The people walking in darkness(A)
    have seen a great light;(B)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(C)
    a light has dawned.(D)

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The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

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Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(A)
    and the ears(B) of those who hear will listen.

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And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

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“I, the Lord, have called(A) you in righteousness;(B)
    I will take hold of your hand.(C)
I will keep(D) you and will make you
    to be a covenant(E) for the people
    and a light(F) for the Gentiles,(G)
to open eyes that are blind,(H)
    to free(I) captives from prison(J)
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(K)

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I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

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The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

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The Choosing of the Seven

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,(A) the Hellenistic Jews[a](B) among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows(C) were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.(D) So the Twelve gathered all the disciples(E) together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God(F) in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters,(G) choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit(H) and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them(I) and will give our attention to prayer(J) and the ministry of the word.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 6:1 That is, Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture

And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

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For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a](A) made his light shine in our hearts(B) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:6 Gen. 1:3

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms(B) with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

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18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened(A) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called(B) you, the riches(C) of his glorious inheritance(D) in his holy people,(E) 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power(F) is the same as the mighty strength(G)

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18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

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fixing our eyes on Jesus,(A) the pioneer(B) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,(C) scorning its shame,(D) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.(E)

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Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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