen to what the LORD has to say. I saw the LORD, sitting on his throne, and the entire Heavenly Army was standing around him on his right hand and on his left hand.
²⁰ “The LORD asked, ‘Who will tempt King Ahab of Israel to attack Ramoth-gilead, so that he will die there?’ And one was saying one thing and one was saying another.

⁶ He made his son into a burnt offering, practiced witchcraft, used divination, and consorted with mediums and spirit-channelers. He practiced many things that the LORD considered to be evil and provoked him.
⁷ He also erected the carved image of Asherah that he had made inside the Temple about which the LORD had spoken to David and to his son Solomon, “I will put my Name forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all of the tribes of Israel. ⁸ And I will not make Israel’s feet to wander anymore from the land that I have given to their ancestors, if they will only be careful to do everything that I have commanded them according to the entire Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” ⁹ But they would not listen. Manasseh led them astray to practice more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed in the presence of the Israelis.
¹⁰ The LORD Rebukes Manasseh’s IdolatrySo the LORD announced through his prophets, ¹¹ “Because King Manasseh of Judah has committed these despicable things, acting more sinfully than did all of the Amorites who preceded him, including making Judah sin with its idols, ¹² therefore this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Look! I’m going to bring such a disaster to Jerusalem and Judah that both ears of those who hear about it will ring. ¹³ I’ll stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line that is Samaria and the plumb line that is Ahab’s dynasty. Then I’ll wipe Jerusalem like one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down! ¹⁴ I will abandon the survivors of my heritage and hand them over to their enemies. They will become war booty and spoil to all of their enemies, ¹⁵ because they have done what I consider to be evil and they have provoked me from the day their ancestors left Egypt right up to this day!’”
¹⁶ In addition to this, Manasseh shed lots of innocent blood—until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another—besides his sin by which he caused Judah to sin by practicing what the LORD considered to be evil. ¹⁷ The rest of Manasseh’s deeds, including everything that he accomplished and the sin that he practiced, are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? ¹⁸ Manasseh died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the garden at his home in the Garden of Uzza. His son Amon became king in his place.

²² The Apostasy and Death of Ahaz
In the midst of his troubles, King Ahaz became more and more unfaithful to the LORD.

¹⁶ The LORD has made himself known, executing judgment. The wicked are ensnared by what their hands have made. Interlude

⁸ The wicked, however, keep walking around, exalting the vileness of human beings.

⁶ For exaltation comes not from the east, the west, or the wilderness, ⁷ since God is the judge. This one he will debase or that one he will exalt.

¹⁷ Let them be humiliated and terrified permanently until they die in shame. ¹⁸ Then they will know that you alone— whose name is LORD— are the Most High over all the earth.

⁷ He lifts the poor person from the dust, raising the needy from the trash pile ⁸ and giving him a seat among nobles— with the nobles of his people.

³ They kept on calling to each other: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of the Heavenly Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the LORD as he was asking, “Whom will I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am!” I replied. “Send me.”

⁵ “By my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth, mankind, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, and I give it to whomever I see fit.

²⁴ Therefore, I’m bringing the worst of the nations, who will take possession of their houses. I’ll cause the pride of the mighty to cease, and their sanctuaries will be profaned.

¹⁷ I’ll take vengeance on them, punishing them severely in my anger. They’ll know that I am the LORD when I take my vengeance on them.”’”

²¹ It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

⁸ Eventually, Daniel appeared before me. (He is called Belteshazzar, in accordance with the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is within him.) I told him my dream: ⁹ “Belteshazzar, chief of the diviners, since I know that the spirit of the holy gods is within you, and no mystery too difficult for you, explain to me the vision of my dream that I saw, along with its interpretation.

¹³ “Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed—and take careful notice!—I saw a holy observer descend from heaven. ¹⁴ He called out aloud:‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave its branches.

³² You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”
³³ The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.”

¹⁸ Your majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble. ²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. ²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.

²¹ The Despicable King“‘In his place there will arise a despicable person, upon whom no royal authority has been conferred, but he’ll invade in a time of tranquility, taking over the kingdom through deception.

²⁸ And God chose what is insignificant in the world, what is despised, what is nothing, in order to destroy what is something,

²¹ With God as my witness, as well as the Messiah Jesus and the chosen angels, I solemnly call on you to carry out these instructions without prejudice, doing nothing on the basis of partiality.

⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were full of eyes inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming.”

¹⁵ “I’ve had a dream,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “but nobody can interpret it. I’ve heard that you can interpret dreams.”

² so Jeroboam suggested to his wife, “Get up, disguise yourself so that no one will know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh where the prophet Ahijah lives. He’s the one who told me that I would be king over this people. ³ Take ten loaves with you, some cakes, and a jar of honey and go visit him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

³ The spirits of the Egyptians within them will be drained of courage, and I will bring their plans to nothing. They will consult idols and spirits of the dead, and mediums and spiritists.

²⁶ Daniel Reveals the Meaning of the DreamKing Nebuchadnezzar replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian name is Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me about the dream and its meaning?”
²⁷ By way of answer, Daniel addressed the king:“None of the advisors, enchanters, diviners, or astrologers can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known. ²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.“While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows:

⁷ Then the diviners, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers came in, and I told them the dream. But they could not reveal its interpretation to me.

