Daniel 6 Cross References - MSB

¹ Now it pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, ² and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss. ³ Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel, unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.” ⁶ So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever! ⁷ All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions. ⁸ Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ⁹ Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. ¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. ¹² So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.” ¹³ Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.” ¹⁴ As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him. ¹⁵ Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.” ¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” ¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed. ¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him. ¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. ²⁰ When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” ²¹ Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever! ²² My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.” ²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God. ²⁴ At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. ²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to the people of every nation and language throughout the land: “May your prosperity abound. ²⁶ I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end. ²⁷ He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” ²⁸ So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

²¹ Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. ²² Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you.

¹ This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Cush.

³¹ and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

¹⁴ or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

³⁰ Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.

²² See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?

⁴ For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as menservants and maidservants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king.”

¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

⁶ Like cutting off one’s own feet or drinking violence is the sending of a message by the hand of a fool.

⁴⁸ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹ And at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to manage the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court.

¹⁶ But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

²³ Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

² So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

¹³ Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. ¹⁴ But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned. ¹⁶ The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’ ¹⁷ His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’ ²⁰ Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹ For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ²⁵ ‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ ²⁶ He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ²⁷ And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

² Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

³⁸ So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of God abides?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.”

² Then I put my brother Hanani in charge of Jerusalem, along with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, because he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.

³ For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

³ Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴ Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man.

²⁷ A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.

²⁹ Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

¹³ And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness:

¹² did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”

¹⁴ I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.

²³ At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:

¹⁸ But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

⁴ (Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)

¹⁴ and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.

⁴ Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. ⁵ He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”

¹⁴ Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard who is honored in your house?

¹² The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, ¹³ but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming.

³² Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, ³³ the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.

²⁷ An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.

⁴ I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

¹⁸ Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

²³ But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.

¹⁰ For I have heard the whispering of many: “Terror is on every side! Report him; let us report him!” All my trusted friends watch for my fall: “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we may prevail against him and take our vengeance upon him.”

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews,

⁴ and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.

¹⁸ For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

²⁰ So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.

² and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.

¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for I sent you back to him. As you can see, He has done nothing deserving of death.

⁴ Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”

¹² But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.

¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world

¹⁴ So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.

⁸ and wholesome speech that is above reproach, so that anyone who opposes us will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

¹² Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.

¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you as evildoers may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Indeed, on their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in this matter.

¹⁷ and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.

⁸ Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

⁶ As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.” ⁷ “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to our law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

¹³ Nor can they prove any of their charges against me. ¹⁴ I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish, that there will be a resurrection of the dead—of both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁶ In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.

²⁰ Otherwise, let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”

³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

⁶ They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.

³ How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you throw him down like a leaning wall or a tottering fence?

² Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of workers of iniquity, ³ who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows, ⁴ ambushing the innocent in seclusion, shooting suddenly, without fear. ⁵ They hold fast to their evil purpose; they speak of hiding their snares. “Who will see them?” they say. ⁶ They devise injustice and say, “We have perfected a secret plan.” For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.

⁴ Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

⁹ saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever!

¹⁰ Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.

¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.

²¹ Then Daniel replied, “O king, may you live forever!

²³ “Why?” asked the governor. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.” ²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

²³ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices for Jesus to be crucified. And their clamor and that of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate sentenced that their demand be met. ²⁵ As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over to their will.

²² The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” ²³ As they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

² When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought worthy reforms to this nation.

² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed One:

⁹ He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.

³ See how they lie in wait for me. Fierce men conspire against me for no transgression or sin of my own, O LORD.

⁴ They fully intend to cast him down from his lofty perch; they delight in lies; with their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse. Selah

¹ A song. A Psalm of Asaph. O God, be not silent; be not speechless; be not still, O God. ² See how Your enemies rage, how Your foes have reared their heads. ³ With cunning they scheme against Your people and conspire against those You cherish,

²⁰ Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree?

² Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other officials of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue he had set up.

⁶ And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”

¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.

²⁷ and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.

² and over them three administrators, including Daniel, to whom these satraps were accountable so that the king would not suffer loss. ³ Soon, by his extraordinary spirit, Daniel distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps. So the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

⁵ My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”

¹² The lion mauled enough for its cubs and strangled prey for the lioness. It filled its dens with the kill, and its lairs with mauled prey.

¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

¹ Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate.

¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,

⁵ The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ ²⁷ In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. ²⁸ They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

¹⁹ So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she.

¹² On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.

³ And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

⁸ Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”

¹⁰ Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.

¹ Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees,

¹² So they approached the king and asked about his royal decree: “Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days any man who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions?” The king replied, “According to the law of the Medes and Persians the order stands, and it cannot be repealed.”

¹⁵ Then the men approached the king together and said to him, “Remember, O king, that by the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or ordinance established by the king can be changed.”

³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

⁹ Lowborn men are but a vapor, the exalted but a lie. Weighed on the scale, they go up; together they are but a vapor. ¹⁰ Place no trust in extortion, or false hope in stolen goods. If your riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.

⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

³ Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.

² if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth,

²² Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

³⁰ Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive.

