5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for iGod sent me before you to preserve life.
7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
yHe who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
The Futility of Idols
21 Set forth your case, says the Lord;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them, and wtell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23 Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
xdo good, or do harm,
that we may be dismayed and terrified.1
8 I am the Lord; mthat is my name;
nmy glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and onew things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
7 everyone who is ccalled by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 adeclaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, b‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
11 rFor my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for how should my name1 be profaned?
sMy glory I will not give to another.
10 oThe Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
phe frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives xsnow like wool;
he scatters yfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of zice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
ahe makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
33 qThe lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
21 zMany are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
37 Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good sand bad come?
6 Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?1 And nnot one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
36 For kfrom him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
A Living Sacrifice
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, to lpresent your bodies as a mliving sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 2 nDo not be conformed to this world,3 but be otransformed by the prenewal of your mind, that by testing you may qdiscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4
16 For cby1 him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether dthrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
17 And he is ebefore all things, and in him all things fhold together.
