I hear all this, and I tremble; my lips quiver with fear. My body goes limp, and my feet stumble beneath me. I will quietly wait for the time to come when God will punish those who attack us.

Then the LORD said to his people, "Keep watching the nations around you, and you will be astonished at what you see. I am going to do something that you will not believe when you hear about it.

They spread fear and terror, and in their pride they are a law to themselves.

"Their armies advance in violent conquest, and everyone is terrified as they approach. Their captives are as numerous as grains of sand.

Some of the king's officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said, and they brought their slaves and animals indoors for shelter.

Others, however, paid no attention to the LORD's warning and left their slaves and animals out in the open.

and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer,

and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace." The men returned to King Josiah with this message.

Once a message came quietly, so quietly I could hardly hear it.

I trembled and shuddered; my whole body shook with fear.

I could see something standing there; I stared, but couldn't tell what it was. Then I heard a voice out of the silence:

God does not trust his heavenly servants; he finds fault even with his angels.

We may be alive in the morning, but die unnoticed before evening comes.

Because of you I am afraid; I am filled with fear because of your judgments.

I myself created the whole universe! I am pleased with those who are humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me.

Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. He took it from the room of Elishama and read it to the king and all the officials who were standing around him.

As soon as Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king cut them off with a small knife and threw them into the fire. He kept doing this until the entire scroll was burned up.

Gabriel came and stood beside me, and I was so terrified that I fell to the ground. He said to me, "Mortal man, understand the meaning. The vision has to do with the end of the world."

It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.

The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling and afraid!"

Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord? Who will refuse to declare your greatness? You alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because your just actions are seen by all."

The people reply, "Who would have believed what we now report? Who could have seen the LORD's hand in this?

But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, "Lord, who believed our message?"

Now for a short time, O LORD our God, you have been gracious to us and have let some of us escape from slavery and live in safety in this holy place. You have let us escape from slavery and have given us new life.

Make us strong again, and we, your people, will praise you.

How much longer will your anger last? Have pity, O LORD, on your servants!

Give us now as much happiness as the sadness you gave us during all our years of misery.

Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. Give us success in all we do!

When I am surrounded by troubles, you keep me safe. You oppose my angry enemies and save me by your power.

You will do everything you have promised; LORD, your love is eternal. Complete the work that you have begun.

Wake up, LORD, and help us! Use your power and save us; use it as you did in ancient times. It was you that cut the sea monster Rahab to pieces.

Those whom you have rescued will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.

LORD, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power? Where are your love and compassion? Do not ignore us.

Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.

You treat us as though you had never been our ruler, as though we had never been your people.

Why don't you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear.

There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear.

In two or three days he will revive us, and we will live in his presence.

Let us try to know the LORD. He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth."

The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life---life in all its fullness.

And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus.

This whole land will be left in ruins and will be a shocking sight, and the neighboring nations will serve the king of Babylonia for seventy years.

After that I will punish Babylonia and its king for their sin. I will destroy that country and leave it in ruins forever.

In the year that Evil-merodach became king of Babylonia, he showed kindness to King Jehoiachin of Judah by releasing him from prison. This happened on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year after Jehoiachin had been taken away as a prisoner.

So Jehoiachin was permitted to change from his prison clothes and to dine at the king's table for the rest of his life.

In the first year of his reign I was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the LORD had told the prophet Jeremiah.

Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation."

Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them in the mountains and destroy them completely? Stop being angry; change your mind and do not bring this disaster on your people.

The whole community was threatening to stone them to death, but suddenly the people saw the dazzling light of the LORD's presence appear over the Tent.

I will send an epidemic and destroy them, but I will make you the father of a nation that is larger and more powerful than they are!"

they will tell it to the people who live in this land. These people have already heard that you, LORD, are with us, that you appear in plain sight when your cloud stops over us, and that you go before us in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

that you killed your people in the wilderness because you were not able to bring them into the land you promised to give them.

'I, the LORD, am not easily angered, and I show great love and faithfulness and forgive sin and rebellion. Yet I will not fail to punish children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their parents.'

The LORD answered, "I will forgive them, as you have asked.

none of these people will live to enter that land. They have seen the dazzling light of my presence and the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but they have tried my patience over and over again and have refused to obey me.

and Moses said to Aaron, "Take your fire pan, put live coals from the altar in it, and put some incense on the coals. Then hurry with it to the people and perform the ritual of purification for them. Hurry! The LORD's anger has already broken out and an epidemic has already begun."

Aaron obeyed, took his fire pan and ran into the middle of the assembled people. When he saw that the plague had already begun, he put the incense on the coals and performed the ritual of purification for the people.

But after David had taken the census, his conscience began to hurt, and he said to the LORD, "I have committed a terrible sin in doing this! Please forgive me. I have acted foolishly."

(SEE 24:11)

David answered, "I am in a desperate situation! But I don't want to be punished by people. Let the LORD himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful."

When the LORD's angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD changed his mind about punishing the people and said to the angel who was killing them, "Stop! That's enough!" The angel was by the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite.

LORD, don't be angry and rebuke me! Don't punish me in your anger!

I am worn out, O LORD; have pity on me! Give me strength; I am completely exhausted

O LORD, don't punish me in your anger!

But God was merciful to his people. He forgave their sin and did not destroy them. Many times he held back his anger and restrained his fury.

Correct your people, LORD, but do not be too hard on us or punish us when you are angry; that would be the end of us.

"The LORD says, 'When Babylonia's seventy years are over, I will show my concern for you and keep my promise to bring you back home.

He may bring us sorrow, but his love for us is sure and strong.

Then the angel said, "Almighty LORD, you have been angry with Jerusalem and the cities of Judah for seventy years now. How much longer will it be before you show them mercy?"