Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing!

Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls or measure the sky with his hands? Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?

Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? The one who leads them out like an army, he knows how many there are and calls each one by name! His power is so great--- not one of them is ever missing!

Who gave Israel up to the looters? It was the LORD himself, against whom we sinned! We would not live as he wanted us to live or obey the teachings he gave us.

Could anyone else have done what I did? Who could have predicted all that would happen from the very beginning to the end of time?

From the beginning I predicted the outcome; long ago I foretold what would happen. I said that my plans would never fail, that I would do everything I intended to do.

The LORD says to Israel, "Long ago I predicted what would take place; then suddenly I made it happen.

And so I predicted your future long ago, announcing events before they took place, to keep you from claiming that your idols and images made them happen.

Only now am I making them happen; nothing like this took place in the past. If it had, you would claim that you knew all about it.

"Think of the past, of the time long ago; ask your parents to tell you what happened, ask the old people to tell of the past.

The Most High assigned nations their lands; he determined where peoples should live. He assigned to each nation a heavenly being,

So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.'

From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live.

"People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be.

The LORD, who rules and protects Israel, the LORD Almighty, has this to say: "I am the first, the last, the only God; there is no other god but me.

The LORD says, "Listen to me, Israel, the people I have called! I am God, the first, the last, the only God!

It said, "Write down what you see, and send the book to the churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the first and the last.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is the message from the one who is the first and the last, who died and lived again.

I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

"Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all who are left of my people. I have cared for you from the time you were born.

I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.

"A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel" (which means, "God is with us").

and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."