Ezra 1
New American Standard Bible 1995
Cyrus’s Proclamation
1 (A)Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he (B)sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and (C)He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; (D)He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 Every survivor, at whatever place he may [a]live, let the men of [b]that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
Holy Vessels Restored
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, (E)even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. 6 All those about them [c](F)encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. 7 (G)Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, (H)which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; 8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to (I)Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 Now this was their number: 30 (J)gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 [d]duplicates; 10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. 11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Proverbs 26:17-22
New American Standard Bible 1995
17 Like one who takes a dog by the ears
Is he who passes by and [a]meddles with (A)strife not belonging to him.
18 Like a madman who throws
(B)Firebrands, arrows and death,
19 So is the man who (C)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(D)Was I not joking?”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (E)whisperer, (F)contention quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (G)contentious man to kindle strife.
22 The (H)words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [b]innermost parts of the body.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:17 Lit infuriates himself
- Proverbs 26:22 Lit chambers of the belly
1 Peter 4
New American Standard Bible 1995
Keep Fervent in Your Love
4 Therefore, since (A)Christ has [a]suffered in the flesh, (B)arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because (C)he who has [b]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 (D)so as to live (E)the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the (F)will of God. 3 For (G)the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, [c](H)having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and [d]abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of (I)dissipation, and they (J)malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge (K)the living and the dead. 6 For (L)the gospel has for this purpose been [e]preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 (M)The end of all things [f]is near; therefore, (N)be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [g]prayer. 8 Above all, (O)keep fervent in your love for one another, because (P)love covers a multitude of sins. 9 (Q)Be hospitable to one another without (R)complaint. 10 (S)As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good (T)stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 (U)Whoever speaks, is to do so [h]as one who is speaking the (V)utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving [i](W)by the strength which God supplies; so that (X)in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, (Y)to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Share the Sufferings of Christ
12 (Z)Beloved, do not be surprised at the (AA)fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you (AB)share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the (AC)revelation of His glory (AD)you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled [j](AE)for the name of Christ, (AF)you are blessed, (AG)because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that (AH)none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a [k](AI)troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a (AJ)Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to (AK)glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment (AL)to begin [l]with (AM)the household of God; and if it (AN)begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those (AO)who do not obey the (AP)gospel of God? 18 (AQ)And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, [m]what will become of the (AR)godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to (AS)the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 4:1 I.e. suffered death
- 1 Peter 4:1 I.e. suffered death
- 1 Peter 4:3 Lit having gone in
- 1 Peter 4:3 Lit lawless
- 1 Peter 4:6 I.e. preached in their lifetimes
- 1 Peter 4:7 Lit has come near
- 1 Peter 4:7 Lit prayers
- 1 Peter 4:11 Lit as utterances
- 1 Peter 4:11 Lit from
- 1 Peter 4:14 Lit in
- 1 Peter 4:15 Lit one who oversees others’ affairs
- 1 Peter 4:17 Lit from
- 1 Peter 4:18 Lit where will appear
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
