Luke 21:20-28

New International Version

²⁰“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies,^(A) you will know that its desolation is near. ²¹Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.^(B) ²²For this is the time of punishment^(C) in fulfillment^(D) of all that has been written. ²³How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled^(E) on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.^(F) ²⁶People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.^(G) ²⁷At that time they will see the Son of Man^(H) coming in a cloud^(I) with power and great glory. ²⁸When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”^(J)

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Hebrews 2:10-18

New International Version

¹⁰In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists,^(A) should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.^(B) ¹¹Both the one who makes people holy^(C) and those who are made holy^(D) are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.^[a]^(E) ¹²He says,

“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”^[b]^(F)

¹³And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”^[c]^(G)

And again he says,

“Here am I, and the children God has given me.”^[d]^(H)

¹⁴Since the children have flesh and blood,^(I) he too shared in their humanity^(J) so that by his death he might break the power^(K) of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil^(L)— ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear^(M) of death. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.^(N) ¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like them,^[e]^(O) fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful^(P) and faithful high priest^(Q) in service to God,^(R) and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.^(S) ¹⁸Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.^(T)

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Footnotes

Hebrews 2:11 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 12; and in 3:1, 12; 10:19; 13:22.
Hebrews 2:12 Psalm 22:22
Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:17
Hebrews 2:13 Isaiah 8:18
Hebrews 2:17 Or like his brothers

Proverbs 20:1-15

New International Version

20 Wine^(A) is a mocker^(B) and beer a brawler;
whoever is led astray^(C) by them is not wise.^(D)

²A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;^(E)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.^(F)

³It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
but every fool^(G) is quick to quarrel.^(H)

⁴Sluggards^(I) do not plow in season;
so at harvest time they look but find nothing.^(J)

⁵The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,^(K)
but one who has insight draws them out.

⁶Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?^(L)

⁷The righteous lead blameless lives;^(M)
blessed are their children after them.^(N)

⁸When a king sits on his throne to judge,^(O)
he winnows out all evil with his eyes.^(P)

⁹Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;^(Q)
I am clean and without sin”?^(R)

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.^(S)

¹¹Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure^(T) and upright?

¹²Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.^(U)

¹³Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;^(V)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

¹⁵Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

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Isaiah 9-10

New International Version

9 ^[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—

²The 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)
³You 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)
⁴For 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)
⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,^(O)
    will be fuel for the fire.
⁶For 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)
⁷Of 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.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(AG) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(AH) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(AI)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(AJ) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(AK)
the fig^(AL) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(AM)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(AN) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(AO) from the east and Philistines^(AP) from the west
    have devoured^(AQ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(AR) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AS)

¹³But the people have not returned^(AT) to him who struck^(AU) them,
    nor have they sought^(AV) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(AW) in a single day;^(AX)
¹⁵the elders^(AY) and dignitaries^(AZ) are the head,
    the prophets^(BA) who teach lies^(BB) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(BC) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(BD)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(BE)
    nor will he pity^(BF) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(BG) and wicked,^(BH)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(BI)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(BJ)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(BK)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(BL)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(BM)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(BN) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(BO)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(BP)
    they will not spare one another.^(BQ)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(BR)
on the left they will eat,^(BS)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[b]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(BT)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(BU)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(BV)

10 Woe^(BW) to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,^(BX)
²to deprive^(BY) the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people,^(BZ)
making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.^(CA)
³What will you do on the day of reckoning,^(CB)
    when disaster^(CC) comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?^(CD)
    Where will you leave your riches?
⁴Nothing will remain but to cringe among the captives^(CE)
    or fall among the slain.^(CF)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,^(CG)
his hand is still upraised.

