¹⁹ But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ^(A)“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone ^(B)who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^(A)together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^(B)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[a] said by the Holy Spirit,

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^(F)holy servant Jesus, ^(G)whom you anointed, both ^(H)Herod and ^(I)Pontius Pilate, along ^(J)with the Gentiles and ^(K)the peoples of Israel, ^28 (L)to do whatever your hand and ^(M)your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(N)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(O)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(P)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(Q)through the name of your ^(R)holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, ^(S)the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^(T)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(U)continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

They Had Everything in Common

³² Now the full number of those who believed were of ^(V)one heart and ^(W)soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but ^(X)they had everything in common. ³³ And with great ^(Y)power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and ^(Z)great grace was upon them all.

^13 (A)Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’”

Hezekiah's Prayer

¹⁴ Hezekiah received ^(B)the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, ^(C)enthroned above the cherubim, ^(D)you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. ^16 (E)Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; ^(F)open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent ^(G)to mock the living God. ¹⁷ Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands ¹⁸ and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, ^(H)but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.

¹⁵ Now if you are ready when ^(A)you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.^[a] But if you do not worship, ^(B)you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And ^(C)who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

^16 (D)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷ If this be so, ^(E)our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.^{[b] 18} But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

¹⁰ Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was ^(A)confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” ¹¹ But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?^[a] I will not go in.” ¹² And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, ^(B)but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.