12 Therefore this is what the Holy One(A) of Israel says:

“Because you have rejected this message,(B)
    relied on oppression(C)
    and depended on deceit,
13 this sin will become for you
    like a high wall,(D) cracked and bulging,
    that collapses(E) suddenly,(F) in an instant.
14 It will break in pieces like pottery,(G)
    shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
    for taking coals from a hearth
    or scooping water out of a cistern.”

15 This is what the Sovereign(H) Lord, the Holy One(I) of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest(J) is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust(K) is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.(L)
16 You said, ‘No, we will flee(M) on horses.’(N)
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
17 A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five(O)
    you will all flee(P) away,
till you are left(Q)
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner(R) on a hill.”

18 Yet the Lord longs(S) to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.(T)
For the Lord is a God of justice.(U)
    Blessed are all who wait for him!(V)

19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.(W) How gracious he will be when you cry for help!(X) As soon as he hears, he will answer(Y) you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread(Z) of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers(AA) will be hidden(AB) no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice(AC) behind you, saying, “This is the way;(AD) walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols(AE) overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;(AF) you will throw them away like a menstrual(AG) cloth and say to them, “Away with you!(AH)

23 He will also send you rain(AI) for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich(AJ) and plentiful.(AK) In that day(AL) your cattle will graze in broad meadows.(AM) 24 The oxen(AN) and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder(AO) and mash, spread out with fork(AP) and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter,(AQ) when the towers(AR) fall, streams of water will flow(AS) on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun,(AT) and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals(AU) the wounds he inflicted.

27 See, the Name(AV) of the Lord comes from afar,
    with burning anger(AW) and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,(AX)
    and his tongue is a consuming fire.(AY)
28 His breath(AZ) is like a rushing torrent,(BA)
    rising up to the neck.(BB)
He shakes the nations in the sieve(BC) of destruction;
    he places in the jaws of the peoples
    a bit(BD) that leads them astray.
29 And you will sing
    as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;(BE)
your hearts will rejoice(BF)
    as when people playing pipes(BG) go up
to the mountain(BH) of the Lord,
    to the Rock(BI) of Israel.
30 The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice(BJ)
    and will make them see his arm(BK) coming down
with raging anger(BL) and consuming fire,(BM)
    with cloudburst, thunderstorm(BN) and hail.(BO)
31 The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria;(BP)
    with his rod he will strike(BQ) them down.
32 Every stroke the Lord lays on them
    with his punishing club(BR)
will be to the music of timbrels(BS) and harps,
    as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.(BT)
33 Topheth(BU) has long been prepared;
    it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
    with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath(BV) of the Lord,
    like a stream of burning sulfur,(BW)
    sets it ablaze.(BX)

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

31 Woe(BY) to those who go down to Egypt(BZ) for help,
    who rely on horses,(CA)
who trust in the multitude of their chariots(CB)
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One(CC) of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.(CD)
Yet he too is wise(CE) and can bring disaster;(CF)
    he does not take back his words.(CG)
He will rise up against that wicked nation,(CH)
    against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians(CI) are mere mortals and not God;(CJ)
    their horses(CK) are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,(CL)
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped(CM) will fall;
    all will perish together.(CN)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion(CO) growls,
    a great lion over its prey—
and though a whole band of shepherds(CP)
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamor(CQ)
so the Lord Almighty will come down(CR)
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering(CS) overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield(CT) Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver(CU) it,
    he will ‘pass over’(CV) it and will rescue it.”

Return,(CW) you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted(CX) against. For in that day(CY) every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold(CZ) your sinful hands have made.(DA)

“Assyria(DB) will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour(DC) them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labor.(DD)
Their stronghold(DE) will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard(DF) their commanders will panic,(DG)
declares the Lord,
    whose fire(DH) is in Zion,
    whose furnace(DI) is in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

32 See, a king(DJ) will reign in righteousness
    and rulers will rule with justice.(DK)
Each one will be like a shelter(DL) from the wind
    and a refuge from the storm,(DM)
like streams of water(DN) in the desert(DO)
    and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed,(DP)
    and the ears(DQ) of those who hear will listen.
The fearful heart will know and understand,(DR)
    and the stammering tongue(DS) will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool(DT) be called noble
    nor the scoundrel be highly respected.
For fools speak folly,(DU)
    their hearts are bent on evil:(DV)
They practice ungodliness(DW)
    and spread error(DX) concerning the Lord;
the hungry they leave empty(DY)
    and from the thirsty they withhold water.
Scoundrels use wicked methods,(DZ)
    they make up evil schemes(EA)
to destroy the poor with lies,
    even when the plea of the needy(EB) is just.(EC)
But the noble make noble plans,
    and by noble deeds(ED) they stand.(EE)

