Acts 12:4

The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.

A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”

Yahweh of Armies has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so shall it happen; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.

For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does.

Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this:

You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved.

Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king’s commandment and his decree came near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it was turned out the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them),

You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.

I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done. I say: My counsel will stand, and I will do all that I please.

So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.

We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,

I told him, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great suffering.They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.

For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”

In those letters, the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to defend their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to plunder their possessions,

There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.

“ ‘This will be the sign to you,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil.’

I thank you, and praise you, you God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;

But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out and said,

Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.

But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were loosened.

I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.

concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice,

In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,

For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.”

and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.

So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, “You children of Israel, turn again to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

Haman also said, “Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king.

the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder.

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be restrained.

Behold, I have only found this: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”

Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand, for God is with us.”

It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’ ”

I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.

‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’

They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.

“Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,

Crucifying him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots on them, what each should take.

But they will do all these things to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

that no one would be moved by these afflictions. For you know that we are appointed to this task.

But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to save many people alive, as is happening today.

Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice!

A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, but he will condemn a man of wicked plans.

There are many plans in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.

The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses. He turns it wherever he desires.

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can stop his hand, or ask him, “What are you doing?”

Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.

So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”

But Peter said to him, “Although all will be offended, yet I will not.”

But he spoke all the more, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” They all said the same thing.

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

Jericho’s king sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered into your house; for they have come to spy out all the land.”

Letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.

Don’t boast about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring.

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions would not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”

He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

They laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was now evening.

to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.

and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody.

When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

When Herod had sought for him, and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, then commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely,

But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.