Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. He said, “Lord, you are the God of Israel. You sit on your throne between the cherubim. You alone are God over all the kingdoms on earth. You have made heaven and earth.
You are the one and only Lord. You made the heavens. You made even the highest heavens. You created all the stars in the sky. You created the earth and everything on it. And you made the oceans and everything in them. You give life to everything. Every living being in heaven worships you.
In six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea and everything in them. But he rested on the seventh day. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
God created the heavens and stretches them out. The Lord spreads out the earth with everything that grows on it. He gives breath to its people. He gives life to those who walk on it. He says to his servant,
The Lord says, “People of Israel, I set you free. I formed you when you were born as a nation. “I am the Lord. I am the Maker of everything. I alone stretch out the heavens. I spread out the earth by myself.
But I said, “Lord and King, the prophets keep telling them something else. They say, ‘You won’t have to suffer from war or hunger. Instead, the Lord will give you peace and rest in this place.’ ”
“Ask the Lord to help us. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. In the past the Lord did wonderful things for us. Maybe he’ll do them again. Then Nebuchadnezzar will pull his armies back from us.”
Then I said, “You are my Lord and King. You have completely tricked the people of Judah and Jerusalem! You have told them, ‘You will have peace and rest.’ But swords are pointed at our throats!”
But I, the God of Jacob, am not like them. I give my people everything they need. I can do this because I made everything, including Israel. They are the people who belong to me. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, “Lord and King, will you destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive?”
While they were doing it, I was left alone. I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out, “Lord and King, are you going to destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive? Will you pour out your great anger on all those who remain in Jerusalem?”
When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said, “Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?”
This is a prophecy. It is the Lord’s message about Israel. The Lord spreads out the heavens. He lays the foundation of the earth. He creates the human spirit within a person. He says,
“Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them.
“You are worthy, our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. You are worthy because you created all things. They were created and they exist. This is the way you planned it.”