Isaiah 34-35

New International Version

Judgment Against the Nations

34 Come near, you nations, and listen;^(A)
    pay attention, you peoples!^(B)
Let the earth^(C) hear, and all that is in it,
    the world, and all that comes out of it!^(D)
²The Lord is angry with all nations;
    his wrath^(E) is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy^[a]^(F) them,
    he will give them over to slaughter.^(G)
³Their slain^(H) will be thrown out,
    their dead bodies^(I) will stink;^(J)
    the mountains will be soaked with their blood.^(K)
⁴All the stars in the sky will be dissolved^(L)
    and the heavens rolled up^(M) like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall^(N)
    like withered^(O) leaves from the vine,
    like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

⁵My sword^(P) has drunk its fill in the heavens;
    see, it descends in judgment on Edom,^(Q)
    the people I have totally destroyed.^(R)
⁶The sword^(S) of the Lord is bathed in blood,
    it is covered with fat—
the blood of lambs and goats,
    fat from the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice^(T) in Bozrah^(U)
    and a great slaughter^(V) in the land of Edom.
⁷And the wild oxen^(W) will fall with them,
    the bull calves and the great bulls.^(X)
Their land will be drenched with blood,^(Y)
    and the dust will be soaked with fat.

⁸For the Lord has a day^(Z) of vengeance,^(AA)
    a year of retribution,^(AB) to uphold Zion’s cause.
⁹Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch,
    her dust into burning sulfur;^(AC)
    her land will become blazing pitch!
¹⁰It will not be quenched^(AD) night or day;
    its smoke will rise forever.^(AE)
From generation to generation^(AF) it will lie desolate;^(AG)
    no one will ever pass through it again.
¹¹The desert owl^[b]^(AH) and screech owl^[c] will possess it;
    the great owl^[d] and the raven^(AI) will nest there.
God will stretch out over Edom^(AJ)
    the measuring line of chaos^(AK)
    and the plumb line^(AL) of desolation.
¹²Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom,
    all her princes^(AM) will vanish^(AN) away.
¹³Thorns^(AO) will overrun her citadels,
    nettles and brambles her strongholds.^(AP)
She will become a haunt for jackals,^(AQ)
    a home for owls.^(AR)
¹⁴Desert creatures^(AS) will meet with hyenas,^(AT)
    and wild goats will bleat to each other;
there the night creatures^(AU) will also lie down
    and find for themselves places of rest.
¹⁵The owl will nest there and lay eggs,
    she will hatch them, and care for her young
    under the shadow of her wings;^(AV)
there also the falcons^(AW) will gather,
    each with its mate.

¹⁶Look in the scroll^(AX) of the Lord and read:

None of these will be missing,^(AY)
    not one will lack her mate.
For it is his mouth^(AZ) that has given the order,^(BA)
    and his Spirit will gather them together.
¹⁷He allots their portions;^(BB)
    his hand distributes them by measure.
They will possess it forever
    and dwell there from generation to generation.^(BC)

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert^(BD) and the parched land will be glad;
    the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.^(BE)
Like the crocus,^(BF) ²it will burst into bloom;
    it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.^(BG)
The glory of Lebanon^(BH) will be given to it,
    the splendor of Carmel^(BI) and Sharon;^(BJ)
they will see the glory^(BK) of the Lord,
    the splendor of our God.^(BL)

³Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees^(BM) that give way;
⁴say^(BN) to those with fearful hearts,^(BO)
    “Be strong, do not fear;^(BP)
your God will come,^(BQ)
    he will come with vengeance;^(BR)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save^(BS) you.”

⁵Then will the eyes of the blind be opened^(BT)
    and the ears of the deaf^(BU) unstopped.
⁶Then will the lame^(BV) leap like a deer,^(BW)
    and the mute tongue^(BX) shout for joy.^(BY)
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams^(BZ) in the desert.
⁷The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground^(CA) bubbling springs.^(CB)
In the haunts where jackals^(CC) once lay,
    grass and reeds^(CD) and papyrus will grow.

⁸And a highway^(CE) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;^(CF)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean^(CG) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
⁹No lion^(CH) will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;^(CI)
    they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed^(CJ) will walk there,
¹⁰    and those the Lord has rescued^(CK) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;^(CL)
    everlasting joy^(CM) will crown their heads.
Gladness^(CN) and joy will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(CO)

Footnotes

Isaiah 34:2 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verse 5.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.
Isaiah 34:11 The precise identification of these birds is uncertain.

Ephesians 2

New International Version

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^(A) ²in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^(E) ³All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a]^(G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^(J) ⁶And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^(T) ¹⁰For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹Therefore, remember that formerly^(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(Y)— ¹²remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(Z) to the covenants of the promise,^(AA) without hope^(AB) and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(AC) were far away have been brought near^(AD) by the blood of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴For he himself is our peace,^(AF) who has made the two groups one^(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵by setting aside in his flesh^(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.^(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one^(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(AK) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷He came and preached peace^(AL) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^(AM) ¹⁸For through him we both have access^(AN) to the Father^(AO) by one Spirit.^(AP)

¹⁹Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(AQ) but fellow citizens^(AR) with God’s people and also members of his household,^(AS) ²⁰built^(AT) on the foundation^(AU) of the apostles and prophets,^(AV) with Christ Jesus himself^(AW) as the chief cornerstone.^(AX) ²¹In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AY) in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AZ)

Footnotes

Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.