Don’t be terrified or afraid. Didn’t I make this known to you long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God except me? There is no ⌞other⌟ rock; I know of none.
His father refused and said, “I know, Son, I know! Manasseh, too, will become a nation, and he, too, will be important. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be more important than he, and his descendants will become many nations.”
This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the world. Then he ordered me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem (which is in Judah).
I was ashamed to ask the king for an armed escort with cavalry to help us against an enemy attack on the way. We had already told the king, “Our God works things out for the good of everyone who dedicates his life to serving him, but his power and his anger oppose everyone who abandons him.”
You have forgotten the God of your salvation. You haven’t remembered the rock, your stronghold. Instead, you have planted the best plants and have set out the imported grapevines.
You will sing a song like the song you sing on a festival night. Your hearts will be happy like someone going out with a flute on the way to the Lord’s mountain, to the rock of Israel.
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord. “I have chosen you as my servant so that you can know and believe in me and understand that I am the one ⌞who did this⌟. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me.
I have revealed it to you, I have saved you, and I have announced it to you. There was no foreign ⌞god⌟ among you. You are my witnesses that I am God,” declares the Lord.
All nations have gathered together, and people have assembled. Who among them could have revealed this? Who among them could have foretold this to us? They should bring their witnesses to prove that they were right. Let the people hear them. Then they will say that it is true.
The Lord made you, formed you in the womb, and will help you. This is what the Lord says: Don’t be afraid, my servant Jacob, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
The Lord is Israel’s king and defender. He is the Lord of Armies. This is what the Lord says: I am the first and the last, and there is no God except me.
I haven’t spoken privately or in some dark corner of the world. I didn’t say to Jacob’s descendants, “Search for me in vain!” I, the Lord, speak what is fair and say what is right.
That is why I revealed to you what would happen long ago. I told you about them before they happened. ⌞I did this⌟ so you couldn’t say, “My gods have done these things. My carved idols and my metal idols have commanded them to happen.”
Everyone fears you, O King of the Nations. This is what you deserve. No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations or in all their kingdoms.
But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. He will tell King Nebuchadnezzar what is going to happen in the days to come. This is your dream, the vision you had while you were asleep:
The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings. He can reveal secrets because you were able to reveal this secret.”
You will be forced away from people and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like cattle. The dew from the sky will make you wet. And seven time periods will pass until you realize that the Most High has power over human kingdoms and that he gives them to whomever he wishes.
My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they couldn’t hurt me. He did this because he considered me innocent. Your Majesty, I haven’t committed any crime.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
and said, “Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them.
Since we are surrounded by so many examples ⌞of faith⌟, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.
This life was revealed to us. We have seen it, and we testify about it. We are reporting to you about this eternal life that was in the presence of the Father and was revealed to us.