The Sovereign LORD said, "I will bring back the people of Israel from the nations where I scattered them, and all the nations will know that I am holy. The people of Israel will live in their own land, the land that I gave to my servant Jacob.

They will live there in safety. They will build houses and plant vineyards. I will punish all their neighbors who treated them with scorn, and Israel will be secure. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God."

The LORD's enemies will be destroyed; he will thunder against them from heaven. The LORD will judge the whole world; he will give power to his king, he will make his chosen king victorious."

You have made me as strong as a wild ox; you have blessed me with happiness.

He gives generously to the needy, and his kindness never fails; he will be powerful and respected.

Here I will make one of David's descendants a great king; here I will preserve the rule of my chosen king.

He made his nation strong, so that all his people praise him--- the people of Israel, so dear to him. Praise the LORD!

In the days to come the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, will take root like a tree, and they will blossom and bud. The earth will be covered with the fruit they produce.

The LORD says, "The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land.

He has provided for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of his servant David.

I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people.

That same day you will get back the power of speech which you had lost, and you will talk with them. In this way you will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the LORD."

The evening before he came, I had felt the powerful presence of the LORD. When the man arrived the next morning, the LORD gave me back the power of speech.

Help me to speak, Lord, and I will praise you.

The Sovereign LORD never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.

When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid? When the Sovereign LORD speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message?

because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.

At the same time pray also for us, so that God will give us a good opportunity to preach his message about the secret of Christ. For that is why I am now in prison.

Pray, then, that I may speak, as I should, in such a way as to make it clear.

Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD." The LORD says, "The Israelites relied on you Egyptians for support, but you were no better than a weak stick.

Egypt will become an empty wasteland. Then you will know that I am the LORD. "Because you said that the Nile is yours and you made it,

Israel will never again depend on them for help. Egypt's fate will remind Israel how wrong it was to rely on them. Then Israel will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."