Now therefore, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, for the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”

Jahaziel Answers the Prayer

Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph;

Then the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians;

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

Then the Spirit of God covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God has said, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has also abandoned you.’”

He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.

Cyrus Permits Return

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah—the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,

Cyrus’ Proclamation

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

Holy Vessels Restored

Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites rose up, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.

Instead, You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst.

However, You remained patient with them for many years, And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, Yet they would not listen. Therefore You handed them over to the peoples of the lands.

Then a spirit passed by my face; The hair of my flesh stood up.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God line up against me.

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

You have granted me life and goodness; And Your care has guarded my spirit.

That you can turn your spirit against God And produce such words from your mouth?

Job Says He Has Become a Proverb

“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

I listened to the reprimand which insults me, And the spirit of my understanding makes me answer.

To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you?

The Greatness of God

“The departed spirits are made to tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants.

But it is a spirit that is in mankind, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

For I am full of words; The spirit within me compels me.

The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

If He were to determine to do so, If He were to gather His spirit and His breath to Himself,

Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth.