He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the <sc>Lordsc> my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.p>

Please,<n id="1" /> O Lord, listen attentively<n id="2" /> to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect<n id="3" /> to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me<n id="4" /> in the presence of this man.&#8221;p> <p class="bodytext">Now<n id="5" /> I was cupbearer for the king.p>

But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to<n id="1" /> forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God.

<p class="bodytext">Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home.<n id="1" /> He said, &#8220;Let&#8217;s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let&#8217;s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">Then you will think to yourself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Who bore these children for me?p> <p class="poetry">I was bereaved and barren,p> <p class="poetry">dismissed and divorced.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Who raised these children?p> <p class="poetry">Look, I was left all alone;p> <p class="poetry">where did these children come from?&#8217;&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;As for me, this is my promise to<n id="1" /> them,&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8220;My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

I, the <sc>Lordsc>,<n id="1" /> hereby promise to make you<n id="2" /> as strong as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up against all who live in<n id="3" /> the land, including the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and all the people of the land.

<p class="poetry">Before this I had been like a docile lamb ready to be led to the slaughter.p> <p class="poetry">I did not know they were making plans to kill me.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I did not know they were saying,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Let&#8217;s destroy the tree along with its fruit!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Let&#8217;s remove Jeremiah<n id="4" /> from the world of the livingp> <p class="poetry">so people will not even be reminded of him any more.&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, &#8216;No war or famine will happen in this land.&#8217; But I, the <sc>Lordsc>, say this about<n id="1" /> them: &#8216;War and starvation will kill those prophets.&#8217;<n id="2" />

&#8220;Send a message to all the exiles in Babylon. Tell them, &#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> has spoken about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. &#8220;Shemaiah has spoken to you as a prophet even though I did not send him. He is making you trust in a lie.<n id="1" />

I for my part will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians<n id="1" /> whenever they come to us. You for your part go ahead and harvest the wine, the dates, the figs,<n id="2" /> and the olive oil, and store them in jars. Go ahead and settle down in the towns that you have taken over.&#8221;<n id="3" />

so that the house of Israel will no longer go astray from me, nor continue to defile themselves by all their sins. They will be my people and I will be their God,<n id="1" /> declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

When you present your sacrifices<n id="1" /> &#8211; when you make your sons pass through the fire &#8211; you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me,<n id="2" /> O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the sovereign <sc>Lordsc>, I will not allow you to seek me!<n id="3" />p>

Tell them, &#8216;This is what the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> says:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;&#8216;Look, I am against<n id="1" /> you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,p> <p class="poetry">the great monster<n id="2" /> lying in the midst of its waterways,p> <p class="poetry">who has said, &#8220;My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

They will not defile themselves with their idols, their detestable things, and all their rebellious deeds. I will save them from all their unfaithfulness<n id="1" /> by which they sinned. I will purify them; they will become my people and I will become their God.p>

<p class="bodytext">While I was contemplating all this,<n id="1" /> a male goat<n id="2" /> was coming from the west over the surface of all the land<n id="3" /> without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn<n id="4" /> between its eyes.

I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from<n id="1" /> me, and my vigor disappeared;<n id="2" /> I was without energy.<n id="3" />

Then he said to me, &#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, Daniel, for from the very first day you applied your mind<n id="1" /> to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come in response to your words.

However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia was opposing me for twenty-one days. But<n id="1" /> Michael, one of the leading princes, came to help me, because I was left there<n id="2" /> with the kings of Persia.

How, sir, am I able to speak with you?<n id="1" /> My strength is gone,<n id="2" /> and I am breathless.&#8221;