Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



"Put forward your case!" says the LORD. "Submit your arguments!" says Jacob's King. Let them approach and ask us, "What will happen? As to the former things, what were they? Tell us, so that we may consider them and know. Or the latter things or the things to come let us hear. Tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods! Yes, do something good or something bad, so we may hear and gaze at it together.'" read more.
"Look! You and your work are less than nothing; whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting."

But now this is what the LORD says, the one who created you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel: "Do not be afraid, because I've redeemed you. I've called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I'll be with you; and through the rivers, they won't sweep over you. when you walk through fire you won't be scorched, and the flame won't set you ablaze. "I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer And I've given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and the people of Seba in exchange for you. read more.
Since you're precious in my sight and honored, and because I love you, I'm giving up people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life." "Don't be afraid, for I am with you; I'll bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. I'll say to the north, "Give them up'! and to the south, "Don't keep them back!' Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. "Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes, who are deaf, yet still have ears! Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the nations be assembled. "Who is there among them who can declare this, or announce the former things? Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right, and let them proclaim so people will say, "It's true.' "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, yes I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I've revealed and saved and proclaimed, when there was no foreign god among you and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD. "I am God; also from ancient days I am the one. And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand; when I act, who can reverse it?" This is what the LORD says, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon, and bring them all down as fugitives. Now as for the Babylonians, their ringing cry will become lamentation. I am the LORD, your Holy One, Creator of Israel, and your King." This is what the LORD says who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who brings out chariots and horsemen, and armies and warriors at the same time. They lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a candle: "Don't remember the former things; don't dwell on things past. Watch! I'm about to carry out something new! And now it's springing up don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the wilderness and paths in the desert.

"I let myself be sought by those who didn't ask for me; I let myself be found by those who didn't seek me. I said, "Here I am! Here I am!' to a nation that didn't call on my name. I held out my hands all day long to a disobedient people, who walk in a way that isn't good, following their own inclinations a people who continually provoke me to my face; they keep sacrificing in gardens and waving their hands over stone altars; read more.
who sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pigs' meat, with the broth of detestable things in their pots; who say, "Keep to yourself!' "Don't touch me!' and "I am too holy for you!' "Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day long. Watch out! It stands written before me: "I won't keep silent, but I will pay back in full; I'll indeed repay into their laps both your iniquities and your ancestors' iniquities together,'' says the LORD. "Because they offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on hills, I'll measure into their laps full payment for their earlier actions." This is what the LORD says: "Just as new wine is found in the cluster, and people have said, "Don't destroy it, for there is a gift in it,' so I'll act for my servants' sake, by not destroying them all. I'll bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah they will inherit my mountains; my chosen people will inherit it, and my servants will live there. Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a fold for herds, for my people who have sought me. But as for you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill drink offerings for Destiny, I'll consign you to the sword, and all of you will bend down for the slaughter because when I called, you didn't answer, when I spoke, you didn't listen; but you did what was evil in my sight, and chose what I took no pleasure in." Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "See, my servants will eat, but you'll go hungry; my servants will drink, but you'll go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you'll be put to shame. My servants will sing in gladness of heart, but you'll cry for help from anguish of heart, and you'll howl from brokenness of spirit. You'll leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse, and the Lord GOD will put you to death permanently. Then whoever takes an oath by the God of faithfulness, and whoever takes an oath in the land, will swear by the God of faithfulness, because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.

"When a man divorces his wife, she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, will the first husband return to her again? The land would be deeply polluted, would it not? Since you have committed fornication with many lovers, would you now return to me?" declares the LORD. "Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? You have sat beside the road, waiting for them like a nomad in the desert. And you have polluted the land with your fornication and your wickedness. This is why the rain has been withheld and there are no spring showers. Yet you have a harlot's look and you refuse to be ashamed. read more.
Have you not just called out to me, "My father, you are the friend of my youth will he hold on to his anger forever, will he persist in his wrath to the end?' Look, you have spoken and done evil things, and you have succeeded in it." In the time of King Josiah the LORD told me, "Have you seen what unfaithful Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she committed fornication there. I thought, "After she has done all these things, she will return to me.' But she didn't return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw this. I saw that even though I had sent unfaithful Israel away for all her adulteries and had given her a divorce decree, her treacherous sister Judah didn't fear, and she, too, committed adultery. She took her fornication so lightly that she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. Yet in all this her treacherous sister Judah didn't return to me with her whole heart, but rather deceptively," declares the LORD. Then the LORD told me, "Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say, "Return, unfaithful Israel,' declares the LORD. "I won't look on you in anger, for I am gracious,' declares the LORD. "I won't remain angry forever. "Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God, and have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree. But you haven't obeyed me,' declares the LORD. "Return, unfaithful people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I'll take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I'll bring you to Zion. I'll give you shepherds after my own heart, and they'll shepherd you with knowledge and good sense."

"Yet you keep saying, "The LORD isn't being consistent with his standards.' Pay attention, you house of Israel: Is my behavior really inconsistent with my standards? Isn't it your behavior that isn't just? "When a righteous person turns from his righteous deeds and does evil, he'll die because of that evil. He'll die because of his unrighteous acts that he committed. When a wicked person quits his wicked behavior and does what's just and right, he'll be enabled to live. read more.
Because he reconsidered his transgression and turned away from everything that he had been doing, he'll certainly live and not die. Yet Israel's house keeps saying, "The LORD isn't being consistent with his standards.' Is it my behavior that's inconsistent with my standards? Is it not your behavior that's inconsistent with my standards?" "Therefore, Israel, I'm going to judge you according to the behavior of each and every one of you," declares the Lord GOD. "So repent and turn from all your sins so that sin won't keep on being a stumbling block for you. Stop your transgressing the deeds by which you've rebelled and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel? I don't take pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the LORD. "So repent, so you may live!"

""Now, Son of Man, tell this to the house of Israel: "You keep saying, "Our crimes and sins burden us so much that we're rotting away, so how can we keep on living?"' "Tell them, "As certainly as I'm alive and living,' declares the Lord GOD, "I receive no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, my pleasure is that the wicked repent from their behavior and live. Turn back! Turn back, all of you, from your wicked behavior! Why do you have to die, you house of Israel?'" "And now, Son of Man, say this to your people: "The righteousness of the righteous won't save them when they keep on committing crimes against me, the wickedness of the wicked won't keep them from remaining away when they're turning from their wickedness, and no righteous person will keep on living by their righteousness when they sin.' read more.
"If I tell the righteous person that he will certainly live, if he trusts in his own righteousness and commits evil, none of his righteousness will be remembered, and he will die because of the wrong that he commits. "If I tell the wicked person that he will certainly die, if he turns from his sin and acts with justice and righteousness, returning what has been placed as collateral for a loan, paying back what he has taken, following the regulations that promote life, and committing no iniquity, he will certainly live, and not die. None of the sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. Since he did what is just and right, he will certainly live. "Nevertheless, your people's children keep saying, "Living life the Lord's way isn't right,' when all the while it is their way of living that isn't right. When a righteous man forsakes his own righteousness and commits evil acts, he will die because of those acts, and when the wicked turn away from their wickedness and do what is just and right, he will certainly live because of that. "And yet you keep saying, "Living life the Lord's way isn't right,' But I will judge every one of you according to the way you live, you house of Israel!"

Please hear what the LORD says: "Get up and make your case before the mountains, and let the hills listen to your voice. Listen, you mountains, to the LORD's argument! Listen, you strong foundations of the earth, because the LORD has a dispute with his people, and he will set out his case before Israel. "My people, what have I done to you, and how have I offended you? Answer me! read more.
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and ransomed you from the house of slavery, sending Moses, Aaron, and Miriam into your presence. "My people, recall how king Balak of Moab deliberated, and how Beor's son Balaam counseled him from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may know the righteousness of the LORD." How am I to present myself in the LORD's presence and bow in the presence of the High God? Should I present myself with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with endless rivers of oil? Am I to give my firstborn to pay for my rebellion, the fruit of my body in exchange for my soul? He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the LORD is requiring from you to act with justice, to treasure the LORD's gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God. The voice of the LORD cries out to the city wisdom fears your name: "Heed the rod, and the one who prepared it!

"Ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my decrees and haven't kept them. Return to me and I'll return to you," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "But you ask, "How will we return?' "Will a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you ask, "How are we robbing you?' "By the tithe and the offering. You are cursed under the curse the entire nation because you are robbing me! read more.
"Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. So put me to the test in this right now," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and see if I won't throw open the windows of heaven for you and pour out on you blessing without measure. And I'll prevent the devourer from harming you, so that he does not destroy the crops of your land. Nor will the vines in your fields drop their fruit," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "You have spoken arrogant words against me," says the LORD. "Yet you ask, "What did we say against you?' You said, "It is futile to serve God,' and, "What did we get out of it when we carried out his requirements and went about like mourners in the presence of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies?' and, "Now we call the arrogant one blessed. Those who do evil prosper and those who challenge God escape the consequences.'"


"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unblocked;

"Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes, who are deaf, yet still have ears!

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.




Then Moses reported all the words of the people back to the LORD. The LORD told Moses, "Look, I'm coming to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may listen when I speak with you and always believe you." Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.

God said, "I've done this so that they may believe that the LORD God of their ancestors the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you."

all so that people may see and recognize, perceive, consider, and comprehend at the same time, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and that the Holy One of Israel has created it."

He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him.

For your sake I'm glad that I wasn't there, so that you may believe. But let's go to him."

Then Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me."

I'm telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you may believe that I AM.

I've told you this now, before I leave, so that when I do leave, you will believe.

The one who saw this has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows he is telling the truth so that you, too, may believe,


"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.


But now this is what the LORD says, the one who created you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel: "Do not be afraid, because I've redeemed you. I've called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I'll be with you; and through the rivers, they won't sweep over you. when you walk through fire you won't be scorched, and the flame won't set you ablaze. "I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer And I've given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and the people of Seba in exchange for you. read more.
Since you're precious in my sight and honored, and because I love you, I'm giving up people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life." "Don't be afraid, for I am with you; I'll bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. I'll say to the north, "Give them up'! and to the south, "Don't keep them back!' Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. "Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes, who are deaf, yet still have ears! Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the nations be assembled. "Who is there among them who can declare this, or announce the former things? Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right, and let them proclaim so people will say, "It's true.' "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, yes I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I've revealed and saved and proclaimed, when there was no foreign god among you and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD. "I am God; also from ancient days I am the one. And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand; when I act, who can reverse it?"


"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.


They will speak about the glory of your kingdom, and they will talk about your might,

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.


Your mouth will freely speak to the fugitive. You won't be silent any longer. You'll be a sign to them. Then they'll know that I am the LORD."

so I may praise you loudly with thanksgiving and declare all your wondrous acts.

May my tongue sing about your promise, for all of your commands are right.

The hearts of reckless people will understand sound judgment, and the tongues of those who stammer will be ready to speak clearly.



What existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we observed and touched with our own hands this is the Word of life! This life was revealed to us, and we have seen it and testify about it. We declare to you this eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree. God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to extend repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. read more.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil. We are witnesses of everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem. read more.
"They hung him on a tree and killed him, but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify to this: everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe because of him. John was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. read more.
This was the true light that enlightens every person by his coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him. Yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own creation, yet his own people did not receive him. However, to all who received him, those believing in his name, he gave authority to become God's children, who were born, not merely in a genetic sense, nor from lust, nor from man's desire, but from the will of God. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace and truth. John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, "The one who comes after me ranks higher than me, because he existed before me.'"