The Women of Jerusalem

You women(EF) who are so complacent,
    rise up and listen(EG) to me;
you daughters who feel secure,(EH)
    hear what I have to say!
10 In little more than a year(EI)
    you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail,(EJ)
    and the harvest of fruit will not come.
11 Tremble,(EK) you complacent women;
    shudder, you daughters who feel secure!(EL)
Strip off your fine clothes(EM)
    and wrap yourselves in rags.(EN)
12 Beat your breasts(EO) for the pleasant fields,
    for the fruitful vines(EP)
13 and for the land of my people,
    a land overgrown with thorns and briers(EQ)
yes, mourn(ER) for all houses of merriment
    and for this city of revelry.(ES)
14 The fortress(ET) will be abandoned,
    the noisy city deserted;(EU)
citadel and watchtower(EV) will become a wasteland forever,
    the delight of donkeys,(EW) a pasture for flocks,(EX)
15 till the Spirit(EY) is poured on us from on high,
    and the desert becomes a fertile field,(EZ)
    and the fertile field seems like a forest.(FA)
16 The Lord’s justice(FB) will dwell in the desert,(FC)
    his righteousness(FD) live in the fertile field.
17 The fruit of that righteousness(FE) will be peace;(FF)
    its effect will be quietness and confidence(FG) forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful(FH) dwelling places,
    in secure homes,(FI)
    in undisturbed places of rest.(FJ)
19 Though hail(FK) flattens the forest(FL)
    and the city is leveled(FM) completely,
20 how blessed you will be,
    sowing(FN) your seed by every stream,(FO)
    and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.(FP)

Distress and Help

33 Woe(FQ) to you, destroyer,
    you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
    you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed;(FR)
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.(FS)

Lord, be gracious(FT) to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength(FU) every morning,
    our salvation(FV) in time of distress.(FW)
At the uproar of your army,(FX) the peoples flee;(FY)
    when you rise up,(FZ) the nations scatter.
Your plunder,(GA) O nations, is harvested(GB) as by young locusts;(GC)
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted,(GD) for he dwells on high;(GE)
    he will fill Zion with his justice(GF) and righteousness.(GG)
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation(GH) and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear(GI) of the Lord is the key to this treasure.[a](GJ)

Look, their brave men(GK) cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys(GL) of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
    no travelers(GM) are on the roads.(GN)
The treaty is broken,(GO)
    its witnesses[b] are despised,
    no one is respected.
The land dries up(GP) and wastes away,
    Lebanon(GQ) is ashamed and withers;(GR)
Sharon(GS) is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan(GT) and Carmel(GU) drop their leaves.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 33:6 Or is a treasure from him
  2. Isaiah 33:8 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text / the cities

12 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

14 And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

17 One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.

30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

31 For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

31 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!

Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.

Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.

Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

32 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

11 Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

12 They shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city:

14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks;

15 Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

16 Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;

19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

20 Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

33 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.

O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered.

And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

Freedom in Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.(A) Stand firm,(B) then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.(C)

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised,(D) Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.(E) You who are trying to be justified by the law(F) have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.(G) For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.(H) For in Christ Jesus(I) neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.(J) The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.(K)

You were running a good race.(L) Who cut in on you(M) to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.(N) “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”(O) 10 I am confident(P) in the Lord that you will take no other view.(Q) The one who is throwing you into confusion,(R) whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?(S) In that case the offense(T) of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators,(U) I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Read full chapter

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.

Read full chapter

Psalm 63[a]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(A)
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.(B)

I have seen you in the sanctuary(C)
    and beheld your power and your glory.(D)
Because your love is better than life,(E)
    my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,(F)
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.(G)
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(H)
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night.(I)
Because you are my help,(J)
    I sing in the shadow of your wings.(K)
I cling to you;(L)
    your right hand upholds me.(M)

Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(N)
    they will go down to the depths of the earth.(O)
10 They will be given over to the sword(P)
    and become food for jackals.(Q)

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
    all who swear by God will glory in him,(R)
    while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(S)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.

63 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Read full chapter

Saying 17

22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.(A)

Read full chapter

22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Read full chapter