Salvation for Others

56 This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice(A)
    and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
    and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant(K)
to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
    a memorial(M) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
    that will endure forever.(O)
And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.(V)(W)
The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
    come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
    they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
    they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
    they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
    they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
    they all turn to their own way,(AE)
    they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
    Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
    or even far better.”(AH)

57 The righteous perish,(AI)
    and no one takes it to heart;(AJ)
the devout are taken away,
    and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
    to be spared from evil.(AK)
Those who walk uprightly(AL)
    enter into peace;
    they find rest(AM) as they lie in death.

“But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(AN)
    you offspring of adulterers(AO) and prostitutes!(AP)
Who are you mocking?
    At whom do you sneer
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(AQ)
    the offspring of liars?
You burn with lust among the oaks(AR)
    and under every spreading tree;(AS)
you sacrifice your children(AT) in the ravines
    and under the overhanging crags.
The idols(AU) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
    indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(AV)
    and offered grain offerings.
    In view of all this, should I relent?(AW)
You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(AX)
    there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(AY)
Behind your doors and your doorposts
    you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
    you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(AZ)
    and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(BA)
You went to Molek[a](BB) with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes.(BC)
You sent your ambassadors[b](BD) far away;
    you descended to the very realm of the dead!(BE)
10 You wearied(BF) yourself by such going about,
    but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(BG)
You found renewal of your strength,(BH)
    and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(BI)
    that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(BJ) me
    nor taken this to heart?(BK)
Is it not because I have long been silent(BL)
    that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(BM)
    and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(BN) for help,
    let your collection of idols save(BO) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
    a mere breath will blow(BP) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(BQ) in me
    will inherit the land(BR)
    and possess my holy mountain.”(BS)

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(BT)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(BU)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(BV) One says—
    he who lives forever,(BW) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(BX) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite(BY) and lowly in spirit,(BZ)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.(CA)
16 I will not accuse(CB) them forever,
    nor will I always be angry,(CC)
for then they would faint away because of me—
    the very people(CD) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(CE)
    I punished them, and hid(CF) my face in anger,
    yet they kept on in their willful ways.(CG)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(CH) them;
    I will guide(CI) them and restore comfort(CJ) to Israel’s mourners,
19     creating praise on their lips.(CK)
Peace, peace,(CL) to those far and near,”(CM)
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(CN) are like the tossing sea,(CO)
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire(CP) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(CQ) says my God, “for the wicked.”(CR)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
  2. Isaiah 57:9 Or idols

The Collection for the Lord’s People

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian(A) churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.(B) For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing(D) in this service(E) to the Lord’s people.(F) And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged(G) Titus,(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion(I) this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,(K) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you,(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.(P)

10 And here is my judgment(Q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.(R) 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,(T) not according to what one does not have.

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[b](V)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 8:7 Some manuscripts and in your love for us
  2. 2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18

22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings(A)
    and tell of his works(B) with songs of joy.(C)

23 Some went out on the sea(D) in ships;(E)
    they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the Lord,(F)
    his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke(G) and stirred up a tempest(H)
    that lifted high the waves.(I)
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
    in their peril(J) their courage melted(K) away.
27 They reeled(L) and staggered like drunkards;
    they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried(M) out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress.(N)

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)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.(B)

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends