But she said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus in addition to my pay.” I didn’t believe her and demanded that she return it to the owners. I grew red with anger at her. But she replied and said to me, “And what’s become of your charitable donations? What’s become of your righteous deeds? You have a reputation for that sort of thing, don’t you?!”

“You be quiet!” she would say. “Don’t lie to me! My son has perished.” Daily she hurried out to scan the road on which her son had gone and she wouldn’t be persuaded by anyone. When the sun set, she would come inside, mourning and weeping the whole night without sleeping. When the fourteen days of the wedding feast were finished, which Raguel had sworn to celebrate for his daughter, Tobias came to him and said, “Send me off, for I know that my father and my mother don’t believe they will ever see me again. So now, father, I ask you to send me off to go to my father. I have already let you know how I left him.”

and hurry away to Media. I trust God’s word that Nahum spoke about Nineveh; everything will come true and happen to Assyria and Nineveh. Indeed, everything that the prophets of Israel sent by God have said will actually occur. None of their words will fail, and everything will happen in its own time. Thus it will be safer in Media than in Assyria and Babylon. I know then and believe that everything that God has said will be accomplished and come true. Not a single detail of what they have spoken will fail to happen. All our relatives who dwell in the land of Israel will be scattered, and they will be taken away from that good land into captivity. The entire land of Israel will be deserted. Samaria and Jerusalem will be deserted, and after a while even God’s house, still in mourning, will be destroyed by fire.

When Achior saw all that the God of Israel had done, he believed in God wholeheartedly. So he was circumcised and joined the house of Israel, remaining until this day.

Therefore, Lord, little by little you correct those who have gone astray. You warn them by reminding them of how they have sinned, so that they can be set free from their wickedness and believe in you.

Because of their misguided casting of spells and drug use, they didn’t believe until it was too late. As a result, all their oldest males were destroyed. It was only then that they acknowledged your people to be your children.

There’s no reason at all to believe in them or call them gods. They aren’t able to judge anyone’s case or do good for anyone.

but she wouldn’t tell us. To this we swear.” The assembly believed them because they were the people’s elders and judges. So they sentenced Susanna to death.

The king said to him, “You believe Bel is a living god, don’t you? Haven’t you seen how much he eats and drinks every day?”

The agent spoke peaceably and the Jews believed him, but he was deceitful. Without warning, he attacked the city, dealt it a brutal blow, and killed many Israelites.

Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael believed, and were rescued from the flame.

Death of Demetrius

When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they didn’t believe or accept them. They remembered vividly the great wrongs Demetrius had done in Israel and how much he had oppressed them.

But Jonathan’s forces believed that Jonathan had been seized and had died along with his troops. They encouraged each other and kept marching in tight formation, ready for fighting.

I firmly believe he will follow my example closely, acting with kindness and generosity, with the intention of accommodating himself to you.

“Now don’t you believe me? Isn’t the king great in his authority? Don’t all countries fear to touch him?

Those who had previously believed that the Jews would be destroyed and would become food for the birds, and who had drawn up the lists of their names and goods with delight, now groaned. For they were clothed with shame, and the fire of their boldness had been thoroughly doused.

I will hand over your houses to a people who will come from far away. Those who didn’t know me will believe me, and those to whom I showed no signs will do what I commanded.

The apostles will joyfully testify to the coming people. Those who didn’t see me with their physical eyes believe in their spirit. They have heard the things I said and believe me.

Has any other nation known you besides Israel? What tribes have believed your covenants as have these tribes of Jacob,

Those who have denied your promises have trampled those who believed in your covenants!

The third reason—because they will see the reward laid up for those who have believed the Most High’s testimonies.

But they didn’t believe him or the prophets who came after him. They didn’t even believe me when I spoke to them.

All this—who will be saved, who will be able to escape through their works or through the faith with which they believe—

“So we don’t eat forbidden foods. We believe that God gave us the Law. The creator of the cosmic order has shown us compassion by giving us the Law in accordance with nature.

This is because they believe that they don’t die to God but rather continue to live for God like the ancestors of our nation, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.