so that everyone may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. "Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, whoever hears what I say and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has passed from death to life. Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the time approaches, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live. read more.
Just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted the Son to have life in himself, and he has given him authority to judge, because he is the Son of Man. Don't be amazed at this, because the time is approaching when everyone in their graves will hear the Son of Man's voice and will come out those who have done what is good to the resurrection that leads to life, and those who have practiced what is evil to the resurrection that ends in condemnation. I can do nothing on my own accord. I judge according to what I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me." "If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not trustworthy. There is another who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony he gives about me is true. You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth. I myself do not accept human testimony, but I am saying these things so that you may be saved. That man John was a lamp that burns and brightly shines, and for a while you were willing to rejoice in his light. "But I have a greater testimony than John's, because the actions that the Father has given me to complete the very actions that I am doing testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen what he looks like, nor do you have his word at work in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he sent. You examine the Scriptures carefully because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. Yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me to have life. "I do not accept human praise. I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me. Yet if another man comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept each other's praise and do not look for the praise that comes from the only God? Do not suppose that I will be the one to accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope, because if you believed Moses, you would believe me, since he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?"

"I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer And I've given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and the people of Seba in exchange for you. Since you're precious in my sight and honored, and because I love you, I'm giving up people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life." "Don't be afraid, for I am with you; I'll bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west. read more.
I'll say to the north, "Give them up'! and to the south, "Don't keep them back!' Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. "Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes, who are deaf, yet still have ears! Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the nations be assembled. "Who is there among them who can declare this, or announce the former things? Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right, and let them proclaim so people will say, "It's true.' "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, yes I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I've revealed and saved and proclaimed, when there was no foreign god among you and you are my witnesses," declares the LORD.

"But now listen, Jacob my servant and Israel whom I have chosen: This what the LORD says, the one who made you, formed you from the womb, and who will help you: "Don't be afraid, Jacob my servant, and Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I'll pour water upon thirsty ground and streams on parched land. So will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants. read more.
They'll spring up as among the green grass, like willows by flowing streams. One will say, "I belong to the LORD,' and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will have written on his hand, "the LORD's,' and will adopt the name of Israel." This is what the LORD says, the King of Israel and its Redeemer the LORD of the Heavenly Armies is his name "I am the first and I am the last, and apart from me there is no God. Who is like me? Let him proclaim and declare it, and lay it out for himself since he made an ancient people. And let him speak future events; let them tell him what will happen. Don't tremble, and don't be afraid. Didn't I tell you and announce it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? There is no other Rock I don't know of any."

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He answered them, "It isn't for you to know what times or periods the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." read more.
After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, two men in white robes stood right beside them. They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people came running to them in what was called "Solomon's Colonnade". They were dumbfounded. When Peter saw this, he told the people: "Fellow Israelis, why are you wondering about this, and why are you staring at us as if by our own power or godliness we made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go. read more.
You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you, and you killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that.

From: Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus, the Messiah. To: Those who have received faith that is as valuable as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. May grace and peace be yours in abundance through full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. read more.
Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge, your knowledge with self-control, your self-control with endurance, your endurance with godliness, your godliness with brotherly kindness, and your brotherly kindness with love. For if you possess these qualities, and if they continue to increase among you, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in attaining a full knowledge of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins. So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail. For in this way you will be generously granted entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah. Therefore, I intend to keep on reminding you about these things, even though you already know them and are firmly established in the truth that you now have. Yet I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I am living in this bodily tent, because I know that the removal of my bodily tent will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, has shown me. And I will make every effort to see that you will always remember these things after I am gone. When we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, we did not follow any clever myths. Rather, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

This is the revelation of Jesus the Messiah, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known by sending his messenger to his servant John, who testified about this message from God and the testimony about Jesus the Messiah.




"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.


"Go, stand in the Temple, and keep on telling the people the whole message about this life they can have." After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in.

One night, the Lord told Paul in a vision, "Stop being afraid to speak out! Don't remain silent! For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you or harm you, because I have many people in this city."

"Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice, because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.