So Moses and Aaron went to the king and said to him, "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

and caused me to turn against them and send them into exile in the land of their enemies. At last, when your descendants are humbled and they have paid the penalty for their sin and rebellion,

"Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family."

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 will make it a terrifying sight, a place whose name people will use as a curse. But I have heard your prayer,

The king and the leaders admitted that they had sinned, and they said, "What the LORD is doing is just."

When the LORD saw this, he spoke again to Shemaiah and said to him, "Because they admit their sin, I will not destroy them. But when Shishak attacks, they will barely survive. Jerusalem will not feel the full force of my anger,

Because he submitted to the LORD, the LORD's anger did not completely destroy him, and things went well for Judah.

Still, there were some from the tribes of Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun who were willing to come to Jerusalem.

Finally, however, Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem humbled themselves, and so the LORD did not punish the people until after Hezekiah's death.

In his suffering he became humble, turned to the LORD his God, and begged him for help.

The king's prayer and God's answer to it, and an account of the sins he committed before he repented---the evil he did, the pagan places of worship and the symbols of the goddess Asherah that he made and the idols that he worshiped---are all recorded in The History of the Prophets.

But unlike his father, he did not become humble and turn to the LORD; he was even more sinful than his father had been.

He sinned against the LORD and did not listen humbly to the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke the word of the LORD.

Arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.

A day is coming when human pride will be ended and human arrogance destroyed. Then the LORD alone will be exalted.

"I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

The LORD said to me, "Tell the king and his mother to come down from their thrones, because their beautiful crowns have fallen from their heads.

But to this day you have not humbled yourselves. You have not honored me or lived according to all the laws that I gave you and your ancestors.

"But you, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this.

No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.

For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

My friends, remember the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Take them as examples of patient endurance under suffering.

I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so.

But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God and said, " LORD, why should you be so angry with your people, whom you rescued from Egypt with great might and power?

How powerful you are! How great is your strength!

Or do we want to make the Lord jealous? Do we think that we are stronger than he?

Remember how great is God's power; he is the greatest teacher of all.

He will break the power of the wicked, but the power of the righteous will be increased.

Because of you they rejoice all day long, and they praise you for your goodness.

You give us great victories; in your love you make us triumphant.

Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth.

His best soldiers will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

"Mortal man, groan as if your heart is breaking with despair. Groan in sorrow where everyone can watch you.

Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.

He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.

Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up,

and the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass away like the flower of a wild plant.

The LORD will take revenge and punish them; the time will come when they will fall; the day of their doom is near.

For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose.

who gave himself to redeem the whole human race. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved,

and at the right time he revealed it in his message. This was entrusted to me, and I proclaim it by order of God our Savior.