God’s Judgment on Assyria

⁵“Woe^(CH) to the Assyrian,^(CI) the rod^(CJ) of my anger,
    in whose hand is the club^(CK) of my wrath!^(CL)
⁶I send him against a godless^(CM) nation,
    I dispatch^(CN) him against a people who anger me,^(CO)
to seize loot and snatch plunder,^(CP)
    and to trample^(CQ) them down like mud in the streets.
⁷But this is not what he intends,^(CR)
    this is not what he has in mind;
his purpose is to destroy,
    to put an end to many nations.
⁸‘Are not my commanders^(CS) all kings?’ he says.
⁹    ‘Has not Kalno^(CT) fared like Carchemish?^(CU)
Is not Hamath^(CV) like Arpad,^(CW)
    and Samaria^(CX) like Damascus?^(CY)
¹⁰As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols,^(CZ)
    kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria—
¹¹shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images
    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?^(DA)’”

¹²When the Lord has finished all his work^(DB) against Mount Zion^(DC) and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria^(DD) for the willful pride^(DE) of his heart and the haughty look^(DF) in his eyes. ¹³For he says:

“‘By the strength of my hand^(DG) I have done this,^(DH)
    and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.
I removed the boundaries of nations,
    I plundered their treasures;^(DI)
    like a mighty one I subdued^[c] their kings.^(DJ)
¹⁴As one reaches into a nest,^(DK)
    so my hand reached for the wealth^(DL) of the nations;
as people gather abandoned eggs,
    so I gathered all the countries;^(DM)
not one flapped a wing,
    or opened its mouth to chirp.^(DN)’”

¹⁵Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it,
    or the saw boast against the one who uses it?^(DO)
As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up,
    or a club^(DP) brandish the one who is not wood!
¹⁶Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will send a wasting disease^(DQ) upon his sturdy warriors;^(DR)
under his pomp^(DS) a fire^(DT) will be kindled
    like a blazing flame.
¹⁷The Light of Israel will become a fire,^(DU)
    their Holy One^(DV) a flame;
in a single day it will burn and consume
    his thorns^(DW) and his briers.^(DX)
¹⁸The splendor of his forests^(DY) and fertile fields
    it will completely destroy,^(DZ)
    as when a sick person wastes away.
¹⁹And the remaining trees of his forests^(EA) will be so few^(EB)
    that a child could write them down.

The Remnant of Israel

²⁰In that day^(EC) the remnant of Israel,
    the survivors^(ED) of Jacob,
will no longer rely^(EE) on him
    who struck them down^(EF)
but will truly rely^(EG) on the Lord,
    the Holy One of Israel.^(EH)
²¹A remnant^(EI) will return,^[d]^(EJ) a remnant of Jacob
    will return to the Mighty God.^(EK)
²²Though your people be like the sand^(EL) by the sea, Israel,
    only a remnant will return.^(EM)
Destruction has been decreed,^(EN)
    overwhelming and righteous.
²³The Lord, the Lord Almighty, will carry out
    the destruction decreed^(EO) upon the whole land.^(EP)

²⁴Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:

“My people who live in Zion,^(EQ)
    do not be afraid^(ER) of the Assyrians,
who beat^(ES) you with a rod^(ET)
    and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did.
²⁵Very soon^(EU) my anger against you will end
    and my wrath^(EV) will be directed to their destruction.^(EW)”

²⁶The Lord Almighty will lash^(EX) them with a whip,
    as when he struck down Midian^(EY) at the rock of Oreb;
and he will raise his staff^(EZ) over the waters,^(FA)
    as he did in Egypt.
²⁷In that day^(FB) their burden^(FC) will be lifted from your shoulders,
    their yoke^(FD) from your neck;^(FE)
the yoke^(FF) will be broken
    because you have grown so fat.^[e]

²⁸They enter Aiath;
    they pass through Migron;^(FG)
    they store supplies^(FH) at Mikmash.^(FI)
²⁹They go over the pass, and say,
    “We will camp overnight at Geba.^(FJ)”
Ramah^(FK) trembles;
    Gibeah^(FL) of Saul flees.^(FM)
³⁰Cry out, Daughter Gallim!^(FN)
    Listen, Laishah!
    Poor Anathoth!^(FO)
³¹Madmenah is in flight;
    the people of Gebim take cover.
³²This day they will halt at Nob;^(FP)
    they will shake their fist^(FQ)
at the mount of Daughter Zion,^(FR)
    at the hill of Jerusalem.

³³See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off^(FS) the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,^(FT)
    the tall^(FU) ones will be brought low.^(FV)
³⁴He will cut down^(FW) the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon^(FX) will fall before the Mighty One.^(FY)