Yeremia 31:9

31:9 They will come back shedding tears of contrition.

I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance. ¹ 

I will lead them besides streams of water,

along smooth paths where they will never stumble. ² 

I will do this because I am Israel’s father;

Ephraim ³  is my firstborn son.’”

Yeremia 33:3

33:3 ‘Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious ⁴  things which you still do not know about.’

Nehemia 2:4-20

2:4 The king responded, ⁵  “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven 2:5 and said to the king, “If the king is so inclined ⁶  and if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it.” 2:6 Then the king, with his consort ⁷  sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, ⁸  I gave him a time. 2:7 I said to the king, “If the king is so inclined, let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates ⁹  that will enable me to travel safely until I reach Judah, 2:8 and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve, ¹⁰  so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall ¹¹  and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests, ¹²  for the good hand of my God was on me. 2:9 Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official ¹³  heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.

Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. ¹⁴  When I had been there for three days, 2:12 I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one ¹⁵  I was riding. 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the direction of the Well of the Dragons ¹⁶  and the Dung Gate, ¹⁷  inspecting ¹⁸  the walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 2:14 I passed on to the Gate of the Well and the King’s Pool, where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with me. 2:15 I continued up the valley during the night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate, and so returned. 2:16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing, for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers. 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.” 2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what ¹⁹  the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” ²⁰  So they readied themselves ²¹  for this good project. 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, ²²  they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 2:20 I responded to them by saying, “The God of heaven will prosper us. We his servants will start the rebuilding. ²³  But you have no just or ancient right in Jerusalem.” ²⁴ 

Mazmur 10:17

10:17 Lord, you have heard ²⁵  the request ²⁶  of the oppressed;

you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. ²⁷ 

Mazmur 50:15

50:15 Pray to me when you are in trouble! ²⁸ 

I will deliver you, and you will honor me!” ²⁹ 

Mazmur 102:16-17

102:16 when the Lord rebuilds Zion,

and reveals his splendor,

102:17 when he responds to the prayer of the destitute, ³⁰ 

and does not reject ³¹  their request. ³² 

Yesaya 30:19

30:19 For people will live in Zion;

in Jerusalem ³³  you will weep no more. ³⁴ 

When he hears your cry of despair, he will indeed show you mercy;

when he hears it, he will respond to you. ³⁵ 

Yesaya 65:24

65:24 Before they even call out, ³⁶  I will respond;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Yehezkiel 36:37

36:37 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: I will allow the house of Israel to ask me to do this for them: ³⁷  I will multiply their people like sheep. ³⁸ 

Daniel 9:3-19

9:3 So I turned my attention ³⁹  to the Lord God ⁴⁰  to implore him by prayer and requests, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. ⁴¹  9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way:

“O Lord, ⁴²  great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant ⁴³  with those who love him and keep his commandments, 9:5 we have sinned! We have done what is wrong and wicked; we have rebelled by turning away from your commandments and standards. 9:6 We have not paid attention to your servants the prophets, who spoke by your authority ⁴⁴  to our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, ⁴⁵  and to all the inhabitants ⁴⁶  of the land as well.

9:7 “You are righteous, ⁴⁷  O Lord, but we are humiliated this day ⁴⁸  – the people ⁴⁹  of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far away in all the countries in which you have scattered them, because they have behaved unfaithfully toward you. 9:8 O LORD, we have been humiliated ⁵⁰  – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you. 9:9 Yet the Lord our God is compassionate and forgiving, ⁵¹  even though we have rebelled against him. 9:10 We have not obeyed ⁵²  the LORD our God by living according to ⁵³  his laws ⁵⁴  that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

9:11 “All Israel has broken ⁵⁵  your law and turned away by not obeying you. ⁵⁶  Therefore you have poured out on us the judgment solemnly threatened ⁵⁷  in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you. ⁵⁸  9:12 He has carried out his threats ⁵⁹  against us and our rulers ⁶⁰  who were over ⁶¹  us by bringing great calamity on us – what has happened to Jerusalem has never been equaled under all heaven! 9:13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has come on us. Still we have not tried to pacify ⁶²  the LORD our God by turning back from our sin and by seeking wisdom ⁶³  from your reliable moral standards. ⁶⁴  9:14 The LORD was mindful of the calamity, and he brought it on us. For the LORD our God is just ⁶⁵  in all he has done, ⁶⁶  and we have not obeyed him. ⁶⁷ 

9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with great power ⁶⁸  and made a name for yourself that is remembered to this day – we have sinned and behaved wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, according to all your justice, ⁶⁹  please turn your raging anger ⁷⁰  away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. For due to our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people are mocked by all our neighbors.

