Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ¹ 

So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

The Spirit himself bears witness to ¹  our spirit that we are God’s children.

For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness ¹  and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. ² 

For there must in fact be divisions among you, so that those of you who are approved may be evident. ¹ 

But it is God who establishes ¹  us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, ² 

and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that God has commanded you to keep.” ¹ 

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

You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near.

God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. ¹  I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual ²  covenant for his descendants after him.

Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty ¹  for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!”

¹ This will be your confirmation that I have spoken the truth: ²  This year you will eat what grows wild, ³  and next year ⁴  what grows on its own from that. But in the third year you will plant seed and harvest crops; you will plant vines and consume their produce. ⁵ 

Then I will keep the promise I swore on oath to your ancestors to give them a land flowing with milk and honey.” ¹  That is the very land that you still live in today.’” ²  And I responded, “Amen! Let it be so, ³  Lord!”

“But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds ¹  that the Father has assigned me to complete – the deeds ²  I am now doing – testify about me that the Father has sent me.

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates ¹  the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? ²  (I am speaking in human terms.) ³ 

“Seventy weeks ¹  have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to ²  rebellion, to bring sin ³  to completion, ⁴  to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual ⁵  righteousness, to seal up ⁶  the prophetic vision, ⁷  and to anoint a most holy place. ⁸ 

but I will confirm ¹  my covenant with you. You will enter ²  the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

I confirm ¹  my covenant with you: Never again will all living things ²  be wiped out ³  by the waters of a flood; ⁴  never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things ¹  that are on the earth.”

I will confirm ¹  my covenant as a perpetual ²  covenant between me and you. It will extend to your descendants after you throughout their generations. I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ³