¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ^(A)“So shall your offspring be.”

²⁴ For ^(A)in this hope we were saved. Now ^(B)hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

⁵ and ^(A)hope does not put us to shame, because God's love ^(B)has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

⁵ And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and ^(A)number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, ^(B)“So shall your offspring be.” ⁶ And ^(C)he believed the Lord, and ^(D)he counted it to him as righteousness.

²⁵ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.

³⁵ While he was still speaking, there came from ^(A)the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why ^(B)trouble ^(C)the Teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing^[a] what they said, Jesus said to ^(D)the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

¹⁷ as it is written, ^(A)“I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, ^(B)who gives life to the dead and calls into existence ^(C)the things that do not exist.

¹¹ Then he said to me, ^(A)“Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and ^(B)our hope is lost; ^(C)we are indeed cut off.’

¹¹ But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb ^(A)that they may become your husbands? ¹² Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, ¹³ would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that ^(B)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”