³⁸ then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple—

⁴⁴ When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD in the direction of the city You have chosen and the house I have built for Your Name,

⁴⁸ and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, ⁴⁹ then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. ⁵⁰ May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.

⁵⁴ Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.

¹³ Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,

³⁸ and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

⁵ At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

¹¹ But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”

⁷ But I will enter Your house by the abundance of Your loving devotion; in reverence I will bow down toward Your holy temple.

¹ For the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! ² For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

¹ Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.

¹⁷ Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

³ Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long.

⁶ O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

¹³ Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.”

⁴ At this, I said, ‘I have been banished from Your sight; yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple.’

²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ³² Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

⁴ I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ⁸ I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. ⁹ But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

⁴¹ And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed,

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all with one accord in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

¹⁵ These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!

¹ One afternoon Peter and John were going up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

¹⁷ But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must strictly warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

²⁹ And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,

²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

²⁹ But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

⁴⁰ At this, they yielded to Gamaliel. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. ⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus. ⁴² Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

⁶⁰ Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

⁴⁰ Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

⁹ The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

²⁴ But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course with joy and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

³⁶ When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

⁵ But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.

¹⁴ ... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁴ And most of the brothers, confident in the Lord by my chains, now dare more greatly to speak the word without fear.

²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

¹⁷ Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸ Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.

¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹³ I know your works and where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

⁶ So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said, “O King Darius, may you live forever!

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and maliciously accused the Jews, ⁹ saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, may you live forever! ¹⁰ You, O king, have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the golden statue, ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

⁸ Therefore, O king, establish the decree and sign the document so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

¹⁹ When the girl’s owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in the marketplace.

²⁴ On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

² When Paul had been called in, Tertullus opened the prosecution: “Because of you, we have enjoyed a lasting peace, and your foresight has brought worthy reforms to this nation. ³ In every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with all gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly. ⁵ We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. ^{7 8} By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn the truth about all our charges against him.” ⁹ The Jews concurred, asserting that these charges were true.

⁶ Among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

²⁵ Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”

¹² But there are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who have ignored you, O king, and have refused to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

¹³ So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?

⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, named Jesus!”

²⁸ Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹ May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”

¹³ Then Nebuchadnezzar, furious with rage, summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,

¹⁷ So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. ¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they replied. ²² “What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!” ²³ “Why?” asked the governor. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.”

²⁶ The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.

¹³ Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him. ¹⁵ Neither has Herod, for I sent you back to him. As you can see, He has done nothing deserving of death. ¹⁶ Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” ¹⁷ Now Pilate was obliged to release to the people one prisoner at the feast. ¹⁸ But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

⁷ “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to our law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to crucify You and authority to release You?” ¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” ¹² From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept crying out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”

²⁰ Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree? ²¹ They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

³⁹ And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”

¹⁹ He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. ⁴⁰ The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.

¹⁴ “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him. ¹⁵ When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. ⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

²⁵ The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

¹⁴ As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right.

⁵ “Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

¹⁵ Now, if you are ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the statue I have made. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

¹⁷ If the God whom we serve exists, then He is able to deliver us from the blazing fiery furnace and from your hand, O king.

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

⁷ All the royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce a decree that for thirty days anyone who petitions any god or man except you, O king, will be thrown into the den of lions.

²⁰ When he reached the den, he cried out in a voice of anguish, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted ¹⁰ and sent to have John beheaded in the prison.

²³ “Why?” asked the governor. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” ²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.” ²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

²⁵ At once the girl hurried back to the king with her request: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ²⁶ The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

¹⁴ “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” ¹⁵ And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept crying out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.” ¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha. ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” ¹⁵ At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests. ¹⁶ Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him and led Him away.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

⁹ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

²³ For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.

⁵³ They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.

⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. ⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come by night and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ “You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

⁴ He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

²³ And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

¹⁶ David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

²⁴ Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, went down to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet or trimmed his mustache or washed his clothes from the day the king had left until the day he returned safely.

²⁷ When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

¹ That night sleep escaped the king; so he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him.

¹² singing to the tambourine and lyre and making merry at the sound of the flute.

⁴ You have kept my eyes from closing; I am too troubled to speak.

² There on the willows we hung our harps,

⁸ and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

⁸ The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent. ⁹ They no longer sing and drink wine; strong drink is bitter to those who consume it.

¹ In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him.

⁴ You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. ⁵ You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments. ⁶ You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

³ This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey. ⁴ On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!” ⁵ And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. ⁶ When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷ Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink. ⁸ Furthermore, let both man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and have everyone call out earnestly to God. Let each one turn from his evil ways and from the violence in his hands. ⁹ Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”

²² And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they went to the tomb.

¹³ I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

⁵ For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and caused our labor to be in vain.

¹⁴ Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

²³ The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not My word will come to pass.”

¹⁵ If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ¹⁶ ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’

¹¹ Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.

¹⁴ But I will always hope and will praise You more and more. ¹⁵ My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure. ¹⁶ I will enter in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will proclaim Your righteousness—Yours alone. ¹⁷ O God, You have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds. ¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.

²³ Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.

¹¹² I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes, even to the very end.

² I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. ¹⁸ For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁷ “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!

