Isaiah 57:14-21

New International Version

Comfort for the Contrite

¹⁴And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!^(A)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”^(B)
¹⁵For this is what the high and exalted^(C) One says—
    he who lives forever,^(D) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high^(E) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite^(F) and lowly in spirit,^(G)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.^(H)
¹⁶I will not accuse^(I) them forever,
    nor will I always be angry,^(J)
for then they would faint away because of me—
    the very people^(K) I have created.
¹⁷I was enraged by their sinful greed;^(L)
    I punished them, and hid^(M) my face in anger,
    yet they kept on in their willful ways.^(N)
¹⁸I have seen their ways, but I will heal^(O) them;
    I will guide^(P) them and restore comfort^(Q) to Israel’s mourners,
¹⁹    creating praise on their lips.^(R)
Peace, peace,^(S) to those far and near,”^(T)
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
²⁰But the wicked^(U) are like the tossing sea,^(V)
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire^(W) and mud.
²¹“There is no peace,”^(X) says my God, “for the wicked.”^(Y)

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Psalm 22:23-31

New International Version

²³You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(A)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(B)
    Revere him,^(C) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴For he has not despised^(D) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(E)
he has not hidden his face^(F) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(G)

²⁵From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(H)
    before those who fear you^[a] I will fulfill my vows.^(I)
²⁶The poor will eat^(J) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(K)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth^(L)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(M)
²⁸for dominion belongs to the Lord^(N)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich^(O) of the earth will feast and worship;^(P)
    all who go down to the dust^(Q) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(R)
³⁰Posterity^(S) will serve him;
    future generations^(T) will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness,^(U)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(V)
    He has done it!^(W)

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Footnotes

Psalm 22:25 Hebrew him

Ephesians 2:11-22

New International Version

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly^(A) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(B)— ¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(C) to the covenants of the promise,^(D) without hope^(E) and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(F) were far away have been brought near^(G) by the blood of Christ.^(H)

¹⁴For he himself is our peace,^(I) who has made the two groups one^(J) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh^(K) the law with its commands and regulations.^(L) His purpose was to create in himself one^(M) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(N) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace^(O) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^(P) ¹⁸For through him we both have access^(Q) to the Father^(R) by one Spirit.^(S)

¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(T) but fellow citizens^(U) with God’s people and also members of his household,^(V) ²⁰built^(W) on the foundation^(X) of the apostles and prophets,^(Y) with Christ Jesus himself^(Z) as the chief cornerstone.^(AA) ²¹In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AB) in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AC)

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Mark 6:30-44

New International Version

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand^(A)^(B)

³⁰The apostles^(C) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.^(D) ³¹Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,^(E) he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³²So they went away by themselves in a boat^(F) to a solitary place. ³³But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.^(G) So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”^(H)

They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages^[a]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”^(I)

³⁹Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.^(J) Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.