The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen to me, (A)O coastlands,
    and give attention, you peoples (B)from afar.
(C)The Lord called me from the womb,
    from the body of my mother he named my name.
(D)He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
    (E)in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
    in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, (F)in whom I will be glorified.”[a]
(G)But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
    and my recompense with my God.”

(H)And now the Lord says,
    he (I)who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
    and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for (J)I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
(K)I will make you (L)as a light for the nations,
    that (M)my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:3 Or I will display my beauty

The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen(A) to me, you islands;(B)
    hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(C) the Lord called(D) me;
    from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(E)
He made my mouth(F) like a sharpened sword,(G)
    in the shadow of his hand(H) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(I)
    and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, “You are my servant,(J)
    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(K)
But I said, “I have labored in vain;(L)
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(M)
    and my reward(N) is with my God.”(O)

And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb(P) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel(Q) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(R) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength(S)
he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(T)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(U)
I will also make you a light(V) for the Gentiles,(W)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

71 (A)In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of (B)refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have (C)given the command to save me,
    for you are my (D)rock and my fortress.

(E)Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my (F)hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned (G)from before my birth;
    you are he who (H)took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as (I)a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
My (J)mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
(K)Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who (L)watch for my life (M)consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”

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Psalm 71(A)

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
    let me never be put to shame.(C)
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear(D) to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.(E)
Deliver(F) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,(G)
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.(H)

For you have been my hope,(I) Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence(J) since my youth.
From birth(K) I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.(L)
    I will ever praise(M) you.
I have become a sign(N) to many;
    you are my strong refuge.(O)
My mouth(P) is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendor(Q) all day long.

Do not cast(R) me away when I am old;(S)
    do not forsake(T) me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies(U) speak against me;
    those who wait to kill(V) me conspire(W) together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken(X) him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue(Y) him.”

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Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

18 For the word of the cross is (A)folly to (B)those who are perishing, but to us (C)who are being saved it is (D)the power of God. 19 For it is written,

(E)“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 (F)Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? (G)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[a] to save those who believe. 22 For (H)Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ (I)crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (J)the power of God and (K)the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: (L)not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[b] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But (M)God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; (N)God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even (O)things that are not, to (P)bring to nothing things that are, 29 so (Q)that no human being[c] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him[d] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us (R)wisdom from God, (S)righteousness and (T)sanctification and (U)redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, (V)“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:21 Or the folly of preaching
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:26 Greek according to the flesh
  3. 1 Corinthians 1:29 Greek no flesh
  4. 1 Corinthians 1:30 Greek And from him

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness(A) to those who are perishing,(B) but to us who are being saved(C) it is the power of God.(D) 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a](E)

20 Where is the wise person?(F) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?(G) Has not God made foolish(H) the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world(I) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save(J) those who believe.(K) 22 Jews demand signs(L) and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified:(M) a stumbling block(N) to Jews and foolishness(O) to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called,(P) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God(Q) and the wisdom of God.(R) 25 For the foolishness(S) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness(T) of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.(U) Not many of you were wise(V) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose(W) the foolish(X) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not(Y)—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.(Z) 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,(AA) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,(AB) holiness(AC) and redemption.(AD) 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b](AE)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:19 Isaiah 29:14
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:31 Jer. 9:24

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 (A)so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

(B)“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

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Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs(A) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. John 12:38 Isaiah 53:1

42 Nevertheless, (A)many even of the authorities believed in him, but (B)for fear of the Pharisees they did not (C)confess it, so that they would not be (D)put out of the synagogue; 43 (E)for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Jesus Came to Save the World

44 And Jesus cried out and said, (F)“Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but (G)in him who sent me. 45 And (H)whoever (I)sees me sees him who sent me. 46 (J)I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone (K)hears my words and does not keep them, (L)I do not judge him; for (M)I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 (N)The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; (O)the word that I have spoken will judge him (P)on the last day. 49 For (Q)I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father (R)who sent me has himself given me (S)a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

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42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.(A) But because of the Pharisees(B) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;(C) 43 for they loved human praise(D) more than praise from God.(E)

44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.(F) 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.(G) 46 I have come into the world as a light,(H) so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.(I) 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them(J) at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me(K) to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life.(L) So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”(M)

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Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 (A)And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of (B)the money-changers and the seats of those who sold (C)pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, (D)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But (E)you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and (F)were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because (G)all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 (H)And when evening came they[a] went out of the city.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:19 Some manuscripts he

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]?(A) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b](B)

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,(C) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.(D)

19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7
  2. Mark 11:17 Jer. 7:11
  3. Mark 11:19 Some early manuscripts came, Jesus