⁸ Then all the king’s advisors came in, but they were unable to read the writing or tell the king what it meant.

¹⁵ Take note that the advisors and enchanters were brought before me to read the writing and explain its meaning, but they were unable to do so.

⁷ The LORD’s Purposes“Truly the Lord GOD will do nothing he has mentioned without revealing his purposes to his servants the prophets.

³⁵ Then Rachel told her father, “Sir, please don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It’s that time of the month.” So Laban searched for the idols, but never did find them.

⁴ He instructed them, “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob told me to tell you, “I’ve journeyed to stay with Laban and I’ve remained there until now. ⁵ I now have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I’m sending this message to you, sir, so that you’ll show favor to me.”’”

¹⁸ then you are to reply, ‘We’re from your servant Jacob. The herds are a gift. He’s sending them to my master, Esau. Look! There he is, coming along behind us.’”

³² Now, if you will, forgive their sin—but if not, blot me out of your book which you have written.”

¹⁵ “No, sir!” Hannah replied. “I’m a deeply troubled woman. I’ve drunk neither wine nor beer. I’ve been pouring out my soul in the LORD’s presence.

¹⁷ Eli said, “What did the LORD say to you? Please don’t conceal anything from me. May God do this to you and even more if you conceal from me one word of all that he spoke to you.”

⁸ David Rebukes SaulThen David got up, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul: “Your majesty!” Saul looked behind him, and David bowed down with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

¹⁵ David told Abner, “Are you not a man, and who is like you in Israel? Why didn’t you guard your lord, the king? Indeed, a soldier came to destroy the king, your lord.

³¹ Just then the Ethiopian arrived. He reported, “Good news, your majesty the king! The LORD has delivered you from the control of everyone who rebelled against you!”
³² The king asked the Ethiopian, “Is the young man safe?”
The Ethiopian answered, “May the enemies of your majesty the king—including everyone who rebels and tries to harm you—become like that young man….”

⁷ While Obadiah was on the road, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him and bowed down with his face to the ground. “It’s you, isn’t it, my master Elijah?”

¹⁹ Jeremiah’s Lament for His People“My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the aching of my heart! My heart pounds within me; I cannot keep silent. For I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm for war.

⁷ Seek the welfare of the city to which I’ve exiled you and pray to the LORD for it, for your welfare depends on its welfare.’

²⁶ Daniel Reveals the Meaning of the DreamKing Nebuchadnezzar replied by saying to Daniel (whose Babylonian name is Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me about the dream and its meaning?”

⁴ Nebuchadnezzar’s DreamI, Nebuchadnezzar, was resting in my home and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I had a dream that made me afraid. The thoughts that went through my mind while in bed and the visions in my head terrified me.

²⁴ “This is the meaning, your majesty, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against his majesty, the king:

¹² because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding, along with an ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. His name is Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel, and he will reveal the meaning of the writing.”

¹⁵ The Vision Interpreted“Now as for me, Daniel, I was emotionally troubled, and what I had seen in the visions kept alarming me.

²⁷ Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and ill for days, but afterward I got up and went about the king’s business. Nevertheless, I was astonished by the vision, and could not understand it.”

¹⁶ But suddenly someone who resembled a human being touched my lips, so addressing the one who was standing in front of me, I opened my mouth and said, ‘Sir, I’m overwhelmed with anguish by this vision. I have no strength left. ¹⁷ So how can a servant of my lord talk with someone like you, sir? And as for me, there’s no strength left in me, and I can hardly breathe.’

¹⁰ When the mountains looked upon you, they trembled; the overflowing water passed by, the ocean shouted, and its waves surged upward.

³ Think about Assyria, that cedar of Lebanon, beautiful with its branches, like a shady forest, with an awesome height, its summit touches the clouds.

¹⁶ I made the nations tremble when they heard that Assyria was falling, descending into Sheol to join those who go down into the Pit. Then all of the trees of Eden in the world below were comforted, including the choicest and best of Lebanon, all of whom were well-watered.

¹⁰ This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and—listen carefully!—I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great. ¹¹ The tree grew large, became strong, and its top reached the sky. It could be seen to the ends of the earth. ¹² Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it.

¹² when he had a dream! He saw a raised highway that had been built with its ending point on earth and its beginning point in heaven. God’s angels were ascending and descending on it.

⁷ But Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says:
“‘I anointed you king—and you became king over Israel.
“‘I delivered you from Saul’s control.

⁹ Oded the Prophet Rebukes IsraelBut a prophet of the LORD was there named Oded. He went out to greet the army as it arrived in Samaria. He warned them, “Look! Because the LORD God of your ancestors was angry at Judah, he delivered them into your control, but you have killed them with a vehemence that has reached all the way to heaven!

⁵ Praise to the LORDYour gracious love, LORD, reaches to the heavens; your truth extends to the skies.

⁴ For your gracious love extends to the sky, and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

⁶ Now I’ve given all these lands to my servant, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I’ve even given him the wild animals to serve him. ⁷ All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until his country’s time also comes, and then many nations and great kings will use him as a slave. ⁸ If a nation and kingdom does not serve him—King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and does not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I’ll judge that nation with the sword, with famine, and with plague,” declares the LORD, “until I’ve completely destroyed it by his hand.

