Surely God is my salvation;(A)
    I will trust(B) and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself,(C) is my strength(D) and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.(E)
With joy you will draw water(F)
    from the wells(G) of salvation.

In that day(H) you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;(I)
    make known among the nations(J) what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.(K)
Sing(L) to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;(M)
    let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,(N) people of Zion,
    for great(O) is the Holy One of Israel(P) among you.(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 12:2 Or song

Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(A) of the land,(B)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(C) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(D) wheat?”(E)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(F) with dishonest scales,(G)
buying the poor(H) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(I)

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob:(J) “I will never forget(K) anything they have done.(L)

“Will not the land tremble(M) for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.(N)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.(O)
10 I will turn your religious festivals(P) into mourning
    and all your singing into weeping.(Q)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth(R)
    and shave(S) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son(T)
    and the end of it like a bitter day.(U)

11 “The days are coming,”(V) declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine(W) of hearing the words of the Lord.(X)
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.(Y)

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There is no need(A) for me to write to you about this service(B) to the Lord’s people.(C) For I know your eagerness to help,(D) and I have been boasting(E) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year(F) you in Achaia(G) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers(H) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.(I) For if any Macedonians(J) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers(K) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,(L) not as one grudgingly given.(M)

Generosity Encouraged

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.(N) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,(O) not reluctantly or under compulsion,(P) for God loves a cheerful giver.(Q) And God is able(R) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,(S) you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts(T) to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”[a](U)

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food(V) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(W) 11 You will be enriched(X) in every way so that you can be generous(Y) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.(Z)

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs(AA) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.(AB) 13 Because of the service(AC) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God(AD) for the obedience that accompanies your confession(AE) of the gospel of Christ,(AF) and for your generosity(AG) in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God(AH) for his indescribable gift!(AI)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9

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