9:17 “So now, our God, accept ⁷¹  the prayer and requests of your servant, and show favor to ⁷²  your devastated sanctuary for your own sake. ⁷³  9:18 Listen attentively, ⁷⁴  my God, and hear! Open your eyes and look on our desolated ruins ⁷⁵  and the city called by your name. ⁷⁶  For it is not because of our own righteous deeds that we are praying to you, ⁷⁷  but because your compassion is abundant. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, pay attention, and act! Don’t delay, for your own sake, O my God! For your city and your people are called by your name.” ⁷⁸ 

Zakharia 13:9

13:9 Then I will bring the remaining third into the fire;

I will refine them like silver is refined

and will test them like gold is tested.

They will call on my name and I will answer;

I will say, ‘These are my people,’

and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” ⁷⁹ 

Matius 7:7-8

Ask, Seek, Knock

7:7 “Ask ⁸⁰  and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door ⁸¹  will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks ⁸²  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

[31:9]  ¹ tn Heb “They will come with weeping; I will bring them with supplication.” The ideas of contrition and repentance are implicit from the context (cf. vv. 18-19) and are supplied for clarity.

[31:9]  ² sn Jer 31:8-9 are reminiscent of the “New Exodus” motif of Isa 40-66 which has already been referred to in Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8. See especially Isa 35:3-10; 40:3-5, 11; 41:17-20; 42:14-17; 43:16-21; 49:9-13. As there, the New Exodus will so outstrip the old that the old will pale in comparison and be almost forgotten (see Jer 23:7-8).

[31:9]  ³ sn Ephraim was the second son of Joseph who was elevated to a place of prominence in the family of Jacob by the patriarch’s special blessing. It was the strongest tribe in northern Israel and Samaria lay in its territory. It is often used as a poetic parallel for Israel as here. The poetry is not speaking of two separate entities here; it is a way of repeating an idea for emphasis. Moreover, there is no intent to show special preference for northern Israel over Judah. All Israel is metaphorically God’s son and the object of his special care and concern (Exod 4:22; Deut 32:6).

[33:3]  ⁴ tn This passive participle or adjective is normally used to describe cities or walls as “fortified” or “inaccessible.” All the lexicons, however, agree in seeing it used here metaphorically of “secret” or “mysterious” things, things that Jeremiah could not know apart from the Lord’s revelation. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 170) make the interesting observation that the word is used here in a context in which the fortifications of Jerusalem are about to fall to the Babylonians; the fortified things in God’s secret counsel fall through answer to prayer.

[2:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “said to me.”

[2:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “If upon the king it is good.” So also in v. 7.

[2:6]  ⁷ tn Or “queen,” so most English versions (cf. HALOT 1415 s.v. שֵׁגַל); TEV “empress.”

[2:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”

[2:7]  ⁹ tn Heb “across the river,” here and often elsewhere in the Book of Nehemiah.

[2:8]  ¹⁰ tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 963 s.v. פַּרְדֵּס 2.

[2:8]  ¹¹ tc One medieval Hebrew MS, the Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate, and the Arabic read here the plural וּלְחוֹמוֹת (ulÿkhomot, “walls”) against the singular וּלְחוֹמַת (ulÿkhomat) in the MT. The plural holem vav (וֹ) might have dropped out due to dittography or the plural form might have been written defectively.

[2:8]  ¹² tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these requests,” but it is implied.

[2:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “servant” (so KJV, ASV; NAB “slave”; NCV “officer.” This phrase also occurs in v. 19.

[2:11]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:12]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the animal.”

[2:13]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals” (cf. ASV, NIV, NLT).

[2:13]  ¹⁷ tn Or “Rubbish Gate” (so TEV); NASB “Refuse Gate”; NCV “Trash Gate”; CEV “Garbage Gate.”

[2:13]  ¹⁸ tc For the MT reading שֹׂבֵר (sover, “inspecting”) the LXX erroneously has שֹׁבֵר (shover, “breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.

[2:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”

[2:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”

[2:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”

[2:19]  ²² tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “all this,” but they have been added in the translation for clarity.

[2:20]  ²³ tn Heb “will arise and build.” The idiom “arise and…” means to begin the action described by the second verb.

[2:20]  ²⁴ tn Heb “portion or right or remembrance.” The expression is probably a hendiatris: The first two nouns retain their full nominal function, while the third noun functions adjectivally (“right or remembrance” = “ancient right”).

[10:17]  ²⁵ sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.

[10:17]  ²⁶ tn Heb “desire.”

[10:17]  ²⁷ tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”

[50:15]  ²⁸ tn Heb “call [to] me in a day of trouble.”

[50:15]  ²⁹ sn In vv. 7-15 the Lord makes it clear that he was not rebuking Israel because they had failed to offer sacrifices (v. 8a). On the contrary, they had been faithful in doing so (v. 8b). However, their understanding of the essence of their relationship with God was confused. Apparently they believed that he needed/desired such sacrifices and that offering them would ensure their prosperity. But the Lord owns all the animals of the world and did not need Israel’s meager sacrifices (vv. 9-13). Other aspects of the relationship were more important to the Lord. He desired Israel to be thankful for his blessings (v. 14a), to demonstrate gratitude for his intervention by repaying the vows they made to him (v. 14b), and to acknowledge their absolute dependence on him (v. 15a). Rather than viewing their sacrifices as somehow essential to God’s well-being, they needed to understand their dependence on him.