³⁷ You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory, ³⁸ so that wherever people, wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all—you’re that head of gold.

¹⁸ Your majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble. ²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. ²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his grandson, haven’t humbled yourself, even though you knew all of this.
²³ “You’ve exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.
“You’ve had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence.
“And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them.
“You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can’t see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge.
“But you didn’t honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.

⁴ John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

⁵ For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

¹³ “Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed—and take careful notice!—I saw a holy observer descend from heaven. ¹⁴ He called out aloud:‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave its branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of an animal until seven seasons of time pass by for him.

²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.

¹² Then the LORD told Satan, “Very well then, everything he owns is under your control, only you may not extend your hand against him.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence.
¹³ Some time later, when his children were celebrating in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁴ a messenger approached Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the female donkeys were grazing nearby ¹⁵ when the Sabeans attacked, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. I alone escaped to tell you!”
¹⁶ While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, “A lightning storm struck and incinerated the flock and the servants while they were eating. I alone escaped to tell you!”
¹⁷ While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, “The Chaldeans formed three companies, raided the camels, captured the servants, and killed them with swords. Only I alone escaped to tell you.”
¹⁸ While this messenger was still speaking, another came and announced, “Your children were celebrating in their oldest brother’s house ¹⁹ when a strong wind came straight out of the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you!”

²⁹ This is what the wicked person inherits from God; it is the inheritance that God appoints for him.”

¹¹ dispensed the fury of your anger, made sure that you have humbled every proud person, ¹² stared down and subdued every proud person, trampled the wicked right where they are,

⁷ The Anointed King SpeaksLet me announce the decree of the LORD that he told me: “You are my son, today I have become your father.

⁴⁰ Having poured contempt on their nobles, causing them to err aimlessly in the way.

⁶ He set them in place to last forever and ever; he gave the command and will not rescind it.

²⁴ The LORD of the Heavenly Armies has sworn: “Surely as I have planned, that’s what she will become; and just as I have determined, so will it remain— ²⁵ to crush the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will turn away from you, and his burden from your shoulders.” ²⁶ “This is what I’ve planned for the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. ²⁷ For the LORD of the Heavenly Armies has planned, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”

⁹ The LORD of the Heavenly Armies has planned it— to neutralize all the hubris of grandeur, to discredit all the renowned men of earth.

¹⁰ I declare from the beginning things to follow, and from ancient times things that have not yet been done; saying, ‘My purpose will stand, and he will accomplish everything that I please.’ ¹¹ I am calling a bird of prey from the east, and from a far country a man with his purpose. Indeed, I’ve spoken; I will certainly make it happen; I’ve planned it; and I will certainly carry it out.

³ Unproductive due to poverty and hunger, they could only scratch in parched soil, devastated and desolated. ⁴ “They would pluck off herbs from salt marshes to eat; and roots of the broom shrub for food. ⁵ Driven away from human company, they were shouted at as though they were thieves. ⁶ They lived in the most dangerous of ravines, in holes in the ground, and among rocks. ⁷ They bray like donkeys among the bushes and huddle together under the desert weeds. ⁸ Sons of fools and of uncertain reputation, they have been driven from the land by scourging.”

⁷ since God is the judge. This one he will debase or that one he will exalt.

¹⁸ Then they will know that you alone— whose name is LORD— are the Most High over all the earth.

²⁰ They exchanged their glory with the image of a grass-eating bull.

⁵ “By my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth, mankind, and the animals that are on the face of the earth, and I give it to whomever I see fit.

²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his grandson, haven’t humbled yourself, even though you knew all of this.
²³ “You’ve exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.
“You’ve had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence.
“And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them.
“You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can’t see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge.
“But you didn’t honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.
²⁴ “Therefore, the hand that wrote this inscription was sent from his presence. ²⁵ This is the written inscription: MENE, MENE, TEKEL AND PARSIN
²⁶ These are the meanings of the words:MENE: God has audited your kingdom—and has ended it. ²⁷ TEKEL: You’ve been weighed on the scales—and you don’t measure up. ²⁸ PERES: Your kingdom has been divided—and will be given to the Medes and Persians.”
²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave orders to clothe Daniel in purple, to place a chain of gold around his neck, and to proclaim him the third highest ruler of the kingdom.
³⁰ That night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed, ³¹ and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62.

³ He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain. ⁴ He had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but had snapped the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one could tame him.

³⁷ You, your majesty, king of kings—to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory,

¹⁵ Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth.

³⁴ But I tell you not to swear at all, neither by heaven, because it is God’s throne,

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.

¹⁸ I will get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you.

²¹ Then his son told him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son anymore.’

