-
Psalms 66:16
Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
-
Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of the heavens, because all his works are true and his ways are just. He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
-
John 4:29
“ Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
-
Acts 26:4-29
“ All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors,the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.“ I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests.King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic,‘ Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’“ I asked,‘ Who are you, Lord?’“ And the Lord replied,‘ I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to themto open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’“ So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me.To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place—that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice,“ You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”But Paul replied,“ I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment.For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner.King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”Agrippa said to Paul,“ Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”“ I wish before God,” replied Paul,“ that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am— except for these chains.”
-
Daniel 6:25-27
Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live on the whole earth:“ May your prosperity abound.I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must 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 has no end.He rescues and delivers; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for he has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”
-
Isaiah 38:9-20
A poem by King Hezekiah of Judah after he had been sick and had recovered from his illness:I said: In the prime of my life I must go to the gates of Sheol; I am deprived of the rest of my years.I said: I will never see the LORD, the LORD in the land of the living; I will not look on humanity any longer with the inhabitants of what is passing away.My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent. I have rolled up my life like a weaver; he cuts me off from the loom. By nightfall you make an end of me.I thought until the morning: He will break all my bones like a lion. By nightfall you make an end of me.I chirp like a swallow or a crane; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak looking upward. Lord, I am oppressed; support me.What can I say? He has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk along slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.Lord, by such things people live, and in every one of them my spirit finds life; you have restored me to health and let me live.Indeed, it was for my own well-being that I had such intense bitterness; but your love has delivered me from the Pit of destruction, for you have thrown all my sins behind your back.For Sheol cannot thank you; Death cannot praise you. Those who go down to the Pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.The living, only the living can thank you, as I do today; a father will make your faithfulness known to children.The LORD is ready to save me; we will play stringed instruments all the days of our lives at the house of the LORD.
-
Daniel 4:1-3
King Nebuchadnezzar, To those of every people, nation, and language, who live on the whole earth: May your prosperity increase.I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders the Most High God has done for me.How great are his miracles, and how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
-
Acts 22:1-21
“ Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.He continued,“ I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.I persecuted this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.“ As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,‘ Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’“ I answered,‘ Who are you, Lord?’“ He said to me,‘ I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.“ I said,‘ What should I do, Lord?’“ The Lord told me,‘ Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’“ Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,came and stood by me and said,‘ Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him.And he said,‘ The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth,since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’“ After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a tranceand saw him telling me,‘ Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’“ But I said,‘ Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’“ He said to me,‘ Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
-
Jonah 2:1-10
Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish:I called to the LORD in my distress, and he answered me. I cried out for help from deep inside Sheol; you heard my voice.When you threw me into the depths, into the heart of the seas, the current overcame me. All your breakers and your billows swept over me.And I said,“ I have been banished from your sight, yet I will look once more toward your holy temple.”The water engulfed me up to the neck; the watery depths overcame me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.I sank to the foundations of the mountains, the earth’s gates shut behind me forever! Then you raised my life from the Pit, LORD my God!As my life was fading away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, to your holy temple.Those who cherish worthless idols abandon their faithful love,but as for me, I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation belongs to the LORD.Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
