⁷ Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.

Daniel’s Prayer about Jerusalem Is Answered

9 Xerxes’ son Darius, who was a Mede by birth, was made ruler of the kingdom of Babylon. ² In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from the Scriptures the number of years that Jerusalem would remain in ruins. Yahweh had told the prophet Jeremiah that Jerusalem would remain in ruins for 70 years. ³ So I turned to Adonay Elohim and looked to him for help. I prayed, pleaded, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ I prayed to Yahweh my Elohim. I confessed and said, “Adonay, you are great and deserve respect as the only God. You keep your promise^[a] and show mercy to those who love you and obey your commandments. ⁵ We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commandments and laws. ⁶ We haven’t listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the common people. ⁷ You, Adonay, are righteous. But we—the men of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites whom you scattered in countries near and far—are still ashamed because we have been unfaithful to you. ⁸ We, our kings, leaders, and ancestors are ashamed because we have sinned against you, Yahweh.

⁹ “But you, Adonay our Elohim, are compassionate and forgiving, although we have rebelled against you. ¹⁰ We never listened to Yahweh our Elohim or lived by the teachings you gave us through your servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has ignored your teachings and refused to listen to you. So you brought on us the curses you swore in an oath, the curses written in the Teachings of Elohim’s servant Moses. We sinned against you. ¹² So you did what you said you would do to us and our rulers by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem. ¹³ This entire disaster happened to us, exactly as it was written in Moses’ Teachings. Yahweh our Elohim, we never tried to gain your favor by turning from our wrongs and dedicating ourselves to your truth. ¹⁴ So Yahweh was prepared to bring this disaster on us. Yahweh our Elohim, you are righteous in everything you do. But we never listened to you.

¹⁵ “Adonay our Elohim, you brought your people out of Egypt with your strong hand and made yourself famous even today. We have sinned and done evil things. ¹⁶ Adonay, since you are very righteous, turn your anger and fury away from your city, Jerusalem, your holy mountain. Jerusalem and your people are insulted by everyone around us because of our sins and the wicked things our ancestors did.

¹⁷ “Our Elohim, listen to my prayer and request. For your own sake, Adonay, look favorably on your holy place, which is lying in ruins. ¹⁸ Open your ears and listen, my Elohim. Open your eyes and look at our ruins and at the city called by your name. We are not requesting this from you because we are righteous, but because you are very compassionate. ¹⁹ Listen to us, Adonay. Forgive us, Adonay. Pay attention, and act. Don’t delay! Do this for your sake, my Elohim, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

Job Speaks: I Admit That I Was Wrong

42 Then Job answered Yahweh,