Isaiah 66

New International Version

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,^(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.^(B)
Where is the house^(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
²Has not my hand made all these things,^(D)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,^(E)
    and who tremble at my word.^(F)
³But whoever sacrifices a bull^(G)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s^(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense^(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,^(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;^(K)
⁴so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.^(L)
For when I called, no one answered,^(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil^(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(O)

⁵Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:^(P)
“Your own people who hate^(Q) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.^(R)
⁶Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound^(S) of the Lord
    repaying^(T) his enemies all they deserve.

⁷“Before she goes into labor,^(U)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.^(V)
⁸Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen^(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day^(X)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.^(Y)
⁹Do I bring to the moment of birth^(Z)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
¹⁰“Rejoice^(AA) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love^(AB) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn^(AC) over her.
¹¹For you will nurse^(AD) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;^(AE)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”^(AF)

¹²For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace^(AG) to her like a river,^(AH)
    and the wealth^(AI) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried^(AJ) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
¹³As a mother comforts her child,^(AK)
    so will I comfort^(AL) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

¹⁴When you see this, your heart will rejoice^(AM)
    and you will flourish^(AN) like grass;
the hand^(AO) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,^(AP)
    but his fury^(AQ) will be shown to his foes.
¹⁵See, the Lord is coming with fire,^(AR)
    and his chariots^(AS) are like a whirlwind;^(AT)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke^(AU) with flames of fire.
¹⁶For with fire^(AV) and with his sword^(AW)
    the Lord will execute judgment^(AX) on all people,
    and many will be those slain^(AY) by the Lord.

¹⁷“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,^(AZ) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,^(BA) rats^(BB) and other unclean things—they will meet their end^(BC) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸“And I, because of what they have planned and done,^(BD) am about to come^[a] and gather the people of all nations^(BE) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.^(BF)

¹⁹“I will set a sign^(BG) among them, and I will send some of those who survive^(BH) to the nations—to Tarshish,^(BI) to the Libyans^[b] and Lydians^(BJ) (famous as archers), to Tubal^(BK) and Greece,^(BL) and to the distant islands^(BM) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.^(BN) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. ²⁰And they will bring^(BO) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain^(BP) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”^(BQ) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.^(BR) ²¹And I will select some of them also to be priests^(BS) and Levites,” says the Lord.

²²“As the new heavens and the new earth^(BT) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.^(BU) ²³From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath^(BV) to another, all mankind will come and bow down^(BW) before me,” says the Lord. ²⁴“And they will go out and look on the dead bodies^(BX) of those who rebelled^(BY) against me; the worms^(BZ) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,^(CA) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Footnotes

Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul

2 Corinthians 12-13

New International Version

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(A) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(B) from the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ^(C) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(D) to the third heaven.^(E) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^(F) ³And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴was caught up^(G) to paradise^(H) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^(I) ⁶Even if I should choose to boast,^(J) I would not be a fool,^(K) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(L) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(M) a messenger of Satan,^(N) to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^(O) ⁹But he said to me, “My grace^(P) is sufficient for you, for my power^(Q) is made perfect in weakness.^(R)”^(S) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(T) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(U) in persecutions,^(V) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(W)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹I have made a fool of myself,^(X) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a]^(Y) even though I am nothing.^(Z) ¹²I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^(AA) ¹³How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^(AB) Forgive me this wrong!^(AC)

¹⁴Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(AD) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(AE) but parents for their children.^(AF) ¹⁵So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^(AG) If I love you more,^(AH) will you love me less? ¹⁶Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^(AI) Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸I urged^(AJ) Titus^(AK) to go to you and I sent our brother^(AL) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(AM) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(AN) is for your strengthening.^(AO) ²⁰For I am afraid that when I come^(AP) I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^(AQ) I fear that there may be discord,^(AR) jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^(AS) slander,^(AT) gossip,^(AU) arrogance^(AV) and disorder.^(AW) ²¹I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^(AX) over many who have sinned earlier^(AY) and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^(AZ) in which they have indulged.

Final Warnings

13 This will be my third visit to you.^(BA) “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”^[b]^(BB) ²I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent:^(BC) On my return I will not spare^(BD) those who sinned earlier^(BE) or any of the others, ³since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.^(BF) He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. ⁴For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(BG) yet he lives by God’s power.^(BH) Likewise, we are weak^(BI) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him^(BJ) in our dealing with you.

⁵Examine yourselves^(BK) to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.^(BL) Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you^(BM)—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. ⁷Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. ⁸For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. ⁹We are glad whenever we are weak^(BN) but you are strong;^(BO) and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.^(BP) ¹⁰This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh^(BQ) in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.^(BR)

Final Greetings

¹¹Finally, brothers and sisters,^(BS) rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.^(BT) And the God of love^(BU) and peace^(BV) will be with you.

¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss.^(BW) ¹³All God’s people here send their greetings.^(BX)

¹⁴May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,^(BY) and the love of God,^(BZ) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit^(CA) be with you all.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 12:11 Or the most eminent apostles
2 Corinthians 13:1 Deut. 19:15

Psalm 109:1-5

New International Version

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹My God, whom I praise,^(A)
    do not remain silent,^(B)
²for people who are wicked and deceitful^(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.^(D)
³With words of hatred^(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.^(F)
⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.^(G)
⁵They repay me evil for good,^(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

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Proverbs 23:34-35

New International Version

³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
    lying on top of the rigging.
³⁵“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
    They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
    so I can find another drink?”^(A)