New International Version
9 The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
12 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it
13 They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food
17 And he sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons
19 Till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed
22 To instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
Amplified Bible
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His sworn promise to Isaac, [Luke 1:72, 73.]
10 Which He confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant
11 Saying, Unto you will I give the land of Canaan as your measured portion, possession, and inheritance.
12 When they were but a few men in number, in fact, very few, and were temporary residents and strangers in it
13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people
14 He allowed no man to do them wrong; in fact, He reproved kings for their sakes, [Gen. 12:17; 20:3-7.]
15 Saying, Touch not My anointed, and do My prophets no harm. [I Chron. 16:8-22.]
16 Moreover, He called for a famine upon the land [of Egypt]; He cut off every source of bread. [Gen. 41:54.]
17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant. [Gen. 45:5; 50:20, 21.]
18 His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron
19 Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him.
20 The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the peoples, and let him go free.
21 He made Joseph lord of his house and ruler of all his substance, [Gen. 41:40.]
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. [Gen. 46:6.]
King James Version
9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
Becoming a Christian
Would you like to experience forgiveness and new life from the God of the Bible, who calls every person to believe that he sent his son Jesus Christ to make this possible?
The Bible explains why everyone needs to receive forgiveness and is called to serve Jesus Christ. The consistency of the Bible story, which was authored by people living thousands of years apart from diverse cultures and even different languages, is often cited as evidence of divine inspiration. Wikipedia has a list of many Biblical prophesies which have come true.
The story of God's plan to restore his relationship with us can be summarised in eight famous Bible verses below.
- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
- All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
- God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
- Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
- If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
- For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8
- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
- Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
The truth in these verses is simple, yet to embrace it means letting go of all our personal hopes and dreams and embracing God's greater purpose for our lives instead, a purpose far above anything we could dream or imagine.
This is the most important decision you will ever make, because it affects not just the rest of your life here on earth, but what comes after as well. Don't put it off until too late. If you died tonight make the decision to spend eternity with your loving Father in Heaven.
If you're wondering what to do next as a new Christian, check out these helpful suggestions from Mary Fairchild on About.com: