Ezra 4:24

Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you,

“At that time Michael will stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there will be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. At that time your people will be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.

But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”

But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince.

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”

this Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to Yahweh his God’s hand on him.

and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to Yahweh my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.

In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.

“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.

Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

“When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

When the builders laid the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, they set the priests in their clothing with trumpets, with the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, according to the directions of David king of Israel.

Behold, this is the joy of his way: out of the earth, others will spring.

Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness,

Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.

Give heed to me, Yahweh, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in Yahweh’s temple.

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ).

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes, he who is called Christ. When he has come, he will declare to us all things.”

choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time,

that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.

I make a decree, that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.

For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.”

and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel.

and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.

So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.

So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,

For God speaks once, yes twice, though man pays no attention.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.

Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death; because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them: for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”

I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. This also will be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it.” ’

I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and put my sword in his hand; but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before the king of Babylon with the groaning of a mortally wounded man.

In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many in their security. He will also stand up against the prince of princes; but he will be broken without hand.

At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you; for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great warfare. He understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Now I will return to fight with the prince of Persia. When I go out, behold, the prince of Greece will come.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

This is what Yahweh of Armies says: “Consider your ways.

in the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

‘Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid, consider it.

Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’ ”

I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.

requesting, if by any means now at last I may be prospered by the will of God to come to you.

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

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.

a land which Yahweh your God cares for. Yahweh your God’s eyes are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year.

The others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.

‘Have they not found, have they not divided the plunder? A lady, two ladies to every man; to Sisera a plunder of dyed garments, a plunder of dyed garments embroidered, of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on the necks of the plunder?’

You will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened to go down into the camp.” Then went he down with Purah his servant to the outermost part of the armed men who were in the camp.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burned with fire; and his bands dropped from off his hands.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.

Yahweh struck Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of Benjamin that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men. All these drew the sword.

They hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they didn’t make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us, and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”

I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”

For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”

“Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.”

Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.

I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

“Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out. The spark of his fire won’t shine.

that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?

He will restore that for which he labored, and will not swallow it down. He will not rejoice according to the substance that he has gotten.

“Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me.

They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone. Yes, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, and are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain.

For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.

How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

Surely the wrath of man praises you. The survivors of your wrath are restrained.

Concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Yahweh says: “You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written therein, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cause to cease from there man and animal?’ ” ’

He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”

Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns. The two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia.

There is one gone out of you, who devises evil against Yahweh, who counsels wickedness.

Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

But let each man examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast in himself, and not in someone else.

that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us.

But now you glory in your boasting. All such boasting is evil.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”