We hoped for good fortune, but nothing good has come of it. We hoped for a time of relief, but instead we experience terror. ¹ 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Your loyal followers will be glad when they see me, ¹  for I find hope in your word.

At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹  and for this reason he sent for Paul ²  as often as possible ³  and talked ⁴  with him.

So I said, “My endurance has expired; I have lost all hope of deliverance ¹  from the Lord.”

For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands,

But when I hoped for good, trouble came; when I expected light, then darkness came.

For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.

The caravans of Tema ¹  looked intently ²  for these streams; ³  the traveling merchants ⁴  of Sheba hoped for them.

They were distressed, ¹  because each one had been ²  so confident; they arrived there, ³  but were disappointed.

I am up before dawn crying for help. I find hope in your word.

In the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), on its thirteenth day, the edict of the king and his law were to be executed. It was on this day that the enemies of the Jews had supposed that they would gain power over them. But contrary to expectations, the Jews gained power over their enemies.

And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

When ¹  Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform ²  some miraculous sign. ³ 

But we had hoped ¹  that he was the one who was going to redeem ²  Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened.

Do not completely deprive me of a truthful testimony, ¹  for I await your justice.

so that we, who were the first to set our hope ¹  on Christ, ²  would be to the praise of his glory.

At that time ¹  those who live on this coast ²  will say, ‘Look what has happened to our source of hope to whom we fled for help, expecting to be rescued from the king of Assyria! How can we escape now?’”

We know our noisy worship of false gods on the hills and mountains did not help us. ¹  We know that the Lord our God is the only one who can deliver Israel. ² 

May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, ¹  for ²  we wait for you.