²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”

¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”

²⁷ He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

⁶ But you must return to your God, maintaining love and justice, and always waiting on your God.

³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

¹ Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:

⁴ and will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

⁷ To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life.

¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He continues to deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,

¹² For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.

¹⁶ At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. ¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. ¹⁸ And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²⁵ Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.

²⁴ Now to Him who is able to keep them from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—

¹⁵ For I was kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing for which they should have put me in this dungeon.”

¹⁶ and when we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory.

³⁷ David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”

⁹ and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’? ¹⁰ Behold, this day you have seen with your own eyes that the LORD delivered you into my hand in the cave. I was told to kill you, but I spared you and said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my lord, since he is the LORD’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. See and know that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.

¹⁸ And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?

⁷ In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.

²¹ and the LORD sent an angel who annihilated every mighty man of valor and every leader and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword.

¹ A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers, ² or they will shred my soul like a lion and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me. ³ O LORD my God, if I have done this, if injustice is on my hands, ⁴ if I have rewarded my ally with evil, if I have plundered my foe without cause,

¹⁹ He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me. ²⁰ The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. ²¹ For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²² For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes. ²³ And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity. ²⁴ So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

⁶ I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD,

¹⁴ But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

²¹ Do not forsake me, O LORD; be not far from me, O my God.

¹¹ For the LORD God is a sun and a shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.

¹¹ For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. ¹² They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.

²⁸ You are my God, and I will give You thanks. You are my God, and I will exalt You.

¹⁰ Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.

⁹ In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den, and when Daniel was lifted out of the den, no wounds whatsoever were found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

⁷ But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

¹⁷ “Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples that she had seen the Lord. And she told them what He had said to her.

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

¹⁶ In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” ⁹ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?” ¹⁰ Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

²³ For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me

¹² And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the integrity and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

¹⁹ And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: ²⁰ Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

⁹ And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had rescued from the hand of the Egyptians.

⁷ When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!”

²⁰ And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers.

¹¹ Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter in reply to Solomon: “Because the LORD loves His people, He has set you over them as king.” ¹² And Hiram added: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

²⁰ Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”

⁴⁰ The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.

³ Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save. ⁴ When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish. ⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, ⁶ the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.

¹⁰ The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

³ You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.

²⁵ “Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”

²⁷ and when the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar declared, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

¹⁴ As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.

¹⁸ Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No entertainment was brought before him, and sleep fled from him.

²³ “If You can believe!” said Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”

¹⁸ The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, ¹⁹ you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you. ²⁰ Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

¹⁶ Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.

²⁴ Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵ “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.

⁶ Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”

¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

¹⁰ They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

²⁵ But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

⁵ He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them.

⁸ The righteous man is delivered from trouble; in his place the wicked man goes in.

¹³ I composed myself until the morning. Like a lion He breaks all my bones; from day until night You make an end of me.

²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the fiery flames killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

¹ In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows: ² “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has appointed me to build a house for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.

¹⁷ Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.

⁹ At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

¹ King Nebuchadnezzar, To the people of every nation and language who dwell in all the earth: May your prosperity be multiplied.

² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

² Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

² Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

²⁶ For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?

²⁶ David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

³⁶ Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

⁸ I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered. ⁹ Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, as well as wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given to them daily without fail. ¹⁰ Then they will be able to offer sacrifices of a sweet aroma to the God of heaven and to pray for the lives of the king and his sons. ¹¹ I also decree that if any man interferes with this directive, a beam is to be torn from his house and raised up, and he is to be impaled on it. And his own house shall be made a pile of rubble for this offense. ¹² May God, who has caused His Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued the decree. Let it be carried out with diligence.

¹² Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. ¹³ I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem.

¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.

¹ The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved. ² Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity.

¹ The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake! ² Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples. ³ Let them praise Your great and awesome name—He is holy!

¹²⁰ My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.

¹² to make known to men Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His actions.

¹⁰ The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!

⁷ Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

² Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

¹⁰ But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.

⁴⁴ In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces and their houses reduced to rubble. For there is no other god who can deliver in this way.”

³ How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

³⁴ But at the end of those days I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity was restored to me. Then I praised the Most High, and I honored and glorified Him who lives forever: “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

¹⁴ And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

²⁷ Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.’

¹⁰ Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’

⁶ “Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’

³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”

⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

²⁵ Nor is He served by the hands of men, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

²⁶ and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

⁹ For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

¹⁷ So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. ¹⁸ Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.

²⁹ “For our God is a consuming fire.”

¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before the One seated on the throne, and they worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

¹⁵ God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.

⁴⁸ who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.

⁵⁰ Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.

⁷ You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

¹⁷ How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

¹⁰ Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

¹⁹ the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. ²⁰ You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day.

² I am pleased to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. ³ How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.

¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”

⁷⁴ deliverance from the hands of our enemies, that we may serve Him without fear, ⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

³⁰ as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

⁸ We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He continues to deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

⁴ and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

²² In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah, the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to send a proclamation throughout his kingdom and to put it in writing as follows:

²⁸ who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’”

²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

¹ In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, and it concerned a great conflict. And the understanding of the message was given to him in a vision.