17. The God of Israel chose our ancestors. And during the time our people lived in Egypt as foreigners, he made them great. Then he brought them out of that country with great power.
18. And he was patient with them for 40 years in the desert.
19. God destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to his people.
20. All this happened in about 450 years. “After this, God gave our people judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
21. Then the people asked for a king. God gave them Saul, the son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was king for 40 years.
22. After God took Saul away, God made David their king. This is what God said about David: ‘David, the son of Jesse, is the kind of person who does what pleases me. He will do everything I want him to do.’
23. “As he promised, God has brought one of David’s descendants to Israel to be their Savior. That descendant is Jesus.
24. Before he came, John told all the people of Israel what they should do. He told them to be baptized to show they wanted to change their lives.
25. When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the Messiah. He is coming later, and I am not worthy to be the slave who unties his sandals.’