Isaiah 62:6-65:25 6 I
post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night.
You who pray to
the
Lord, don’t be silent!
7 Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem,
until he makes Jerusalem the pride
of the earth.
8 The
Lord swears an oath by his right hand, by his strong arm:
“I will never again give your grain to your enemies as food, and foreigners will not drink your wine, which you worked hard to produce.
9 But those who harvest the grain
will eat it, and will praise the
Lord. Those who pick the grapes will drink the wine
in the courts of my holy sanctuary.”
10 Come through! Come through the gates! Prepare the way for the people! Build it! Build the roadway! Remove the stones! Lift a signal flag for the nations!
11 Look, the
Lord announces to the entire earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘Look, your deliverer comes! Look, his reward is with him and his reward goes before him!’”
12 They will be called, “The Holy People, the Ones Protected
by the
Lord.” You will be called, “Sought After, City Not Abandoned.”
1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?
Who
is this one wearing royal attire,
who marches confidently
because of his great strength? “It is I, the one who announces vindication, and who is able to deliver!”
2 Why are your clothes red? Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?
3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself; no one from the nations joined me. I stomped on them
in my anger; I trampled them down in my rage. Their juice splashed on my garments, and stained
all my clothes.
4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance, and then payback time arrived.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was shocked because there was no one offering support.
So my right arm accomplished deliverance; my raging anger drove me on.
6 I trampled nations in my anger, I made them drunk
in my rage, I splashed their blood on the ground.”
7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the
Lord, of the
Lord’s praiseworthy deeds. I will tell about all
the
Lord did for us, the many good things he did for the family of Israel,
because of
his compassion and great faithfulness.
8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people, children who are not disloyal.”
He became their deliverer.
9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.
The messenger sent from his very presence
delivered them. In his love and mercy he protected
them; he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.
10 But they rebelled and offended
his holy Spirit,
so he turned into an enemy and fought against them.
11 His people remembered the ancient times.
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea, along with the shepherd of
his flock? Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,
12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses,
who divided the water before them, gaining for himself a lasting reputation,
13 who led them through the deep water? Like a horse running on flat land
they did not stumble.
14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze,
so the Spirit of the
Lord granted them rest. In this way
you guided your people, gaining for yourself an honored reputation.
15 Look down from heaven and take notice, from your holy, majestic palace! Where are your zeal
and power? Do not hold back your tender compassion!
16 For you are our father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not recognize us. You,
Lord, are our father; you have been called our protector from ancient times.
17 Why,
Lord, do you make us stray
from your ways,
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?
Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance!
18 For a short time your special
nation possessed a land,
but then our adversaries knocked down
your holy sanctuary.
19 We existed from ancient times,
but you did not rule over them, they were not your subjects.
1 If only you would tear apart the sky
and come down! The mountains would tremble
before you!
2 As when fire ignites dry wood, or fire makes water boil, let your adversaries know who you are,
and may the nations shake at your presence!
3 When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise,
you came down, and the mountains trembled
before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard or perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you, who intervenes for those who wait for him.
5 You assist
those who delight in doing what is right,
who observe your commandments.
Look, you were angry because we violated them continually. How then can we be saved?
6 We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight.
We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.
7 No one invokes
your name, or makes an effort
to take hold of you. For you have rejected us
and handed us over to our own sins.
8 Yet,
Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor.
9 Lord, do not be too angry! Do not hold our sins against us continually!
Take a good look at your people, at all of us!
10 Your chosen
cities have become a desert; Zion has become a desert, Jerusalem
is a desolate ruin.
11 Our holy temple, our pride and joy,
the place where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire; all our prized possessions have been destroyed.
12 In light of all this,
how can you still hold back,
Lord? How can you be silent and continue to humiliate us?
1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;
I appeared to those who did not look for me.
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that did not invoke
my name.
2 I spread out my hands all day long to my rebellious people, who lived in a way that is morally unacceptable, and who did what they desired.
3 These people continually and blatantly offend me
as they sacrifice in their sacred orchards
and burn incense on brick altars.
4 They sit among the tombs
and keep watch all night long.
They eat pork,
and broth
from unclean sacrificial meat is in their pans.
5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself! Don’t get near me, for I am holier than you!’ These people are like smoke in my nostrils, like a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Look, I have decreed:
I will not keep silent, but will pay them back; I will pay them back exactly what they deserve,
7 for your sins and your ancestors’ sins,”
says the
Lord. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and offended
me on the hills, I will punish them in full measure.”
8 This is what the
Lord says: “When
juice is discovered in a cluster of grapes, someone says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for it contains juice.’
So I will do for the sake of my servants – I will not destroy everyone.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah people to take possession of my mountains. My chosen ones will take possession of the land;
my servants will live there.
