and saying,"Men,whyare you doingthese things?We are alsomenof the same natureas you, and preach the gospelto you that you should turnfrom thesevain thingsto a livingGod,WHOMADETHE HEAVENAND THE EARTHAND THE SEAAND ALLTHAT IS IN THEM.
In the beginningGodcreatedthe heavensand the earth.
Josephthen answeredPharaoh,saying,"It is not in me; Godwill givePharaoha favorableanswer."
for allthe sinsof Baashaand the sinsof Elahhis son,whichthey sinnedand whichthey made Israelsin,provokingthe LORDGodof Israelto angerwith their idols.
For he walkedin allthe wayof Jeroboamthe sonof Nebatand in his sinswhichhe made Israelsin,provokingthe LORDGodof Israelwith their idols.
"InclineYour ear,O LORD,and hear;openYour eyes,O LORD,and see;and listento the wordsof Sennacherib,whichhe has sentto reproachthe livingGod.
Perhapsthe LORDyour Godwill hearallthe wordsof Rabshakeh,whomhis masterthe kingof Assyriahas sentto reproachthe livingGod,and will rebukethe wordswhichthe LORDyour Godhas heard.Therefore, offera prayerfor the remnantthat is left.'"
May you be blessedof the LORD,Makerof heavenand earth.
Our helpis in the nameof the LORD,Who madeheavenand earth.
I hatethose who regardvainidols,But I trustin the LORD.
By the wordof the LORDthe heavenswere made,And by the breathof His mouthalltheir host.
"For in sixdaysthe LORDmadethe heavensand the earth,the seaand allthat is in them, and restedon the seventhday;thereforethe LORDblessedthe sabbathdayand madeit holy.
For thussaysthe LORD,who createdthe heavens(He is the Godwho formedthe earthand madeit, He establishedit [and] did not createit a wasteplace,[but] formedit to be inhabited),"I am the LORD,and thereis noneelse.
"Gatheryourselves and come;Drawneartogether,you fugitivesof the nations;They havenoknowledge,Who carryabout their woodenidolAnd prayto a godwho cannotsave.
"They liftit upon the shoulder[and] carryit; They setit in its placeand it stands[there]. It does not movefrom its place.Thoughone may cryto it, it cannotanswer;It cannotdeliverhim from his distress.
But they are altogetherstupidand foolish[In their] disciplineof delusion--their idol is wood!
Are thereanyamong the idolsof the nationswho giverain?Orcan the heavensgrantshowers?Is it not You, O LORDour God?Therefore we hopein You, For You are the one who has doneallthesethings.
AhLordGOD!Behold,You have madethe heavensand the earthby Your greatpowerand by Your outstretchedarm!Nothingis toodifficultfor You,
[It is] He who madethe earthby His power,Who establishedthe worldby His wisdom,And by His understandingHe stretchedout the heavens.
Behold,listen!The cryof the daughterof my peoplefrom a distantland:"Is the LORDnot in Zion?Is her Kingnot within her?" "Whyhave they provokedMe with their gravenimages,with foreignidols?"
"I makea decreethat in allthe dominionof my kingdommen are to fearand tremblebeforethe Godof Daniel;For He is the livingGodand enduringforever,And His kingdomis one whichwill not be destroyed,And His dominion[will be] forever.
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof Judahand for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey rejectedthe lawof the LORDAnd have not keptHis statutes;Their liesalso have ledthem astray,Those afterwhichtheir fatherswalked.
"Those who regardvainidolsForsaketheir faithfulness,
The burdenof the wordof the LORDconcerningIsrael.[Thus] declaresthe LORDwho stretchesout the heavens,laysthe foundationof the earth,and formsthe spiritof manwithinhim,
SimonPeteranswered,"You are the Christ,the Sonof the livingGod."
"For justas the Fatherhaslifein Himself,evensoHe gaveto the Sonalsoto havelifein Himself;
"He who speaksfrom himselfseekshis ownglory;but He who is seekingthe gloryof the One who sentHim, He is true,and there is nounrighteousnessin Him.
