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Isaiah 20-22
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Isaiah 20-22
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Isaiah Dramatizes the Conquest of Egypt and Ethiopia
20 In the year that the commander-in-chief, who was sent by King Sargon of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and took it— 2 at that time the Lord had spoken to Isaiah son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take your sandals off your feet,” and he had done so, walking naked and barefoot. 3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,[a] 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as captives and the Ethiopians[b] as exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 5 And they shall be dismayed and confounded because of Ethiopia[c] their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 In that day the inhabitants of this coastland will say, ‘See, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?’”
Oracles concerning Babylon, Edom, and Arabia
21 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.
As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,
it comes from the desert,
from a terrible land.
2 A stern vision is told to me;
the betrayer betrays,
and the destroyer destroys.
Go up, O Elam,
lay siege, O Media;
all the sighing she has caused
I bring to an end.
3 Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;
pangs have seized me,
like the pangs of a woman in labor;
I am bowed down so that I cannot hear,
I am dismayed so that I cannot see.
4 My mind reels, horror has appalled me;
the twilight I longed for
has been turned for me into trembling.
5 They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink.
Rise up, commanders,
oil the shield!
6 For thus the Lord said to me:
“Go, post a lookout,
let him announce what he sees.
7 When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,
riders on donkeys, riders on camels,
let him listen diligently,
very diligently.”
8 Then the watcher[d] called out:
“Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,
continually by day,
and at my post I am stationed
throughout the night.
9 Look, there they come, riders,
horsemen in pairs!”
Then he responded,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon;
and all the images of her gods
lie shattered on the ground.”
10 O my threshed and winnowed one,
what I have heard from the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, I announce to you.
11 The oracle concerning Dumah.
One is calling to me from Seir,
“Sentinel, what of the night?
Sentinel, what of the night?”
12 The sentinel says:
“Morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
come back again.”
13 The oracle concerning the desert plain.
In the scrub of the desert plain you will lodge,
O caravans of Dedanites.
14 Bring water to the thirsty,
meet the fugitive with bread,
O inhabitants of the land of Tema.
15 For they have fled from the swords,
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow,
and from the stress of battle.
16 For thus the Lord said to me: Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end; 17 and the remaining bows of Kedar’s warriors will be few; for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.
A Warning of Destruction of Jerusalem
22 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What do you mean that you have gone up,
all of you, to the housetops,
2 you that are full of shoutings,
tumultuous city, exultant town?
Your slain are not slain by the sword,
nor are they dead in battle.
3 Your rulers have all fled together;
they were captured without the use of a bow.[e]
All of you who were found were captured,
though they had fled far away.[f]
4 Therefore I said:
Look away from me,
let me weep bitter tears;
do not try to comfort me
for the destruction of my beloved people.
5 For the Lord God of hosts has a day
of tumult and trampling and confusion
in the valley of vision,
a battering down of walls
and a cry for help to the mountains.
6 Elam bore the quiver
with chariots and cavalry,[g]
and Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
and the cavalry took their stand at the gates.
8 He has taken away the covering of Judah.
On that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, 9 and you saw that there were many breaches in the city of David, and you collected the waters of the lower pool. 10 You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or have regard for him who planned it long ago.
12 In that day the Lord God of hosts
called to weeping and mourning,
to baldness and putting on sackcloth;
13 but instead there was joy and festivity,
killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,
eating meat and drinking wine.
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
14 The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:
Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,
says the Lord God of hosts.
Denunciation of Self-Seeking Officials
15 Thus says the Lord God of hosts: Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is master of the household, and say to him: 16 What right do you have here? Who are your relatives here, that you have cut out a tomb here for yourself, cutting a tomb on the height, and carving a habitation for yourself in the rock? 17 The Lord is about to hurl you away violently, my fellow. He will seize firm hold on you, 18 whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there your splendid chariots shall lie, O you disgrace to your master’s house! 19 I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.
