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32 He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

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32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist(A) him.

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“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

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“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion(A) and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart(B) and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him,(C) he will be found by you; but if you forsake(D) him, he will reject(E) you forever.

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And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

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Now this is eternal life: that they know you,(A) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.(B)

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12 By my power[a] I will make my people strong,
    and by my authority they will go wherever they wish.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!”

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Footnotes

  1. 10:12 Hebrew In the Lord.

12 I will strengthen(A) them in the Lord
    and in his name they will live securely,(B)
declares the Lord.

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13 Judah is my bow,
    and Israel is my arrow.
Jerusalem[a] is my sword,
    and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks.[b]

14 The Lord will appear above his people;
    his arrows will fly like lightning!
The Sovereign Lord will sound the ram’s horn
    and attack like a whirlwind from the southern desert.
15 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will protect his people,
    and they will defeat their enemies by hurling great stones.
They will shout in battle as though drunk with wine.
    They will be filled with blood like a bowl,
    drenched with blood like the corners of the altar.
16 On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people,
    just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:13a Hebrew Zion.
  2. 9:13b Hebrew the sons of Javan.

13 I will bend Judah as I bend my bow(A)
    and fill it with Ephraim.(B)
I will rouse your sons, Zion,
    against your sons, Greece,(C)
    and make you like a warrior’s sword.(D)

The Lord Will Appear

14 Then the Lord will appear over them;(E)
    his arrow will flash like lightning.(F)
The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet;(G)
    he will march in the storms(H) of the south,
15     and the Lord Almighty will shield(I) them.
They will destroy
    and overcome with slingstones.(J)
They will drink and roar as with wine;(K)
    they will be full like a bowl(L)
    used for sprinkling[a] the corners(M) of the altar.
16 The Lord their God will save his people on that day(N)
    as a shepherd saves his flock.
They will sparkle in his land
    like jewels in a crown.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 9:15 Or bowl, / like

The Remnant Purified

Then the remnant left in Israel[a]
    will take their place among the nations.
They will be like dew sent by the Lord
    or like rain falling on the grass,
which no one can hold back
    and no one can restrain.
The remnant left in Israel
    will take their place among the nations.
They will be like a lion among the animals of the forest,
    like a strong young lion among flocks of sheep and goats,
pouncing and tearing as they go
    with no rescuer in sight.
The people of Israel will stand up to their foes,
    and all their enemies will be wiped out.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:7 Hebrew in Jacob; also in 5:8. See note on 1:5a.

The remnant(A) of Jacob will be
    in the midst of many peoples
like dew(B) from the Lord,
    like showers on the grass,(C)
which do not wait for anyone
    or depend on man.
The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
    in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,(D)
    like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles(E) as it goes,
    and no one can rescue.(F)
Your hand will be lifted up(G) in triumph over your enemies,
    and all your foes will be destroyed.

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And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.

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Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know(A) that we have come to know him(B) if we keep his commands.(C) Whoever says, “I know him,”(D) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(E)

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10 Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.

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10 Those who know your name(A) trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken(B) those who seek you.(C)

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32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[a] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:32 Greek when you were first enlightened.

32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light,(A) when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.(B) 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution;(C) at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.(D)

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A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

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The Appeal Renewed

You then, my son,(A) be strong(B) in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say(C) in the presence of many witnesses(D) entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering,(E) like a good soldier(F) of Christ Jesus.

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On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves.

“On that day,” says the Lord, “I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies. And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.

“The Lord will give victory to the rest of Judah first, before Jerusalem, so that the people of Jerusalem and the royal line of David will not have greater honor than the rest of Judah.

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On that day, when all the nations(A) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock(B) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure(C) themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations.(D) Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong,(E) because the Lord Almighty is their God.’

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot(F) in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume(G) all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact(H) in her place.

“The Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah.(I)

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12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

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12 It exercised all the authority(A) of the first beast on its behalf,(B) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(C) whose fatal wound had been healed.(D) 13 And it performed great signs,(E) even causing fire to come down from heaven(F) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(G) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(H) the inhabitants of the earth.(I) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(J) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(K) the image to be killed.(L)

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“My anger burns against your shepherds,
    and I will punish these leaders.[a]
For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has arrived
    to look after Judah, his flock.
He will make them strong and glorious,
    like a proud warhorse in battle.
From Judah will come the cornerstone,
    the tent peg,
the bow for battle,
    and all the rulers.
They will be like mighty warriors in battle,
    trampling their enemies in the mud under their feet.
Since the Lord is with them as they fight,
    they will overthrow even the enemy’s horsemen.

“I will strengthen Judah and save Israel[b];
    I will restore them because of my compassion.
It will be as though I had never rejected them,
    for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.

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Footnotes

  1. 10:3 Or these male goats.
  2. 10:6 Hebrew save the house of Joseph.

“My anger burns against the shepherds,
    and I will punish the leaders;(A)
for the Lord Almighty will care
    for his flock, the people of Judah,
    and make them like a proud horse in battle.(B)
From Judah will come the cornerstone,(C)
    from him the tent peg,(D)
from him the battle bow,(E)
    from him every ruler.
Together they[a] will be like warriors in battle
    trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets.(F)
They will fight because the Lord is with them,
    and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.(G)

“I will strengthen(H) Judah
    and save the tribes of Joseph.
I will restore them
    because I have compassion(I) on them.(J)
They will be as though
    I had not rejected them,
for I am the Lord their God
    and I will answer(K) them.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 10:5 Or ruler, all of them together. / They