But Peterraisedhim up, saying,"Standup; I tooam[just] a man."
"And we preach to you the good newsof the promisemadeto the fathers,
After they had preached the gospelto that cityand had mademanydisciples,they returnedto Lystraand to Iconiumand to Antioch,
and therethey continued to preach the gospel.
and after he broughtthem out, he said,"Sirs,whatmustI doto be saved?"
and saidto them, "Men,I perceivethat the voyagewill certainlybe with damageand greatloss,not onlyof the cargoand the ship,but alsoof our lives."
When they had gonea longtime without food,thenPaulstoodup in their midstand said,"Men,you oughtto have followed my adviceand not to have set sailfrom Creteand incurredthisdamageand loss.
"Therefore,keep up your courage,men,for I believeGodthat it will turnout exactlyas I have been told.
And when they heard[this], they liftedtheir voicesto Godwith one accordand said,"O Lord,it is You who MADE THE HEAVENAND THE EARTHAND THE SEA,AND ALLTHAT IS IN THEM,
"On the followingdayhe appearedto them as they were fighting together,and he tried to reconcilethem in peace,saying,'Men,you are brethren,whydo you injureone another?'
Thereforeconcerningthe eatingof things sacrificed to idols,we knowthat there is nosuch thingas an idolin the world,and that there is noGodbut one.
SothisI say,and affirmtogetherwith the Lord,that you walkno longerjustas the Gentilesalsowalk,in the futilityof their mind,
They have madeMe jealouswith [what] is not God;They have provokedMe to angerwith their idols.So I will make them jealouswith [those who] are not a people;I will provokethem to angerwith a foolishnation,
For whois there of allfleshwhohas heardthe voiceof the livingGodspeakingfrom the midstof the fire,as we [have], and lived?
For they themselvesreportaboutus what kindof a receptionwe hadwith you, and howyou turnedto Godfrom idolsto servea livingand true God,
but in caseI am delayed,[I write] sothat you will knowhowone oughtto conducthimself in the householdof God,whichis the churchof the livingGod,the pillarand supportof the truth.
Take care,brethren,that there not be in any oneof you an evil,unbelievingheartthat falls awayfrom the livingGod.
Elijahwas a manwith a nature likeours,and he prayedearnestlythat it would not rain,and it did not rainon the earthfor threeyearsand sixmonths.
Joshuasaid,"By thisyou shall knowthat the livingGodis amongyou, and that He will assuredlydispossessfrom beforeyou the Canaanite,the Hittite,the Hivite,the Perizzite,the Girgashite,the Amorite,and the Jebusite.
and he saidwith a loudvoice,"FearGod,and giveHim glory,becausethe hourof His judgmenthas come;worshipHim who madethe heavenand the earthand seaand springsof waters."
ThenI fellat his feetto worshiphim. But he saidto me, "Do not dothat; I ama fellow servantof yoursand your brethrenwho holdthe testimonyof Jesus;worshipGod.For the testimonyof Jesusis the spiritof prophecy."
And I sawthe beastand the kingsof the earthand their armiesassembledto makewaragainstHim who saton the horseand againstHis army.
But he saidto me, "Do not dothat. I ama fellow servantof yoursand of your brethrenthe prophetsand of thosewho heedthe wordsof thisbook.WorshipGod."
"Worthyare You, our Lordand our God,to receivegloryand honorand power;for You createdall things,and becauseof Your willthey existed,and were created."
"You must not turnaside,for [then you would go] afterfutilethingswhichcan not profitor deliver,becausethey are futile.
Then Davidspoketo the menwho were standingby him, saying,"Whatwill be donefor the manwhokillsthisPhilistineand takesawaythe reproachfrom Israel?For whois thisuncircumcisedPhilistine,that he should tauntthe armiesof the livingGod?"
"Your servanthas killedboththe lionand the bear;and thisuncircumcisedPhilistinewill be like oneof them, sincehe has tauntedthe armiesof the livingGod."
