Could

And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

“But how could your servant, a mere dog, do such a monstrous thing?” said Hazael. And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shown me that you will be king over Aram.”

But they were terrified and reasoned, “If two kings could not stand against him, how can we?”

Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to wage war against Jerusalem. They besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.

He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.

And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

…but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

David provided a large quantity of iron to make the nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, together with more bronze than could be weighed

…and more cedar logs than could be counted; for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large quantity of cedar logs to David.

A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.

It was a handbreadth thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.

Solomon made all these articles in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.

…so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar he had made could not hold all these offerings.

Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder

Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.

He stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was in any way unclean could enter.

Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”

Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.

The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

The people could not distinguish the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people were making so much noise. And the sound was heard from afar.

We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

…so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear

…and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.

He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.

The following came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove that their families were descended from Israel:

These men searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean.

On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.

So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.

When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”

For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”

In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples.

When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:

“If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales.

If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my Judge for mercy.

Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him as you would deceive a man?

I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.

Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,

No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.

I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.

…yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found.

For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.

For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.

The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep. No men of might could lift a hand.

He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

His priests fell by the sword, but their widows could not lament.

He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live.

If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?

Now in the days that Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, Rezin king of Aram marched up to wage war against Jerusalem. He was accompanied by Pekah son of Remaliah the king of Israel, but he could not overpower the city.

The remaining trees of its forests will be so few that a child could count them.

Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before Me into a rotten, wild vine?

How skillfully you pursue love! Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways.

They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.

One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early, but the other basket contained very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts.’

This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out would I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done,” declares the LORD.

So the LORD could no longer endure the evil deeds and detestable acts you committed, and your land became a desolation, a horror, and an object of cursing, without inhabitant, as it is this day.

“We tried to heal Babylon, but she could not be healed. Abandon her! Let each of us go to his own land, for her judgment extends to the sky and reaches to the clouds.”

The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.

They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!

The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

…then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.

…then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

…then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered.

…then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.

…then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.

Even when it was whole, it could not be made useful. How much less can it ever be useful when the fire has consumed it and charred it!

I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live.

The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare with its branches, nor the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with its beauty.

The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare with its branches, nor the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with its beauty.

The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it; the cypresses could not compare with its branches, nor the plane trees match its boughs. No tree in the garden of God could compare with its beauty.

Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot.

Once again he measured off a thousand cubits, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough for swimming—a river that could not be crossed on foot.

So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him some time, so that he could give him the interpretation.

Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners came in, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.

Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.

So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.

Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.

Thus the administrators and satraps sought a charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or corruption, because he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.

A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that nothing concerning Daniel could be changed.

I saw the ram charging toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no deliverance from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.