³³ Therefore let Pharaoh select a wise, discerning person to place in charge over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Also, let Pharaoh immediately proceed to appoint supervisors over the land of Egypt, who will collect one fifth of its agricultural production during the coming seven years of abundance. ³⁵ Let them collect all the food during the coming fruitful years, store up the grain in cities governed by Pharaoh’s authority, and place it under guard. ³⁶ Let the food be kept in reserve to feed the land for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout Egypt, so the people don’t die during the famine.”
³⁷ Pharaoh Appoints Joseph as RegentWhat Joseph proposed pleased Pharaoh and all of his advisors,

²⁹ “Have you noticed that Ahab has humbled himself in my presence? Because he has humbled himself in my presence, I will not bring his evil to harvest during his lifetime, but I will bring evil to his household during his son’s lifetime.”

³¹ Elihu’s Challenge to Job“Has anyone ever really told God, ‘I’ve endured, and I won’t act corruptly anymore. ³² What I don’t see, instruct me! If I’ve done anything evil, I won’t repeat it!’

¹ To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.
When Things Go Wrong Blessed is the one who is considerate of the destitute; the LORD will deliver him when the times are evil. ² The LORD will protect him and keep him alive; he will be blessed in the land; and he will not be handed over to the desires of his enemies. ³ The LORD will uphold him even on his sickbed; you will transform his bed of illness into health.

⁴⁶ Then I will speak of your decrees before kings and not be ashamed.

⁶ Iniquity is atoned for by gracious love and truth, and through fear of the LORD people turn from evil.

¹³ Whoever hides his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.

⁶ Steps to Reconciliation“Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous person his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, So he’ll have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he’ll pardon abundantly.

⁵ “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen, merely a day for a person to humble himself? Is it merely for bowing down one’s head like a bulrush, for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you call a fast, an acceptable day to the LORD? ⁶ Isn’t this the fast that I have been choosing: to loose the bonds of injustice, and to untie the cords of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? ⁷ Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him with clothing, and not to raise yourself up from your own flesh and blood?”

¹⁰ if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls, then your light will rise in darkness, and your night will be like noonday. ¹¹ And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in parched places, and they will strengthen your bones; and you’ll be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. ¹² And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; You’ll raise up the age-old foundations, and people will call you ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’ ‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’

⁷ if he doesn’t oppress anyone, but instead returns the debtor’s security for his debt, if he doesn’t rob anyone, but instead shares his food with the hungry and gives clothes to those who are naked,

²¹ But if the wicked person turns from all his sins, which he did and keeps my statutes, then he’ll live. He won’t die. ²² None of the transgressions that he had committed will be held against him. Because of the righteous deeds that he had done, he’ll live.

²⁷ When a wicked person quits his wicked behavior and does what’s just and right, he’ll be enabled to live. ²⁸ Because he reconsidered his transgression and turned away from everything that he had been doing, he’ll certainly live and not die. ²⁹ Yet Israel’s house keeps saying, ‘The LORD isn’t being consistent with his standards.’ Is it my behavior that’s inconsistent with my standards? Is it not your behavior that’s inconsistent with my standards?”
³⁰ A Command to Repent“Therefore, Israel, I’m going to judge you according to the behavior of each and every one of you,” declares the Lord GOD. “So repent and turn from all your sins so that sin won’t keep on being a stumbling block for you. ³¹ Stop your transgressing—the deeds by which you’ve rebelled—and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel? ³² I don’t take pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the LORD. “So repent, so you may live!”

¹⁴ Who knows? He will turn back and relent, will he not, leaving behind a blessing, even a grain offering and drink offering for the LORD your God?”

⁹ Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?”

² Before the decree is carried out, before the day flies away like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD visits you, before the Day of the LORD’s wrath surprises you, ³ seek the LORD, all you humble people of the land, who do what he commands. Seek righteousness! Seek humility! Maybe you will be protected in the Day of the LORD’s anger.”
The Coming Destruction of Philistine Cities

⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance!

⁴¹ So give what is inside to the poor, and then everything will be clean for you.

²² So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you.

² He was a devout man who feared God, as did everyone in his home. He gave many gifts to the poor among the people and always prayed to God.
³ One day, about three in the afternoon, he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
⁴ He stared at the angel in terror and asked, “What is it, Lord?”
The angel answered him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have arisen as a reminder to God.

²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and said, “For the present you may go. When I get a chance, I will send for you again.”

²⁰ Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

¹¹ The Messiah’s Love Controls UsTherefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade people. We ourselves are perfectly known to God. I hope we are also really known to your consciences.

⁶ for in union with the Messiah Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. What matters is faith expressed through love.

¹³ For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

²⁸ The thief must no longer steal but must work hard and do what is good with his own hands, so that he might earn something to give to the needy.

⁸ Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the Lord’s presence, and he will exalt you.

⁸ Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.

¹⁹ God is not a human male— he doesn’t lie, nor is he a human being— he never vacillates. Once he speaks up, he’s going to act, isn’t he? Once he makes a promise, he’ll fulfill it, won’t he?

²⁴ What the wicked fears will come about, but the longing of the righteous will be granted.

⁶ But my words and my statutes that I gave as commands to my servants the prophets—did they not overwhelm your ancestors? And they returned to me: ‘The LORD of the Heavenly Armies acted toward us just as he planned to do—in keeping with our lifestyles and in keeping with our actions.’”

³⁵ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”

³ So the LORD said, “My Spirit won’t remain with human beings forever, because they’re truly mortal. Their lifespan will be 120 years.”

