For God, who said, “(A)Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has (B)shone in our hearts to give the (C)Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in [a](D)earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of (E)the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are (F)afflicted in every way, but not (G)crushed; (H)perplexed, but not despairing; (I)persecuted, but not (J)abandoned; (K)struck down, but not destroyed;

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:7 Or earthenware containers

in whose case (A)the god of (B)this [a]world has (C)blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that [b]they will not see the (D)light of the gospel of the (E)glory of Christ, who is the (F)image of God.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Lit age
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:4 Or the light...image of God, will not shine upon them

(A)In the beginning was (B)the Word, and the Word was (C)with God, and (D)the Word was God. [a]He was in the beginning with God. (E)All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him [b]not even one thing came into being that has come into being. (F)In Him was life, and the life was (G)the Light of mankind.

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:2 Lit This one
  2. John 1:3 One early ms nothing came into

The Word Made Flesh

14 And (A)the Word (B)became flesh, and (C)dwelt among us; and (D)we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of (E)grace and (F)truth.

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17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is (A)from above, coming down from (B)the Father of lights, (C)with whom there is no variation or [a]shifting shadow.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:17 Lit shadow of turning

God Uses Cyrus

45 This is what the Lord says to (A)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (B)hand,
To (C)subdue nations before him
And [a]to (D)undo the weapons belt on the waist of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
“I will go before you and (E)make the [b]rough places smooth;
I will (F)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (G)bars.
I will give you the [c](H)treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The Lord, the God of Israel, who (I)calls you by your name.
For the sake of (J)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (K)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (L)not known Me.
I am the Lord, and (M)there is no one else;
(N)There is no God except Me.
I will (O)[d]arm you, though you have not known Me,
So that (P)people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (Q)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no one else,
The One (R)forming light and (S)creating darkness,
Causing [e]well-being and (T)creating disaster;
I am the Lord who does all these things.

God’s Supreme Power

(U)Drip down, heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (V)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(W)And righteousness sprout with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to the one who (X)quarrels with [f]his Maker—
A piece of pottery [g]among the other earthenware pottery pieces!
Will the (Y)clay say to the [h]potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you fathering?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you [i]giving birth?’”

11 This is what the (Z)Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and [j]his (AA)Maker:

[k](AB)Ask Me about the things to come [l]concerning My (AC)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (AD)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (AE)made the earth, and created mankind upon it.
I (AF)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I [m]ordained (AG)all their [n]lights.
13 I have stirred him in (AH)righteousness,
And I will (AI)make all his ways smooth.
He will (AJ)build My city and let My exiles go (AK)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of armies.

14 This is what the Lord says:

“The [o]products of (AL)Egypt and the merchandise of [p](AM)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (AN)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (AO)chains
And will (AP)bow down to you;
They will plead with you:
[q](AQ)God certainly is [r]with you, and (AR)there is no one else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (AS)hides Himself,
God of Israel, (AT)Savior!
16 They will be (AU)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (AV)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (AW)everlasting salvation;
You (AX)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.

18 For this is what the Lord says, He who (AY)created the heavens (He is the God who (AZ)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [s]as a (BA)waste place, but formed it to be (BB)inhabited):

“I am the Lord, and (BC)there is no one else.
19 (BD)I have not spoken in secret,
In [t]some dark land;
I did not say to the [u](BE)offspring of Jacob,
(BF)Seek Me in [v]a wasteland’;
I, the Lord, (BG)speak righteousness,
(BH)Declaring things that are right.

20 (BI)Gather yourselves and come;
Come together, you survivors of the nations!
(BJ)They have no knowledge,
Who (BK)carry around [w]their wooden idol
And (BL)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (BM)Declare and present your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(BN)Who has announced this long ago?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (BO)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (BP)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (BQ)Turn to Me and (BR)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (BS)I have sworn by Myself;
The (BT)word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (BU)every knee will bow, every tongue will (BV)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (BW)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
People will come to Him,
And (BX)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (BY)justified and will (BZ)boast.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
  2. Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
  3. Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
  4. Isaiah 45:5 Or embrace
  5. Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
  6. Isaiah 45:9 Lit He who formed him
  7. Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
  8. Isaiah 45:9 Lit he who formed him
  9. Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
  10. Isaiah 45:11 Lit He who formed him
  11. Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
  12. Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
  13. Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
  14. Isaiah 45:12 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  15. Isaiah 45:14 Lit labor
  16. Isaiah 45:14 Or Ethiopia
  17. Isaiah 45:14 Or God is with you alone
  18. Isaiah 45:14 Or in
  19. Isaiah 45:18 LXX in vain
  20. Isaiah 45:19 Lit a place of a land of darkness
  21. Isaiah 45:19 Lit seed
  22. Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
  23. Isaiah 45:20 Lit the wood of their carved image

19 (A)By your endurance you will gain your [a]lives.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 21:19 Lit souls

and (A)perseverance, (B)proven character; and proven character, hope;

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12 (A)Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [a]been approved, he will receive (B)the crown of life which the Lord (C)has promised to those who (D)love Him.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:12 Or passed the test

knowing that (A)the testing of your (B)faith produces [a](C)endurance. And let [b](D)endurance have its perfect [c]result, so that you may be [d](E)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

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Footnotes

  1. James 1:3 Or steadfastness
  2. James 1:4 Or steadfastness
  3. James 1:4 Lit work
  4. James 1:4 Or mature

13 But having the same (A)spirit of faith, according to what is written: “(B)I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,

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for His (A)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true (B)knowledge of Him who (C)called us [a]by His own glory and [b]excellence.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:3 Or to
  2. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue

20 For (A)as many as the promises of God are, (B)in Him they are yes; therefore through Him also is (C)our Amen to the glory of God through us.

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38 For I am convinced that neither (A)death, nor life, nor (B)angels, nor principalities, nor (C)things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from (D)the love of God that is (E)in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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