⁴⁸ if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive and pray to you toward their land that you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name,^(A)

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

¹⁰ Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.^(A)

¹² Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.^{(A) 13} When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart,^{(B) 14} I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.^(C)

²⁹ From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul.^(A)

⁹ but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I have chosen to establish my name.’^(A)

Samuel as Judge

³ Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”^{(A) 4} So Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and they served the Lord only.

¹⁰ For one believes^[a] with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation.

³⁶ As they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”^[a](A)

A Plea for Repentance