The LORDsaidto Gideon,"The peoplewhoare with you are toomanyfor Me to giveMidianinto their hands,for Israelwould becomeboastful,saying,My own powerhas deliveredme.'
Godspoketo Israelin visionsof the nightand said,"Jacob,Jacob."And he said,"HereI am."
Then Asacalledto the LORDhis Godand said,"LORD,thereis noonebesidesYou to help[in the battle] betweenthe powerfuland those who havenostrength;so helpus, O LORDour God,for we trustin You, and in Your namehave comeagainstthismultitude.O LORD,You are our God;let not manprevailagainstYou."
For he has said,"By the powerof my handand by my wisdomI did[this], For I haveunderstanding;And I removedthe boundariesof the peoplesAnd plunderedtheir treasures,And like a mightymanI broughtdown[their] inhabitants,
The proudlookof manwill be abasedAnd the loftinessof manwill be humbled,And the LORDalonewill be exaltedin that day.
The prideof manwill be humbledAnd the loftinessof menwill be abased;And the LORDalonewill be exaltedin that day,
Thussaysthe LORD,"Let not a wisemanboastof his wisdom,and let not the mightymanboastof his might,let not a richmanboastof his riches;
"Your heartwas liftedup because of your beauty;You corruptedyour wisdomby reasonof your splendor.I castyou to the ground;I putyou beforekings,That they may seeyou.
"Sonof man,sayto the leaderof Tyre,'Thussaysthe LordGOD,"Becauseyour heartis liftedup And you have said,I am a god,I sitin the seatof godsIn the heartof the seas;Yet you are a manand not God,Although you makeyour heartlike the heartof God--
"The kingreflectedand said,'Is thisnot Babylonthe great,whichI myselfhave builtas a royalresidenceby the mightof my powerand for the gloryof my majesty?'
Thereforethey offera sacrificeto their netAnd burnincenseto their fishingnet;Becausethrough thesethingstheir catchis large,And their foodis plentiful.
"The LORDalso will savethe tentsof Judahfirst,sothat the gloryof the houseof Davidand the gloryof the inhabitantsof Jerusalemwill not be magnifiedaboveJudah.
Then he saidto me, "Thisis the wordof the LORDto Zerubbabelsaying,Not by mightnorby power,but by My Spirit,'saysthe LORDof hosts.
"A thousandfrom each tribeof allthe tribesof Israelyou shall sendto the war."
do not be arroganttowardthe branches;but ifyou are arrogant,[remember that] it is not you who supportsthe root,but the root[supports] you.
Wherethenis boasting?It is excluded.By what kindof law?Of works?No,but by a lawof faith.
But we havethistreasurein earthenvessels,sothat the surpassing greatnessof the powerwill be of Godand not from ourselves;
not as a resultof works,sothat noonemay boast.
Had I not fearedthe provocationby the enemy,That their adversarieswould misjudge,That they would say,"Our handis triumphant,And the LORDhas not doneallthis."'
"Otherwise, you may sayin your heart,'My powerand the strengthof my handmademe thiswealth.'
"But you shall rememberthe LORDyour God,for it is He who is givingyou powerto makewealth,that He may confirmHis covenantwhichHe sworeto your fathers,as [it is] thisday.
But He givesa greatergrace.Therefore[it] says,"GODIS OPPOSEDTO THE PROUD,BUT GIVESGRACETO THE HUMBLE."
Then Jonathansaidto the youngmanwho was carryinghis armor,"Comeand let us crossoverto the garrisonof theseuncircumcised;perhapsthe LORDwill workfor us, for the LORDis not restrainedto saveby manyorby few."
