¹⁸ So that they might make a request for the mercy of the God of heaven in the question of this secret; so that Daniel and his friends might not come to destruction with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹ Again, I say to you, that if two of you are in agreement on earth about anything for which they will make a request, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

³ Let your cry come to me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see great things and secret things of which you had no knowledge.

⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will give ear to the words of the Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria, his master, has sent to say evil things against the living God, and will make his words come to nothing: so make your prayer for the rest of the people.

¹⁷ But the Lord was by my side and gave me strength; so that through me the news might be given out in full measure, and all the Gentiles might give ear: and I was taken out of the mouth of the lion.

¹⁸ The Lord will keep me safe from every evil work and will give me salvation in his kingdom in heaven: to whom be glory for ever and ever. So be it.

¹² What would you say now? if a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone wandering away, will he not let the ninety-nine be, and go to the mountains in search of the wandering one?

¹⁸ Then you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not.

¹⁵ Then Esther sent them back to Mordecai with this answer:

¹⁶ Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had said.

²⁸ If by chance there are five less than fifty upright men, will you give up all the town to destruction because of these five? And he said, I will not give it to destruction if there are forty-five.

⁹ The Lord is able to keep the upright safe in the time of testing, and to keep evil-doers under punishment till the day of judging;

³⁰ Now I make request to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you will be working together with me in your prayers to God for me;

⁴ And having taken him, he put him in prison, with four bands of armed men to keep watch over him; his purpose being to take him out to the people after the Passover.

²⁴ And hearing it, they all, with one mind, made prayer to God and said, O Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them:

²⁵ Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish?

²⁶ The kings of the earth were lifted up, the rulers came together, against the Lord, and against his Christ:

²⁷ For, truly, in this town, against your holy servant, Jesus, who was marked out by you as Christ, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, came together,

²⁸ To do that which had been fixed before by your hand and your purpose.

²⁹ And now, Lord, take note of their cruel words, and give your servants power to be preachers of your word without fear,

³⁰ While your hand is stretched out to do works of mercy; so that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

³¹ And when their prayer was ended, the place where they were was violently moved, and they all became full of the Holy Spirit, preaching the word of God without fear.

¹⁷ If our God, whose servants we are, is able to keep us safe from the burning and flaming fire, and from your hands, O King, he will keep us safe.

⁵ Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.

⁶ In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.

¹⁵ When his cry comes up to me, I will give him an answer: I will be with him in trouble; I will make him free from danger and give him honour.

¹⁵ Let your voice come up to me in the day of trouble; I will be your saviour, so that you may give glory to me.

³⁷ And David said, The Lord, who kept me safe from the grip of the lion and the bear, will be my saviour from the hands of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go! and may the Lord be with you.