[102:17]  ³⁰ tn The Hebrew adjective עַרְעָר (’arar, “destitute”) occurs only here in the OT. It is derived from the verbal root ערר (“to strip oneself”).

[102:17]  ³¹ tn Heb “despise.”

[102:17]  ³² tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 16-17 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 15.

[30:19]  ³³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[30:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “For people in Zion will live, in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.” The phrase “in Jerusalem” could be taken with what precedes. Some prefer to emend יֵשֵׁב (yeshev, “will live,” a Qal imperfect) to יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, a Qal active participle) and translate “For [you] people in Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.”

[30:19]  ³⁵ tn Heb “he will indeed show you mercy at the sound of your crying out; when he hears, he will answer you.”

[65:24]  ³⁶ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[36:37]  ³⁷ tn The Niphal verb may have a tolerative function here, “Again (for) this I will allow myself to be sought by the house of Israel to act for them.” Or it may be reflexive: “I will reveal myself to the house of Israel by doing this also.”

[36:37]  ³⁸ sn Heb “I will multiply them like sheep, human(s).”

[9:3]  ³⁹ tn Heb “face.”

[9:3]  ⁴⁰ tn The Hebrew phrase translated “Lord God” here is אֲדֹנָי הָאֱלֹהִים (’adonay ha’elohim).

[9:3]  ⁴¹ sn When lamenting, ancient Israelites would fast, wear sackcloth, and put ashes on their heads to show their sorrow and contrition.

[9:4]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 7, 9, 15, 16, and 19 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[9:4]  ⁴³ tn Heb “who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.

[9:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “in your name.” Another option is to translate, “as your representatives.”

[9:6]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “our fathers” (also in vv. 8, 16). The Hebrew term translated “father” can refer to more distant relationships such as grandfathers or ancestors.

[9:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “people.”

[9:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “to you (belongs) righteousness.”

[9:7]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and to us (belongs) shame of face like this day.”

[9:7]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “men.”

[9:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “to us (belongs) shame of face.”

[9:9]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “to the Lord our God (belong) compassion and forgiveness.”

[9:10]  ⁵² tn Heb “paid attention to the voice of,” which is an idiomatic expression for obedience (cf. NASB “nor have we obeyed the voice of”).

[9:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “to walk in.”

[9:10]  ⁵⁴ tc The LXX and Vulgate have the singular.

[9:11]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “transgressed.” The Hebrew verb has the primary sense of crossing a boundary, in this case, God’s law.

[9:11]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “by not paying attention to your voice.”

[9:11]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “the curse and the oath which is written.” The term “curse” refers here to the judgments threatened in the Mosaic law (see Deut 28) for rebellion. The expression “the curse and the oath” is probably a hendiadys (cf. Num 5:21; Neh 10:29) referring to the fact that the covenant with its threatened judgments was ratified by solemn oath and made legally binding upon the covenant community.

[9:11]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “him.”

[9:12]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “he has fulfilled his word(s) which he spoke.”

[9:12]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “our judges.”

[9:12]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “who judged.”

[9:13]  ⁶² tn Heb “we have not pacified the face of.”

[9:13]  ⁶³ tn Or “by gaining insight.”

[9:13]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “by your truth.” The Hebrew term does not refer here to abstract truth, however, but to the reliable moral guidance found in the covenant law. See vv 10-11.

[9:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “righteous.”

[9:14]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in all his deeds which he has done.”

[9:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “we have not listened to his voice.”

[9:15]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “with a powerful hand.”

[9:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “righteousness.”

[9:16]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “your anger and your rage.” The synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of God’s anger. This is best expressed in English by making one of the terms adjectival (cf. NLT “your furious anger”; CEV “terribly angry”).

[9:17]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “hear.” Here the verb refers to hearing favorably, accepting the prayer and responding positively.

[9:17]  ⁷² tn Heb “let your face shine.” This idiom pictures God smiling in favor. See Pss 31:16; 67:1; 80:3, 7, 19.

[9:17]  ⁷³ tn Heb “for the sake of my Lord.” Theodotion has “for your sake.” Cf. v. 19.

[9:18]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[9:18]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “desolations.” The term refers here to the ruined condition of Judah’s towns.

[9:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “over which your name is called.” Cf. v. 19. This expression implies that God is the owner of his city, Jerusalem. Note the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 12:28; Isa 4:1; Amos 9:12.

[9:18]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “praying our supplications before you.”

[9:19]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “for your name is called over your city and your people.” See the note on this expression in v 18.

[13:9]  ⁷⁹ sn The expression I will say ‘It is my people,’ and they will say ‘the Lord is my God’ is reminiscent of the restoration of Israel predicted by Hosea, who said that those who had been rejected as God’s people would be reclaimed and once more become his sons and daughters (Hos 2:23).

[7:7]  ⁸⁰ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[7:7]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.

[7:8]  ⁸² sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.