Befriending the Prophets intends to help readers understand and cherish the prophets for who they were and what they said. Over years of teaching, I have met folk who were both curious and eager to know more about the prophets, and I have often met readers who were puzzled or even put off by them. This book reaches out to both groups. It considers lingering questions, misunderstandings, and other barriers to understanding. (Who were these people? Why did they say yes? Why didn't they quit? How did they know what to say? Why do they seem hard to read? Were they just weird or cranky?) It also explores the prophets' practical guidance about how to live well in ordinary life. Reading it will invite you to embrace the core of their message and their faithfulness even today.