¹¹ The Wisdom of Fearing GodWhenever a sentence for a crime is not carried out swiftly, the human mind becomes determined to commit evil.

²⁰ who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah, when God waited patiently while the ark was being built. In it a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water.

⁹ The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent. ¹⁰ But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will disappear with a roaring sound, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done on it will be exposed.

¹⁵ Think of our Lord’s patience as facilitating salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.

²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality.

¹⁰ His kingdom began in the region of Shinar with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh.

² As people migrated westward, they came across a plain in the region of Shinar and settled there. ³ They told each other, “Come on! Let’s burn bricks thoroughly.” They used bricks for stone and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come on! Let’s build ourselves a city and a tower, with its summit in the heavens, and let’s make a name for ourselves so we won’t be scattered over the surface of the whole earth.”
⁵ However, the LORD descended to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building. ⁶ The LORD said, “Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them! ⁷ Come on! Let’s go down there and confuse their language, so that they won’t understand each other’s speech.”
⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the whole earth, so that they had to stop building the city. ⁹ Therefore it was called Babylon, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth, and from there the LORD scattered them over the surface of the entire earth.

¹² Both wealth and honor proceed from you, and you are ruling over them all. You control power— you control who is made great, and how everyone becomes strong. ¹³ And so, our God, we are giving you thanks, and we are praising your wonderful name! ¹⁴ But who am I, and who are my people, that we make such voluntary offerings as these? For all things come from you, and from your own hand we are giving to you.

⁵ “The Temple that I’m building will be great, because the greatness of our God surpasses that of all gods. ⁶ But who can build a temple for him, since neither heaven nor the highest of the heavens can contain him? So who am I, that I should build a temple to him, except to burn incense in his presence?

⁴ He displayed the enormous wealth of his kingdom, along with its splendid beauty and greatness for many days—for 180 days in all.

²⁰ Humanity, despite its conceit, does not understand that it will perish, just like the animals.

⁸ In their mockery they speak evil; from their arrogant position they speak oppression.

¹ Davidic
Praise God, who Creates Bless the LORD, my soul; LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed in splendor and majesty;

⁵ I will speak about the glorious splendor of your majesty as well as your awesome actions. ⁶ People will speak about the might of your great deeds, and I will announce your greatness. ⁷ They will extol the fame of your abundant goodness, and will sing out loud about your righteousness. ⁸ Gracious and merciful is the LORD, slow to become angry, and overflowing with gracious love. ⁹ The LORD is good to everyone and his mercies extend to everything he does. ¹⁰ LORD, everything you have done will praise you, and your holy ones will bless you. ¹¹ They will speak about the glory of your kingdom, and they will talk about your might, ¹² in order to make known your mighty acts to mankind as well as the majestic splendor of your kingdom.

¹⁸ Pride precedes destruction; an arrogant spirit appears before a fall.

⁸ “Because this is what he is saying: ‘My commanders are all kings, are they not? ⁹ Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus? ¹⁰ As my hand has reached to the idolatrous kingdoms whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria, ¹¹ will I not deal with Jerusalem and her idols as I have dealt with Samaria and her images?’”
¹² Assyria will be Judged“For the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and against Jerusalem; he will punish the speech that comes from that willful heart of Assyria’s king and the haughty look in his eyes. ¹³ He keeps bragging: ‘I’ve done it by the strength of my hand, and by my wisdom, because I’m so clever. I removed the boundaries of peoples, and plundered their treasures; like a bull I brought down those who sat on thrones. ¹⁴ My hand has found, as if in a nest, the wealth of the people; and as one gathers eggs that have been abandoned, so I have gathered all the inhabitants of the earth. Nothing moved a wing, opened its mouth, or chirped.’ ¹⁵ “Does the ax exalt itself over the one who swings it? Or does the saw magnify itself in opposition to the one who wields it? As if a rod were to wield those who lift it, or as if a club were to brandish the one who is not wood!

²⁴ By your messengers you have insulted the LORD, and you have said, “With my many chariots I have climbed the heights of mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines; I reached its remotest heights, the most verdant of its forests. ²⁵ I myself dug wells and drank foreign waters; with the soles of my feet I dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

¹⁸ Your majesty, the Most High God gave your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages revered and feared him. He executed those whom he desired to execute, he spared those whom he wished to spare, he promoted those whom he desired to promote, and he humbled those whom he wished to humble. ²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

¹⁵ The adversary captures them with a hook, gathering them up in a fishing net. He collects them with a dragnet, rejoicing and gloating over his catch. ¹⁶ Therefore he sacrifices to his fishing net, and burns incense in the presence of his dragnet, because by them his assets increase and he gets plenty of food.

⁴ “Notice their arrogance— they have no inward uprightness— but the righteous will live by their faith. ⁵ Moreover, just as wine leads astray the proud and powerful man, he remains restless; he has expanded his appetite— like the afterlife or death itself, he is never satisfied. He gathers to himself all of the nations, taking captive all of the people for himself.”

¹¹ Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be exalted.”

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

⁵ Be Humble and AlertIn a similar way, you young people must submit to the elders. All of you must clothe yourselves with humility for the sake of each other, because: “God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble.”

¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine filled with the fury of his wrath.

⁵ On her forehead was written a secret name:
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH

¹⁰ Frightened by the torture that she experiences, they will stand far away and cry out, “How terrible, how terrible it is for that great city, the powerful city Babylon, because your judgment arrived in a single hour!”

²¹ The Vision of the Powerful Angel with the MillstoneThen a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “The great city Babylon will be thrown down violently— and will never be found again.

²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day—because there will be no night there. ²⁶ People will bring the glory and wealth of the nations into it.

⁹ “The enemy said, ‘I’ll pursue them, I’ll overtake them, I’ll divide the spoil. I’ll satisfy my anger on them, I’ll draw my sword, and my hand will bring them to ruin.’ ¹⁰ “You blew with your breath, and the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty water.

¹⁴ but now your kingdom won’t be established. The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as Commander-in-Chief over his people because you didn’t obey that which the LORD commanded you.”

²³ Indeed, rebellion is the sin of divination, and arrogance is iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected this message from the LORD, he has rejected you from being king.”

²³ “It will come about that, when he has filled himself to the full, God will vent his burning anger on him; he will pour it out on him and on his body.

³⁴ The King’s Sanity Returns“When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.

⁴ As they drank the wine, they praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
⁵ The Handwriting on the WallAt that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall.

²⁸ PERES: Your kingdom has been divided—and will be given to the Medes and Persians.”

¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!”

²⁰ But God told him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Now who will get the things you’ve accumulated?’

²⁸ Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”

³ As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴ He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
⁵ He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice said, “I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

²² The people kept shouting, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man!” ²³ Immediately the angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.

³ When people say, “There is peace and security,” destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.

⁷ Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”

¹⁰ Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.”
Moses said, “It will be just as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

¹⁴ Indeed, this time I’m sending all my plagues against you, your officials, and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

²⁹ Moses told him, “When I leave the city I’ll spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease and the hail won’t continue, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the LORD.

²⁴ Do this so that all of the people of the earth may know how strong the power of the LORD is, and so that you may fear the LORD your God every day.”

¹⁸ He strips away the authority of kings to punish and puts them in prison clothes instead. ¹⁹ He leads away the priests naked and overthrows the ruling class. ²⁰ He keeps reliable advisors from speaking, and removes discernment from elders. ²¹ He pours contempt on nobles and embarrasses the mighty.

⁵ Driven away from human company, they were shouted at as though they were thieves. ⁶ They lived in the most dangerous of ravines, in holes in the ground, and among rocks. ⁷ They bray like donkeys among the bushes and huddle together under the desert weeds.

¹⁵ Kings reign by me, and rulers dispense justice through me. ¹⁶ By me leaders rule, as do noble officials and all who govern justly.

²⁰ So now, LORD our God, save us from his oppressive hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.”

³ I’ll give you concealed treasures and riches hidden in secret places, so that you’ll know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

¹⁴ He called out aloud:‘Cut down the tree and cut off its branches. Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit. Let the animals get out from under it, and let the birds leave its branches. ¹⁵ Nevertheless, leave the stump and its roots in the ground, but bind it with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and let him graze with the animals in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of an animal until seven seasons of time pass by for him. ¹⁷ This order is announced by the observers, and the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires, and he places the least important of men over them.’

⁵ The wicked triumph only briefly; the joy of the godless is momentary.

¹⁴ Its breaking will be like when potters’ vessels are broken, shattered so ruthlessly that among its fragments not even a broken sliver will be found for taking fire from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern.”

³² You’re to be driven away from people. You’re to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.’”

⁵ The Handwriting on the WallAt that moment, humanlike fingers of a hand appeared near the lamp stand of the royal palace and wrote on the plaster of the wall.

² for you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

²¹ and exclaimed: “I left my mother’s womb naked, and I will return to God naked. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken. May the name of the LORD be blessed.”

¹⁷ But as for me, I will praise the LORD for his righteousness, and I will sing to the name of the LORD Most High.

² I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praises to your name, Most High!

¹⁶ The LORD is king forever and ever; nations will perish from his land.

¹⁴ Offer to God a thanksgiving praise; pay your vows to the Most High.

¹ A prayer by Moses, the godly man
Life is Short Lord, you’ve been our refuge from generation to generation. ² Before the mountains were formed or the earth and the world were brought forth, you are God from eternity to eternity.

¹ A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath Day
Praise and Thanksgiving to God It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praise to your name, Most High;

²⁴ I say, “My God, whose years continue through all generations, do not take me in the middle of my life.

¹ Davidic
Praise God, who Forgives Bless the LORD, my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless the LORD, my soul, and never forget any of his benefits: ³ He continues to forgive all your sins, he continues to heal all your diseases, ⁴ he continues to redeem your life from the Pit, and he continuously surrounds you with gracious love and compassion.

⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love and his awesome deeds for mankind.

¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love, and for his awesome deeds to mankind.

²² Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and talk about his works with shouts of joy.

³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his gracious love and for his awesome deeds on behalf of mankind.

¹ A Song of Ascents
The Guardian of God’s People I lift up my eyes toward the mountains— from where will my help come?

¹ A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Relief To you, who sit enthroned in heaven, I lift up my eyes.

¹ A Song of Ascents
A Prayer for Mercy I cry to you from the depths, LORD, ² Lord, listen to my voice; let your ears pay attention to what I ask of you!

¹⁰ The LORD will reign forever, your God, Zion, for all generations! Hallelujah!

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the growth of his government and peace there will be no end. He will rule over his kingdom, sitting on the throne of David, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies will accomplish this.

¹⁵ Therefore, you in the east, give glory to the LORD! You in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD God of Israel!

¹⁹ Remember my affliction and homelessness— wormwood and gall! ²⁰ My mind keeps reflecting on it, and I become depressed. ²¹ This is what comes to mind, and therefore I have hope: ²² Because of the LORD’s gracious love we are not consumed, since his compassions never end. ²³ They are new every morning— great is your faithfulness!

³⁸ Do not both good and evil things proceed from the mouth of the Most High?

³ How great are his signs!How powerful are his wonders!His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion lasts from generation to generation.

²⁶ Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything.

²⁶ “I hereby decree that in every area of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, who endures forever. His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed, and his dominion continues forever.

² He said: “I called out to the LORD from the midst of affliction directed at me, and he answered me. From the depths of death I cried out for help; and you heard my cry. ³ You cast me into the deep— into the heart of the sea. Flood waters engulfed me. All your breakers and your waves swirled over me. ⁴ So I told myself, ‘I have been driven away from you. How will I again gaze on your holy Temple?’

⁷ I will transform the lame into survivors, and those who were scattered into a strong nation; and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion, now and forever.”

³³ He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven. Instead, he continued to beat his chest and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me, the sinner that I am!’

²⁶ Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself,

¹⁶ He alone has endless life and lives in inaccessible light. No one has ever seen him, nor can anyone see him. Honor and eternal power belong to him! Amen.

¹⁰ the 24 elders bow down and worship in front of the one who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever. They throw their victor’s crowns in front of the throne and say,

⁶ He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay.

¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything—he did not conceal anything from him. Eli said, “He is the LORD. May he do what seems good to him.”

⁴ He is wise in heart and strong in will— who can be stubborn against him and succeed?

¹² Indeed, if he snatches someone away, who could restrain him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ ¹³ “God doesn’t restrain his anger. Rahab’s assistants are humiliated under him.

¹³ Job Stands Petrified Before God“But he is One—who can change him? He does whatever he wants to do.

¹² God Responds to Humanity’s Need“You aren’t right about this; My response is that God is greater than human beings. ¹³ Why are you arguing with him? He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!

¹⁴ If he were to decide to do so, that is, to take back to himself his spirit and breath of life, ¹⁵ every living thing would die all at once, and mankind would return to dust.”

¹⁹ Who isn’t partial to princes? Who doesn’t give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork. ²⁰ “They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away— and not by human hands. ²¹ Yes, Job, his eyes constantly watch the behavior of human beings; he carefully observes their every step. ²² There’s no such thing as darkness to him— not even deep darkness— that can conceal those who practice evil. ²³ He won’t examine mankind further, that they would go before God to judgment. ²⁴ He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place.

²⁹ “If he remains silent, who will condemn him? If he conceals his face, who can see him? He watches over both nation and individual alike,

² “Should the one who is fighting the Almighty find fault with him? Let God’s accuser answer.”

⁹ Do you have strength like God? Can you create thunder with a sound like he can?”
¹⁰ Can You Save Yourself?“When you have adorned yourself with exalted majesty, clothed yourself with splendor and dignity,

² “I know that you can do anything and nothing that you plan is impossible.

⁸ Let all the world fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him; ⁹ because he spoke and it came to be, because he commanded, it stood firm. ¹⁰ The LORD makes void the counsel of nations; he frustrates the plans of peoples. ¹¹ But the LORD’s counsel stands firm forever, the plans in his mind for all generations.

¹⁴ From his dwelling place, he looks down on all the inhabitants of the earth.

¹ To the Director: A song by the Sons of Korah.
The Destiny of the Wicked and the Upright Listen to this, all you people! Pay attention, all you who live in the world,

³ when our God is in the heavens and he does whatever he desires?

⁶ The LORD does whatever pleases him in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all its deep regions.

³⁰ No wisdom, insight, or counsel can prevail against the LORD.

⁹ My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me searches for you. For when your judgments come upon the earth, the world’s inhabitants learn righteousness.

¹⁵ “Look! The nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are reckoned as dust on the scales. Look! He even lifts up the islands like powder! ¹⁶ Lebanon would not provide enough fuel, nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering. ¹⁷ All the nations are as nothing before him— they are reckoned by him as nothing and chaos.

²² He’s the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He’s the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in, ²³ who brings princes to nothing, and makes void the rulers of the earth. ²⁴ No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the earth, than he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest sweeps them away like stubble.

¹³ “I am God; also from ancient days I am the one. And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand; when I act, who can reverse it?”

⁹ “Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers, a mere potsherd with the potsherds of the earth! Woe to the one who says to the one forming him, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no human hands?’! ¹⁰ Woe to the one who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’!” ¹¹ This is what the Lord says, the Creator of the signs: “Question me about my children? Or give me orders about the work of my hands?

²⁵ Jesus Praises the Father and Invites the Disciples to Come to Him
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Yes, Father, because this is what was pleasing to you.

²⁸ to carry out everything that your hand and will had predetermined to take place.

³⁹ However, if it’s from God, you won’t be able to stop them, and you may even discover that you are fighting against God!”
So they were convinced by him.

⁵ He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice said, “I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

¹⁷ Now if God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who was I to try to stop God?”

¹⁹ God Chose People who are Not JewishYou may ask me, “Then why does God still find fault with anybody? For who can resist his will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?”

³³ In Praise of God’s WaysO how deep are God’s riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways! ³⁴ Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his adviser? ³⁵ Or who has given him something only to have him pay it back?” ³⁶ For all things are from him, by him, and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen.

¹⁶ For “Who has known the mind of the Lord so that he can advise him?”
However, we have the mind of the Messiah.

²² or you’ll provoke the Lord to jealousy, won’t you? Are we stronger than he is?

¹¹ In the Messiah we were also chosen when we were predestined according to the purpose of the one who does everything that he wills to do,

¹⁰ And so, when Jesus’ name is called, the knees of everyone should fall, wherever they’re residing. ¹¹ Then every tongue in one accord, will say that Jesus the Messiah is Lord, while God the Father praising.

³⁰ “Therefore, the LORD God of Israel has declared, ‘I did, in fact, say that your family and your ancestor’s family would walk before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from me! The one who honors me I’ll honor, and the one who despises me is to be treated with contempt.

¹² But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the LORD his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors, ¹³ and prayed to him. Moved by Manasseh’s entreaties, the LORD heard his supplications and brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. That’s how Manasseh learned that the LORD is God.

¹² Your maxims are just worthless proverbs; your defensive arguments are made of clay.”

⁴ The reward of humility is the fear of the LORD, along with wealth, honor, and life.

³³ But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.

¹⁷ This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison,

¹¹ Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, because of what happened to the Egyptians when they acted arrogantly against Israel.”

⁴ Flawless is the work of the Rock, because all his ways are just. A faithful God—never unjust— righteous and upright is he.

³ Don’t continue to talk proudly, and don’t speak arrogantly, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

¹¹ so the LORD brought in the army commanders who worked for the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him in bronze chains, and took him off to Babylon. ¹² But when he was in trouble, he sought the face of the LORD his God, humbled himself magnificently before the God of his ancestors,

¹⁹ His prayer, how God was moved by him, all of his sin and unfaithfulness, and a record of the sites where he constructed high places, erected Asherim and carved images before he humbled himself are written in the Acts of the Seers.

⁴ For the word of the LORD is upright; and all his works are done in faithfulness. ⁵ He loves righteousness and justice; the world is filled with the gracious love of the LORD.

⁴ A mighty king who loves justice, you have established fairness. You have exercised justice and righteousness over Jacob.

⁷⁵ I know, LORD, that your decrees are just, and that you have rightfully humbled me.

¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all of his ways and graciously loving in all of his activities. ¹⁸ The LORD remains near to all who call out to him, to everyone who calls out to him sincerely.

¹⁶ But the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is exalted in justice, and the Holy God proves himself to be righteously holy.

⁵⁶ “When you were being so arrogant, you never once mentioned your sister Sodom

⁶³ Then you will remember, be ashamed, and you won’t open your mouth anymore due to humiliation when I will have made atonement for you for everything that you’ve done,’ declares the Lord GOD.”

³⁰ he commented to himself, “Isn’t Babylon great? I’ve built a royal palace in it by my own might and power, for the sake of my majesty.”
³¹ As these words were being spoken by the king, a voice came out of heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, this is declared to you: ‘The kingdom has been taken from you!

⁴ As they drank the wine, they praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

²⁰ But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him. ²¹ He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.
²² “But you, Belshazzar, his grandson, haven’t humbled yourself, even though you knew all of this.
²³ “You’ve exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven.
“You’ve had the vessels from his Temple brought into your presence.
“And you, your officials, and your wives and mistresses drank wine from them.
“You praised gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which can’t see, hear, or demonstrate knowledge.
“But you didn’t honor God, who holds in his power your very life and all your ways.
²⁴ “Therefore, the hand that wrote this inscription was sent from his presence.

²⁵ Jesus Praises the Father and Invites the Disciples to Come to Him
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from wise and intelligent people and have revealed them to infants.

²⁴ The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by human hands,

⁶ But he gives all the more grace. And so he says, “God opposes the arrogant but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people to be his very own and to proclaim the wonderful deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

⁵ Be Humble and AlertIn a similar way, you young people must submit to the elders. All of you must clothe yourselves with humility for the sake of each other, because: “God opposes the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you.

³ They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb: “Your deeds are both spectacular and amazing, Lord God Almighty. Your ways are just and true, King of the nations.

¹ The Vision of WorshipAfter these things, I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a large crowd in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God. ² His judgments are true and just. He has condemned the notorious prostitute who corrupted the world with her immorality. He has taken revenge on her for the blood of his servants.”