Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions.

他们因着信，制伏了敌国，行了公义，得了应许，堵了狮子的口，

他们藉着信，制伏了敌国，行了公义，得了应许，堵住了狮子的口，

他们藉着信，制伏了敌国，行了公义，得了应许，堵住了狮子的口，

他们凭信心战胜了敌国，行了公义，得到了应许，堵住了狮子的口，

他们藉着信，就战胜了敌国，伸张了正义，得到了应许，堵住了狮子的口，

他们藉着信，征服了列国，行了公义，获得了那些应许；他们堵住了狮子的口，

他們因着信，制伏了敵國，行了公義，得了應許，堵了獅子的口，

他們藉着信，制伏了敵國，行了公義，得了應許，堵住了獅子的口，

他們藉着信，制伏了敵國，行了公義，得了應許，堵住了獅子的口，

他們憑信心戰勝了敵國，行了公義，得到了應許，堵住了獅子的口，

他們藉著信，就戰勝了敵國，伸張了正義，得到了應許，堵住了獅子的口，

因着信、他們制勝了列國，執行了公義政治，得了所應許的，堵住了獅子的口，

他們藉著信，征服了列國，行了公義，獲得了那些應許；他們堵住了獅子的口，

其人以信而服諸國、行公義、得應許、箝獅口、

彼有信故能服敵國、行公義、獲所許之福、箝獅口、

彼眾有信、則服敵國、行公義、獲所許、箝獅口、

總之、彼等之征服敵國、發揚公義、獲賜恩諾、箝制獅口、

who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,

who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,

who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions,

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

Samson went down to Timnah. His father and mother went with him. They approached the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward Samson.Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on Samson. So he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as he might have torn a young goat apart. But he didn’t tell his father or mother what he had done.

Saul replied,“ You aren’t able to go out there and fight that Philistine. You are too young. He’s been a warrior ever since he was a boy.”But David said to Saul,“ I’ve been taking care of my father’s sheep. Sometimes a lion or a bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock.Then I would go after it and hit it. I would save the sheep it was carrying in its mouth. If it turned around to attack me, I would grab its hair. I would strike it down and kill it.In fact, I’ve killed both a lion and a bear. I’ll do the same thing to this Philistine. He isn’t even circumcised. He has dared the armies of the living God to fight him.

Give praise to the Lord, my Rock. He trains my hands for war. He trains my fingers for battle.He is my loving God and is like a fort to me. He is my place of safety and the God who saves me. He is like a shield that keeps me safe. He brings nations under my control.

By your power you drove out the nations. You gave our people homes in the land. You crushed the people who were there. And you made our people do well.They didn’t win the land with their swords. They didn’t gain success by their own power. Your powerful right hand and your mighty arm gave them victory. You gave them success because you loved them.You are my King and my God. You give victories to the people of Jacob.With your help we push back our enemies. By your power we walk all over them.I put no trust in my bow. My sword doesn’t bring me victory.

God gives me strength for the battle. He keeps my way secure.He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He causes me to stand on the highest places.He trains my hands to fight every battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You will walk on lions and cobras. You will crush mighty lions and poisonous snakes.

You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised.

The gates of Jericho were shut tight and guarded closely because of the Israelites. No one went out. No one came in.Then the Lord said to Joshua,“ I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also handed over to you its king and its fighting men.March around the city once with all your fighting men. In fact, do it for six days.Have seven priests get trumpets made out of rams’ horns. They must carry them in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Tell the priests to blow the trumpets as you march.You will hear them blow a long blast on the trumpets. When you do, tell the whole army to give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will march up to the city. Everyone will go straight in.”So Joshua, the son of Nun, called for the priests. He said to them,“ Go and get the ark of the covenant of the Lord. I want seven of you to carry trumpets in front of it.”He gave an order to the army. He said,“ Move out! March around the city. Some of the fighting men must march in front of the ark of the Lord.”When Joshua had spoken to the men, the seven priests went forward. They were carrying the seven trumpets as they marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They were blowing the trumpets. The ark of the Lord’ s covenant was carried behind the priests.Some of the fighting men marched ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all the priests. That whole time the priests were blowing the trumpets.But Joshua had given an order to the army. He had said,“ Don’t give a war cry. Don’t raise your voices. Don’t say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city once. Then the army returned to camp. They spent the night there.Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests went and got the ark of the Lord.The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets started out. They marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They blew the trumpets. Some of the fighting men marched ahead of them. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. The priests kept blowing the trumpets.

The Lord stood at my side. He gave me the strength to preach the whole message. Then all the Gentiles heard it. I was saved from the lion’s mouth.

You are the God who helps kings win battles. You save your servant David. From death by the sword

Abel had faith. So he brought to God a better offering than Cain did. Because of his faith Abel was praised as a godly man. God said good things about his offerings. Because of his faith Abel still speaks. He speaks even though he is dead.Enoch had faith. So he was taken from this life. He didn’t die.“ He couldn’t be found, because God had taken him away.”( Genesis 5:24) Before God took him, Enoch was praised as one who pleased God.Without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to God must believe that he exists. And they must believe that he rewards those who look to him.Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God.Abraham had faith. So he obeyed God. God called him to go to a place he would later receive as his own. So he went. He did it even though he didn’t know where he was going.

