The Christian’s Call and Election

³ His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by^[a] his own glory and excellence.^{(A) 4} Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature.^(B)

⁸ Although you have not seen^[a] him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,^(A)

A Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead^(A)

²⁰ And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!^{(A) 21} Because of your promise and according to your own heart, you have wrought all this greatness so that your servant may know it. ²² Therefore you are great, O Lord God, for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.^{(B) 23} Who is like your people, like Israel? Is there another^[a] nation on earth whose God went to redeem it as a people and to make a name for himself, doing^[b] great and awesome things, driving out^[c] nations and their gods before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt?^{(C) 24} And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.^{(D) 25} And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it forever; do as you have promised. ²⁶ Thus your name will be magnified forever in the saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you.^{(E) 27} For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.^{(F) 28} And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant;^{(G) 29} now, therefore, may it please you to bless the house of your servant so that it may continue forever before you, for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”^(H)

⁵ So he said to the people of Succoth, “Please give some loaves of bread to my followers, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”^{(A) 6} But the officials of Succoth said, “Do you already have in your possession the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna, that we should give bread to your army?”^(B)