[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom(A) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,(B) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

The people walking in darkness(C)
    have seen a great light;(D)
on those living in the land of deep darkness(E)
    a light has dawned.(F)
You have enlarged the nation(G)
    and increased their joy;(H)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.(I)
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,(J)
    you have shattered(K)
the yoke(L) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,(M)
    the rod of their oppressor.(N)
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,(O)
    will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,(P)
    to us a son is given,(Q)
    and the government(R) will be on his shoulders.(S)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,(T) Mighty God,(U)
    Everlasting(V) Father,(W) Prince of Peace.(X)
Of the greatness of his government(Y) and peace(Z)
    there will be no end.(AA)
He will reign(AB) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice(AC) and righteousness(AD)
    from that time on and forever.(AE)
The zeal(AF) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.

Psalm 47[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Clap your hands,(A) all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.(B)

For the Lord Most High(C) is awesome,(D)
    the great King(E) over all the earth.
He subdued(F) nations under us,
    peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance(G) for us,
    the pride of Jacob,(H) whom he loved.[b]

God has ascended(I) amid shouts of joy,(J)
    the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(K)
Sing praises(L) to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;(M)
    sing to him a psalm(N) of praise.

God reigns(O) over the nations;
    God is seated on his holy throne.(P)
The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[c] of the earth belong to God;(Q)
    he is greatly exalted.(R)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 47:1 In Hebrew texts 47:1-9 is numbered 47:2-10.
  2. Psalm 47:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 47:9 Or shields

Psalm 48[a]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(A) and most worthy of praise,(B)
    in the city of our God,(C) his holy mountain.(D)

Beautiful(E) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[b](F) is Mount Zion,(G)
    the city of the Great King.(H)
God is in her citadels;(I)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(J)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(K)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(L)
Trembling seized(M) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(N)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(O)
    shattered by an east wind.(P)

As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[c](Q)

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(R) on your unfailing love.(S)
10 Like your name,(T) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(U)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(V)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,(X)
    view her citadels,(Y)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(Z)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(AA) even to the end.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
  2. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
  3. Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Prophecy of Scripture

12 So I will always remind you of these things,(A) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth(B) you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory(C) as long as I live in the tent of this body,(D) 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside,(E) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.(F) 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure(G) you will always be able to remember these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,(H) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.(I) 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[a](J) 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.(K)

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,(L) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light(M) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns(N) and the morning star(O) rises in your hearts.(P) 20 Above all, you must understand(Q) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God(R) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35

Peter Disowns Jesus(A)

54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.(B) Peter followed at a distance.(C) 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”(D)

60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord(E) turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”(F) 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

The Guards Mock Jesus(G)

63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to him.(H)

Jesus Before Pilate and Herod(I)(J)(K)

66 At daybreak the council(L) of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together,(M) and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer.(N) 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”(O)

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