Rediscovering Hope: Experiencing God’s Healing to Expect Again

When Christmas Isn’t Supposed to Be This Way: A 5-Day Reading Plan for Pregnancy Loss

Faith-Fueled Leadership: Embracing Gratitude and Grace

Allowing Our Children to Grow and Go: A 3-Day Parenting Plan

The Year of God's Divine Agenda

Bible Study 2: Naomi's Journey - Finding Strength in Mentorship

Raising the Next Generation: Trusting God’s Plan for Single Mothers

Wives Who Win for Christ: Influencing Your Unsaved Husband Through Discipleship by Dr. Treal Ravenel

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS TO YOU?

Sharing Jesus Beyond Christmas

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Opposition to the Rebuilding</div><div class="p">1When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, &#8220;Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.&#8221;</div><div class="p">3But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, &#8220;You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.&#8221;</div><div class="p">4Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.#4:4 Or and troubled them as they built 5They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.</div><div class="s1">Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes</div><div class="p">6At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes,#4:6 Hebrew Ahasuerus they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.</div><div class="p">7And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.#4:7 Or written in Aramaic and translated#4:7 The text of 4:8&#8211;6:18 is in Aramaic.</div><div class="p">8Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:</div><div class="pmo">9Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates&#8212;the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, 10and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.</div><div class="p">11(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)</div><div class="pmo">To King Artaxerxes,</div><div class="b"></div><div class="pmo">From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="pm">12The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.</div><div class="pm">13Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer.#4:13 The meaning of the Aramaic for this clause is uncertain. 14Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. 16We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.</div><div class="p">17The king sent this reply:</div><div class="pmo">To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:</div><div class="b"></div><div class="pmo">Greetings.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="pm">18The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?</div><div class="p">23As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.</div><div class="b"></div><div class="p">24Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1">Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin</div><div class="p">1The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.</div><div class="p">5The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest&#8217;s family. 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: &#8220;By what power or what name did you do this?&#8221;</div><div class="p">8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: &#8220;Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11Jesus is</div><div class="q1">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;the stone you builders rejected,</div><div class="q2">which has become the cornerstone.&#8217;#4:11 Psalm 118:22</div><div class="m">12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.&#8221;</div><div class="p">13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16&#8220;What are we going to do with these men?&#8221; they asked. &#8220;Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.&#8221;</div><div class="p">18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, &#8220;Which is right in God&#8217;s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.&#8221;</div><div class="p">21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.</div><div class="s1">The Believers Pray</div><div class="p">23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. &#8220;Sovereign Lord,&#8221; they said, &#8220;you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Why do the nations rage</div><div class="q2">and the peoples plot in vain?</div><div class="q1">26The kings of the earth rise up</div><div class="q2">and the rulers band together</div><div class="q1">against the Lord</div><div class="q2">and against his anointed one.#4:26 That is, Messiah or Christ&#8217;#4:26 Psalm 2:1,2</div><div class="m">27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.&#8221;</div><div class="p">31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.</div><div class="s1">The Believers Share Their Possessions</div><div class="p">32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God&#8217;s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles&#8217; feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.</div><div class="p">36Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means &#8220;son of encouragement&#8221;), 37sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles&#8217; feet.</div>
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