20 On that day I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah, 21 and will clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole weight of his ancestral house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will perish, for the Lord has spoken.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 Or Nubia; Heb Cush
- Isaiah 20:4 Or Nubians; Heb Cushites
- Isaiah 20:5 Or Nubia; Heb Cush
- Isaiah 21:8 Q Ms: MT a lion
- Isaiah 22:3 Or without their bows
- Isaiah 22:3 Gk Syr Vg: Heb fled from far away
- Isaiah 22:6 Meaning of Heb uncertain
Isaiah 20-22
New International Version
Isaiah 20-22
New International Version
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush
20 In the year that the supreme commander,(A) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(B) and attacked and captured it— 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(C) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(D) from your body and the sandals(E) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(F) and barefoot.(G)
3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(H) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(I) as a sign(J) and portent(K) against Egypt(L) and Cush,[a](M) 4 so the king(N) of Assyria will lead away stripped(O) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(P) and Cushite(Q) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(R)—to Egypt’s shame.(S) 5 Those who trusted(T) in Cush(U) and boasted in Egypt(V) will be dismayed and put to shame.(W) 6 In that day(X) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(Y) to those we relied on,(Z) those we fled to for help(AA) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(AB)’”
A Prophecy Against Babylon
21 A prophecy(AC) against the Desert(AD) by the Sea:
Like whirlwinds(AE) sweeping through the southland,(AF)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
2 A dire(AG) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(AH) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(AI) attack! Media,(AJ) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.
3 At this my body is racked with pain,(AK)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(AL)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(AM) by what I see.
4 My heart(AN) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(AO)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(AP) to me.
5 They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(AQ)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(AR)
6 This is what the Lord says to me:
“Go, post a lookout(AS)
and have him report what he sees.
7 When he sees chariots(AT)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(AU)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”
8 And the lookout[b](AV) shouted,
“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
9 Look, here comes a man in a chariot(AW)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(AX) has fallen,(AY) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(AZ)
lie shattered(BA) on the ground!’”
10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(BB)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.
A Prophecy Against Edom
11 A prophecy against Dumah[c]:(BC)
Someone calls to me from Seir,(BD)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”
A Prophecy Against Arabia
13 A prophecy(BE) against Arabia:(BF)
You caravans of Dedanites,(BG)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(BH)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(BI) from the sword,(BJ)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.
16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(BK) would count it, all the splendor(BL) of Kedar(BM) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(BN)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(BO)
A Prophecy About Jerusalem
22 A prophecy(BP) against the Valley(BQ) of Vision:(BR)
What troubles you now,
that you have all gone up on the roofs,(BS)
2 you town so full of commotion,
you city of tumult(BT) and revelry?(BU)
Your slain(BV) were not killed by the sword,(BW)
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled(BX) together;
they have been captured(BY) without using the bow.
All you who were caught were taken prisoner together,
having fled while the enemy was still far away.
4 Therefore I said, “Turn away from me;
let me weep(BZ) bitterly.
Do not try to console me
over the destruction of my people.”(CA)
5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty, has a day(CB)
of tumult and trampling(CC) and terror(CD)
in the Valley of Vision,(CE)
a day of battering down walls(CF)
and of crying out to the mountains.
6 Elam(CG) takes up the quiver,(CH)
with her charioteers and horses;
Kir(CI) uncovers the shield.
7 Your choicest valleys(CJ) are full of chariots,
and horsemen are posted at the city gates.(CK)
8 The Lord stripped away the defenses of Judah,
and you looked in that day(CL)
to the weapons(CM) in the Palace of the Forest.(CN)
9 You saw that the walls of the City of David
were broken through(CO) in many places;
you stored up water
in the Lower Pool.(CP)
10 You counted the buildings in Jerusalem
and tore down houses(CQ) to strengthen the wall.(CR)
11 You built a reservoir between the two walls(CS)
for the water of the Old Pool,(CT)
but you did not look to the One who made it,
or have regard(CU) for the One who planned(CV) it long ago.
12 The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
called you on that day(CW)
to weep(CX) and to wail,
to tear out your hair(CY) and put on sackcloth.(CZ)
13 But see, there is joy and revelry,(DA)
slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine!(DB)
“Let us eat and drink,” you say,
“for tomorrow we die!”(DC)
14 The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing:(DD) “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned(DE) for,” says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
15 This is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“Go, say to this steward,
to Shebna(DF) the palace(DG) administrator:(DH)
16 What are you doing here and who gave you permission
to cut out a grave(DI) for yourself(DJ) here,
hewing your grave on the height
and chiseling your resting place in the rock?
17 “Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you
and hurl(DK) you away, you mighty man.
18 He will roll you up tightly like a ball
and throw(DL) you into a large country.
There you will die
and there the chariots(DM) you were so proud of
will become a disgrace to your master’s house.
19 I will depose you from your office,
and you will be ousted(DN) from your position.(DO)
20 “In that day(DP) I will summon my servant,(DQ) Eliakim(DR) son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash(DS) around him and hand your authority(DT) over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder(DU) the key(DV) to the house of David;(DW) what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.(DX) 23 I will drive him like a peg(DY) into a firm place;(DZ) he will become a seat[d] of honor(EA) for the house of his father. 24 All the glory of his family will hang on him: its offspring and offshoots—all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to all the jars.
