Isaiah 28:14-22

English Standard Version

A Cornerstone in Zion

¹⁴Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you ^(A)scoffers,
    who rule this people in Jerusalem!
¹⁵Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
    and with Sheol we have an agreement,
when the ^(B)overwhelming whip passes through
    it will not come to us,
for we have made ^(C)lies our refuge,
    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;
¹⁶therefore thus says the Lord God,
^(D)“Behold, I am the one who has laid^[a] as a foundation ^(E)in Zion,
    a stone, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:
    ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
¹⁷And I will make justice ^(F)the line,
    and righteousness ^(G)the plumb line;
and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”
¹⁸Then ^(H)your covenant with death will be annulled,
    and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
    you will be beaten down by it.
¹⁹As often as it passes through it will take you;
    ^(I)for morning by morning it will pass through,
    by day and by night;
and it will be ^(J)sheer terror to understand the message.
²⁰For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,
    and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.
²¹For the Lord will rise up ^(K)as on Mount Perazim;
    ^(L)as in the Valley of ^(M)Gibeon he will be roused;
to do his deed—strange is his deed!
    and to work his work—alien is his work!
²²Now therefore do not ^(N)scoff,
    lest your bonds be made strong;
for I have heard ^(O)a decree of destruction
    from the Lord God of hosts against the whole land.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 28:16 Dead Sea Scroll I am laying

Psalm 46

English Standard Version

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of ^(A)the Sons of Korah. According to ^(B)Alamoth.^[a] A Song.

46 God is our ^(C)refuge and strength,
    a very ^(D)present^[b] help in ^(E)trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear ^(F)though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into ^(G)the heart of the sea,
³though ^(H)its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

⁴There is ^(I)a river whose streams make glad ^(J)the city of God,
    the holy ^(K)habitation of the Most High.
⁵^(L)God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶^(M)The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he ^(N)utters his voice, the earth ^(O)melts.
⁷^(P)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

⁸^(Q)Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹^(R)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he ^(S)breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    ^(T)he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰^(U)“Be still, and know that I am God.
    ^(V)I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹^(W)The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Footnotes

Psalm 46:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 46:1 Or well proved

Hebrews 12:15-17

English Standard Version

¹⁵See to it that no one ^(A)fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ^(B)“root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; ¹⁶that no one is ^(C)sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. ¹⁷For you know that ^(D)afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

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Hebrews 12:18-29

English Standard Version

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

¹⁸For you have not come to ^(A)what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest ¹⁹and ^(B)the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words ^(C)made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. ²⁰For they could not endure the order that was given, ^(D)“If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹Indeed, ^(E)so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” ²²But you have come to ^(F)Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, ^(G)the heavenly Jerusalem, and to ^(H)innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to ^(I)the assembly^[a] of the firstborn who are ^(J)enrolled in heaven, and to ^(K)God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, ^(L)the mediator of a new covenant, and to ^(M)the sprinkled blood ^(N)that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For ^(O)if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ²⁶At that time ^(P)his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ^(Q)“Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ²⁷This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates ^(R)the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore let us be grateful for receiving ^(S)a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus ^(T)let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, ²⁹for our ^(U)God is a consuming fire.

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Footnotes

Hebrews 12:23 Or church

Luke 13:22-30

English Standard Version

The Narrow Door

²²^(A)He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and ^(B)journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³And someone said to him, “Lord, ^(C)will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, ²⁴^(D)“Strive ^(E)to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵^(F)When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ^(G)‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ^(H)‘I do not know where you come from.’ ²⁶Then you will begin to say, ^(I)‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷But he will say, ‘I tell you, ^(J)I do not know where you come from. ^(K)Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ ²⁸^(L)In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see ^(M)Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but ^(N)you yourselves cast out. ²⁹And ^(O)people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and ^(P)recline at table in the kingdom of God. ³⁰And behold, ^(Q)some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”