We don’t want you to slow down. Instead, be like those who have faith and are patient. They will receive what God promised.When God made his promise to Abraham, God gave his word. There was no one greater than himself to promise by. So he promised by making an appeal to himself.He said,“ I will certainly bless you. I will give you many children.”( Genesis 22:17)Abraham was patient while he waited. Then he received what God promised him.

While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them.David also won the battle over the people of Moab. He made them lie down on the ground. Then he measured them off with a piece of rope. He put two- thirds of them to death. He let the other third remain alive. So the Moabites were brought under David’s rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him.David fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to repair his monument at the Euphrates River.David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer’s chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses.The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them.He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went.David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer. He brought the shields to Jerusalem.He took a huge amount of bronze from Tebah and Berothai. Those towns belonged to Hadadezer.Tou was king of Hamath. He heard that David had won the battle over the entire army of Hadadezer.So Tou sent his son Joram to King David. Joram greeted David. He praised David because he had won the battle over Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. So Joram brought with him gifts made out of silver, of gold and of bronze.King David set those gifts apart for the Lord. He had done the same thing with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations. Those were nations he had brought under his control.Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Amalek. He also set apart for the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah.David returned after he had struck down 18,000 men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He became famous for doing it.He stationed some soldiers all through Edom. The whole nation of Edom was brought under David’s rule. The Lord helped him win his battles everywhere he went.

When he got near it, he called out to Daniel. His voice was filled with great concern. He said,“ Daniel! You serve the living God. You always serve him faithfully. So has he been able to save you from the lions?”Daniel answered,“ Your Majesty, may you live forever!My God sent his angel. And his angel shut the mouths of the lions. They haven’t hurt me at all. That’s because I haven’t done anything wrong in God’s sight. I’ve never done anything wrong to you either, Your Majesty.”The king was filled with joy. He ordered his servants to lift Daniel out of the den. So they did. They didn’t see any wounds on him. That’s because he had trusted in his God.

The promises were given to Abraham. They were also given to his seed. Scripture does not say,“ and to seeds.” That means many people. It says,“ and to your seed.”( Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 24:7) That means one person. And that one person is Christ.

Abraham had faith. So when God tested him, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham had held on tightly to the promises. But he was about to offer his one and only son.

David was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled for 40 years.In Hebron he ruled over Judah for seven and a half years. In Jerusalem he ruled over all of Israel and Judah for 33 years.The king and his men marched to Jerusalem. They went to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David,“ You won’t get in here. Even people who can’t see or walk can keep you from coming in.” The Jebusites thought,“ David can’t get in here.”But David captured the fort of Zion. It became known as the City of David.On that day David had said,“ Someone might win the battle over the Jebusites. But they will have to crawl through the water tunnel to get into the city. That’s the only way they can reach those enemies of mine that you say can’t see or walk.” That’s why people say,“ Those who‘ can’t see or walk’ won’t enter David’s palace.”David moved into the fort. He called it the City of David. He built up the area around the fort. He filled in the low places. He started at the bottom and worked his way up.David became more and more powerful. That’s because the Lord God who rules over all was with him.Hiram was king of Tyre. He sent messengers to David. He sent cedar logs along with them. He also sent skilled workers. They worked with wood and stone. They built a palace for David.Then David knew that the Lord had made his position as king secure. He knew that he had made him king over the whole nation of Israel. He knew that the Lord had greatly honored his kingdom. The Lord had done it because the Israelites were his people.After David left Hebron, he got more concubines and wives in Jerusalem. More sons and daughters were born to him there.Here is a list of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem. Their names were Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.The Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel. So their whole army went to look for him. But David heard about it. He went down to his usual place of safety.The Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.So David asked the Lord for advice. He said,“ Should I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord answered him,“ Go. I will surely hand over the Philistines to you.”So David went to Baal Perazim. There he won the battle over the Philistines. He said,“ The Lord has broken through against my enemies when I’ve attacked them. He has broken through just as water breaks through a dam.” That’s why the place was called Baal Perazim.The Philistines left the statues of their gods there. So David and his men carried off the statues.Once more the Philistines came up. They spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.So David asked the Lord for advice. The Lord answered,“ Do not go straight up. Instead, circle around behind them. Attack them in front of the poplar trees.Listen for the sound of marching in the tops of the trees. Then move quickly. The sound will mean that I have gone out in front of you. I will strike down the Philistine army.”So David did just as the Lord had commanded him. He struck down the Philistines. He struck them down from Gibeon all the way to Gezer.

Be watchful and control yourselves. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to swallow up.

That is what your enemies have done ever since I appointed leaders over my people Israel. But I will give you peace and rest from all of them.“‘ “I tell you that I, the Lord, will set up a royal house for you.Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure.He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever.I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips.I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son.Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever.” ’ ”Nathan reported to David all the words that the Lord had spoken to him.