10 Sharon
will become a pasture for sheep, and the Valley of Achor
a place where cattle graze;
they will belong to my people, who seek me.
11 But as for you who abandon the
Lord and forget about worshiping at
my holy mountain, who prepare a feast for the god called ‘Fortune,’
and fill up wine jugs for the god called ‘Destiny’
–
12 I predestine you to die by the sword,
all of you will kneel down at the slaughtering block,
because I called to you, and you did not respond, I spoke and you did not listen. You did evil before me;
you chose to do what displeases me.”
13 So this is what the sovereign
Lord says: “Look, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry! Look, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty! Look, my servants will rejoice, but you will be humiliated!
14 Look, my servants will shout for joy as happiness fills their hearts!
But you will cry out as sorrow fills your hearts;
you will wail because your spirits will be crushed.
15 Your names will live on in the curse formulas of my chosen ones.
The sovereign
Lord will kill you, but he will give his servants another name.
16 Whoever pronounces a blessing in the earth
will do so in the name of the faithful God;
whoever makes an oath in the earth will do so in the name of the faithful God.
For past problems will be forgotten; I will no longer think about them.
17 For look, I am ready to create new heavens and a new earth!
The former ones
will not be remembered; no one will think about them anymore.
18 But be happy and rejoice forevermore over what I am about to create! For look, I am ready to create Jerusalem
to be a source of joy,
and her people to be a source of happiness.
19 Jerusalem will bring me joy, and my people will bring me happiness.
The sound of weeping or cries of sorrow will never be heard in her again.
20 Never again will one of her infants live just a few days
or an old man die before his time.
Indeed, no one will die before the age of a hundred,
anyone who fails to reach
the age of a hundred will be considered cursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build a house only to have another live in it,
or plant a vineyard only to have another eat its fruit,
for my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will enjoy to the fullest what they have produced.
23 They will not work in vain, or give birth to children that will experience disaster.
For the
Lord will bless their children and their descendants.
24 Before they even call out,
I will respond; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 A wolf and a lamb will graze together;
a lion, like an ox, will eat straw,
and a snake’s food will be dirt.
They will no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain,”
says the
Lord.
Context (NET) Philippians 2:19-3:3 19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.
20 For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.
21 Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.
22 But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.
23 So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,
24 though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you
soon.
25 But for now
I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother,
coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger
and minister
to me in my need.
26 Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.
27 In fact he became so ill that he nearly died.
But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.
28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,
so that when you see him again you can rejoice
and I can be free from anxiety.
29 So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,
30 since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.
1 Finally, my brothers and sisters,
rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
2 Beware of the dogs,
beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!
3 For we are the circumcision,
the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,
exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials
Context (NET) Psalm 73:1-28 1 A psalm by Asaph. Certainly God is good to Israel,
and to those whose motives are pure!
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my feet almost slid out from under me.
3 For I envied those who are proud, as I observed
the prosperity
of the wicked.
4 For they suffer no pain;
their bodies
are strong and well-fed.
5 They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do.
6 Arrogance is their necklace,
and violence their clothing.
7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong;
their thoughts are sinful.
8 They mock
and say evil things;
they proudly threaten violence.
9 They speak as if they rule in heaven, and lay claim to the earth.
10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat, and even suck up the water of the sea.
11 They say, “How does God know what we do? Is the sovereign one aware of what goes on?”
12 Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like,
those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer.
13 I concluded,
“Surely in vain I have kept my motives
pure and maintained a pure lifestyle.
14 I suffer all day long, and am punished every morning.”
15 If I had publicized these thoughts,
I would have betrayed your loyal followers.
16 When I tried to make sense of this, it was troubling to me.
17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple,
and understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Surely
you put them in slippery places; you bring them down
to ruin.
19 How desolate they become in a mere moment! Terrifying judgments make their demise complete!
20 They are like a dream after one wakes up.
O Lord, when you awake
you will despise them.
21 Yes,
my spirit was bitter,
and my insides felt sharp pain.
22 I was ignorant
and lacked insight;
I was as senseless as an animal before you.
23 But I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
24 You guide
me by your wise advice, and then you will lead me to a position of honor.
25 Whom do I have in heaven but you? I desire no one but you on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak,
but God always
protects my heart and gives me stability.
27 Yes,
look! Those far from you
die; you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.
I have made the sovereign
Lord my shelter, as
I declare all the things you have done.
Context (NET) Proverbs 24:13-14 13 Eat honey,
my child, for it is good, and honey from the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
14 Likewise, know
that wisdom is sweet
to your soul; if you find it,
you will have a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Context (NET)
_________________
I'm a bot, please do not email, pm or otherwise try to contact me as there will be no response.
Please contact one of the
Global Moderators, a
Moderator or the
Site Administrator if you need assistance. Thank you.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
