⁹ “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked^(A) people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone^(B) so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy^(C) them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”^(D)

¹¹ But Moses sought the favor^(E) of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?^{(F) 12} Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?^(G) Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster^(H) on your people. ¹³ Remember^(I) your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self:^(J) ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars^(K) in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land^(L) I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the Lord relented^(M) and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:

Prayer^(A)

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing^(B) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,^(C) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling^(D) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.^{(E) 8} Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need^(F) before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel^(A) before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches^(B) he may strengthen you with power^(C) through his Spirit in your inner being,^{(D) 17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(E) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(F) and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(G) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(H) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(I)—that you may be filled^(J) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(K)

²⁰ Now to him who is able^(L) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(M) or imagine, according to his power^(N) that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(O)