Luke 1:68-79

New International Version

⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(A)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(B)
⁶⁹He has raised up a horn^[a]^(C) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David^(D)
⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(E)
⁷¹salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷²to show mercy to our ancestors^(F)
    and to remember his holy covenant,^(G)
⁷³    the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(H)
⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him^(I) without fear^(J)
⁷⁵    in holiness and righteousness^(K) before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(L) of the Most High;^(M)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(N)
⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,^(O)
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun^(P) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,^(Q)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(R)

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Footnotes

Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.

Jeremiah 21

New International Version

God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request

21 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah^(A) sent to him Pashhur^(B) son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah^(C) son of Maaseiah. They said: ²“Inquire^(D) now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar^[a]^(E) king of Babylon^(F) is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders^(G) for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.”

³But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ⁴‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn^(H) against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians^[b] who are outside the wall besieging^(I) you. And I will gather them inside this city. ⁵I myself will fight^(J) against you with an outstretched hand^(K) and a mighty arm^(L) in furious anger and in great wrath. ⁶I will strike^(M) down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague.^(N) ⁷After that, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah^(O) king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague,^(P) sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon^(Q) and to their enemies^(R) who want to kill them.^(S) He will put them to the sword;^(T) he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.’^(U)

⁸“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life^(V) and the way of death. ⁹Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.^(W) But whoever goes out and surrenders^(X) to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives.^(Y) ¹⁰I have determined to do this city harm^(Z) and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands^(AA) of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’^(AB)

¹¹“Moreover, say to the royal house^(AC) of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. ¹²This is what the Lord says to you, house of David:

“‘Administer justice^(AD) every morning;
    rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(AE)
    the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire^(AF)
    because of the evil^(AG) you have done—
    burn with no one to quench^(AH) it.
¹³I am against^(AI) you, Jerusalem,
    you who live above this valley^(AJ)
    on the rocky plateau, declares the Lord—
you who say, “Who can come against us?
    Who can enter our refuge?”^(AK)
¹⁴I will punish you as your deeds^(AL) deserve,
    declares the Lord.
I will kindle a fire^(AM) in your forests^(AN)
    that will consume everything around you.’”

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Footnotes

Jeremiah 21:2 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, of which Nebuchadnezzar is a variant; here and often in Jeremiah and Ezekiel
Jeremiah 21:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 9

Hebrews 9:23-28

New International Version

²³It was necessary, then, for the copies^(A) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;^(B) he entered heaven itself,^(C) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^(D) ²⁵Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(E) every year with blood that is not his own.^(F) ²⁶Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(G) But he has appeared^(H) once for all^(I) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^(J) ²⁷Just as people are destined to die once,^(K) and after that to face judgment,^(L) ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once^(M) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(N) not to bear sin,^(O) but to bring salvation^(P) to those who are waiting for him.^(Q)