25 “In that day,(EB)” declares the Lord Almighty, “the peg(EC) driven into the firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and will fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut down.” The Lord has spoken.(ED)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
- Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
- Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.
- Isaiah 22:23 Or throne
Wisdom 17:1-10
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Wisdom 17:1-10
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Terror Strikes the Egyptians at Night
17 Great are your judgments and hard to describe;
therefore uninstructed souls have gone astray.
2 For when lawless people supposed that they held the holy nation in their power,
they themselves lay as captives of darkness and prisoners of long night,
shut in under their roofs, exiles from eternal providence.
3 For thinking that in their secret sins they were unobserved
behind a dark curtain of forgetfulness,
they were scattered, terribly[a] alarmed,
and appalled by specters.
4 For not even the inner chamber that held them protected them from fear,
but terrifying sounds rang out around them,
and dismal phantoms with gloomy faces appeared.
5 And no power of fire was able to give light,
nor did the brilliant flames of the stars
avail to illumine that hateful night.
6 Nothing was shining through to them
except a dreadful, self-kindled fire,
and in terror they deemed the things that they saw
to be worse than that unseen appearance.
7 The delusions of their magic art lay humbled,
and their boasted wisdom was scornfully rebuked.
8 For those who promised to drive off the fears and disorders of a sick soul
were sick themselves with ridiculous fear.
9 For even if nothing disturbing frightened them,
yet, scared by the passing of wild animals and the hissing of snakes
10 they perished in trembling fear,
refusing to look even at the air, though it nowhere could be avoided.
Footnotes
- Wisdom 17:3 Other ancient authorities read unobserved, they were darkened behind a dark curtain of forgetfulness, terribly
1 Peter 1
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Peter 1
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Salutation
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance.
A Living Hope
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice,[a] even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen[b] him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look!
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action;[c] discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth[d] so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply[e] from the heart.[f] 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.[g] 24 For
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
That word is the good news that was announced to you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 1:6 Or Rejoice in this
- 1 Peter 1:8 Other ancient authorities read known
- 1 Peter 1:13 Gk gird up the loins of your mind
- 1 Peter 1:22 Other ancient authorities add through the Spirit
- 1 Peter 1:22 Or constantly
- 1 Peter 1:22 Other ancient authorities read a pure heart
- 1 Peter 1:23 Or through the word of the living and enduring God
1 Peter 1
New International Version
1 Peter 1
New International Version
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,(A)
To God’s elect,(B) exiles(C) scattered(D) throughout the provinces of Pontus,(E) Galatia,(F) Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,(G) 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge(H) of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,(I) to be obedient(J) to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:(K)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.(L)
Praise to God for a Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!(M) In his great mercy(N) he has given us new birth(O) into a living hope(P) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(Q) 4 and into an inheritance(R) that can never perish, spoil or fade.(S) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,(T) 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power(U) until the coming of the salvation(V) that is ready to be revealed(W) in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice,(X) though now for a little while(Y) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.(Z) 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness(AA) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire(AB)—may result in praise, glory and honor(AC) when Jesus Christ is revealed.(AD) 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(AE) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.(AF)
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke(AG) of the grace that was to come to you,(AH) searched intently and with the greatest care,(AI) 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ(AJ) in them was pointing when he predicted(AK) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(AL) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(AM) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(AN) Even angels long to look into these things.
Be Holy
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober,(AO) set your hope(AP) on the grace to be brought to you(AQ) when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.(AR) 14 As obedient(AS) children, do not conform(AT) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(AU) 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;(AV) 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a](AW)
17 Since you call on a Father(AX) who judges each person’s work(AY) impartially,(AZ) live out your time as foreigners(BA) here in reverent fear.(BB) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed(BC) from the empty way of life(BD) handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood(BE) of Christ, a lamb(BF) without blemish or defect.(BG) 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,(BH) but was revealed in these last times(BI) for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God,(BJ) who raised him from the dead(BK) and glorified him,(BL) and so your faith and hope(BM) are in God.
22 Now that you have purified(BN) yourselves by obeying(BO) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,(BP) from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again,(BQ) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,(BR) through the living and enduring word of God.(BS) 24 For,
“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”[c](BT)
And this is the word that was preached to you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
- 1 Peter 1:22 Some early manuscripts from a pure heart
- 1 Peter 1:25 Isaiah 40:6-8 (see Septuagint)
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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