15. For if he does not plan to come to our aid within the five days, he has it equally within his power to protect us at such time as he pleases, or to destroy us in the sight of our enemies.
16. Do not impose conditions on the plans of the Lord our God. God is not like a human being to be moved by threats, nor like a mortal to be cajoled.
17. “So while we wait for the salvation that comes from him, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our cry if it pleases him.
18. For there has not risen among us in recent generations, nor does there exist today, any tribe, or clan, or district, or city of ours that worships gods made by hands, as happened in former days.
19. It was for such conduct that our ancestors were handed over to the sword and to pillage, and fell with great destruction before our enemies.
20. But since we acknowledge no other god but the Lord, we hope that he will not disdain us or any of our people.
21. If we are taken, then all Judea will fall, our sanctuary will be plundered, and God will demand an account from us for their profanation.
22. For the slaughter of our kindred, for the taking of exiles from the land, and for the devastation of our inheritance, he will hold us responsible among the nations. Wherever we are enslaved, we will be a scandal and a reproach in the eyes of our masters.
23. Our servitude will not work to our advantage, but the Lord our God will turn it to disgrace.
24. “Therefore, my brothers, let us set an example for our kindred. Their lives depend on us, and the defense of the sanctuary, the temple, and the altar rests with us.
25. Besides all this, let us give thanks to the Lord our God for putting us to the test as he did our ancestors.
26. Recall how he dealt with Abraham, and how he tested Isaac, and all that happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia while he was tending the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother.