Isaiah 56
New American Standard Bible
Rewards for Obedience to God
56 This is what the Lord says:
“(A)Guard justice and do righteousness,
For My (B)salvation is about to come
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 (C)Blessed is a man who does this,
And a son of man who (D)takes hold of it;
Who (E)keeps from profaning the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the (F)foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will certainly separate me from His people.”
Nor let the (G)eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who (H)keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And (I)hold firmly to My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My (J)house and within My (K)walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [a]them an everlasting (L)name which (M)will not be eliminated.
6 “Also the (N)foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, every one who (O)keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it,
And holds firmly to My covenant;
7 Even (P)those I will bring to My (Q)holy mountain,
And (R)make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on (S)My altar;
For (T)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8 The Lord [b]God, who (U)gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“I will yet gather (V)others to [c]them, to those already gathered.”
9 All you [d](W)wild animals,
All you animals in the forest,
Come to eat.
10 His (X)watchmen are (Y)blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs are [e](Z)greedy, they [f]are never satisfied.
And they are shepherds who have (AA)no understanding;
They have all (AB)turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, [g]without exception.
12 “Come,” they say, “[h]let’s get (AC)wine, and let’s drink heavily of intoxicating drink;
And (AD)tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:5 As in DSS; MT him
- Isaiah 56:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 56:8 Lit him
- Isaiah 56:9 Lit animals of the field
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit strong of soul/appetite
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit do not know satisfaction
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit from his end
- Isaiah 56:12 As in DSS and some ancient versions; MT I will
Isaiah 56
New King James Version
Salvation for the Gentiles
56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
(A)For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
(B)Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Do not let (C)the son of the foreigner
Who has joined himself to the Lord
Speak, saying,
“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;
Nor let the (D)eunuch say,
“Here I am, a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5 Even to them I will give in (E)My house
And within My walls a place (F)and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [a]them an everlasting name
That shall not be cut off.
6 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will (G)bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My (H)house of prayer.
(I)Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be (J)accepted on My altar;
For (K)My house shall be called a house of prayer (L)for all nations.”
8 The Lord God, (M)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,
(N)“Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him.”
Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders
9 (O)All you beasts of the field, come to devour,
All you beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are (P)blind,
They are all ignorant;
(Q)They are all dumb dogs,
They cannot bark;
[b]Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yes, they are (R)greedy[c] dogs
Which (S)never[d] have enough.
And they are shepherds
Who cannot understand;
They all look to their own way,
Every one for his own gain,
From his own territory.
12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine,
And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating (T)drink;
(U)Tomorrow will be (V)as today,
And much more abundant.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:5 Lit. him
- Isaiah 56:10 Or Dreaming
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. strong of soul
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit. do not know satisfaction
Isaiah 57
New American Standard Bible
Evil Leaders Rebuked
57 The righteous person perishes, and no one (A)takes it to heart;
And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous person is taken away from (B)evil,
2 He enters into peace;
They rest in their [a]beds,
Each one who (C)walked in his upright way.
3 “But come here, you sons of a (D)sorceress,
(E)Offspring of an adulterer and [b]a (F)prostitute!
4 Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (G)rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,
5 Who inflame yourselves among the (H)oaks,
(I)Under every luxuriant tree,
Who (J)slaughter the children in the [c]ravines,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the [d](K)smooth stones of the [e]ravine
Is your portion, [f]they are your lot;
Even to them you have (L)poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Should I [g](M)relent of these things?
7 On a (N)high and lofty mountain
You have (O)made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your sign;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have (P)uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked at their [h]manhood.
9 You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have (Q)sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to [i]Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘(R)It is hopeless!’
You found [j]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not [k]faint.
11 “Of (S)whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did (T)not remember Me
[l]Nor (U)give Me a thought?
Was I not silent, even for a long time,
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will (V)declare your righteousness and your (W)deeds,
And they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, (X)let your collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all up,
And a breath will take them away.
But the one who (Y)takes refuge in Me will (Z)inherit the land
And (AA)possess My holy mountain.”
14 And it will be said,
“(AB)Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”
15 For this is what the (AC)high and exalted One
Who [m](AD)lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:
“I (AE)dwell in a high and holy place,
And also with the (AF)contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to (AG)revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will (AH)not contend forever,
(AI)Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the (AJ)breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the wrongful act of his (AK)unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on (AL)turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will (AM)heal him;
I will (AN)lead him and (AO)restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
19 Creating the [n](AP)praise of the lips.
(AQ)Peace, peace to him who is (AR)far away and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”
20 But the (AS)wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 “(AT)There is no peace,” says (AU)my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:2 I.e., graves
- Isaiah 57:3 As in ancient versions; MT she prostitutes herself
- Isaiah 57:5 Or wadis
- Isaiah 57:6 I.e., symbols of fertility gods
- Isaiah 57:6 Or wadi
- Isaiah 57:6 Lit they, they
- Isaiah 57:6 Or repent
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand
- Isaiah 57:9 I.e., the netherworld
- Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand
- Isaiah 57:10 Or become sick
- Isaiah 57:11 Lit You did not set it upon your heart
- Isaiah 57:15 Or dwells in eternity
- Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit of the lips
Isaiah 57
New King James Version
Israel’s Futile Idolatry
57 The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
(A)Merciful men are taken away,
(B)While no one considers
That the righteous is taken away from [a]evil.
2 He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in (C)their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness.
3 “But come here,
(D)You sons of the sorceress,
You offspring of the adulterer and the harlot!
4 Whom do you ridicule?
Against whom do you make a wide mouth
And stick out the tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
Offspring of falsehood,
5 Inflaming yourselves with gods (E)under every green tree,
(F)Slaying the children in the valleys,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth (G)stones of the stream
Is your portion;
They, they, are your lot!
Even to them you have poured a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I receive comfort in (H)these?
7 “On(I) a lofty and high mountain
You have set (J)your bed;
Even there you went up
To offer sacrifice.
8 Also behind the doors and their posts
You have set up your remembrance;
For you have uncovered yourself to those other than Me,
And have gone up to them;
You have enlarged your bed
And [b]made a covenant with them;
(K)You have loved their bed,
Where you saw their [c]nudity.
9 (L)You went to the king with ointment,
And increased your perfumes;
You sent your (M)messengers far off,
And even descended to Sheol.
10 You are wearied in the length of your way;
(N)Yet you did not say, ‘There is no hope.’
You have found the life of your hand;
Therefore you were not grieved.
11 “And (O)of whom have you been afraid, or feared,
That you have lied
And not remembered Me,
Nor taken it to your heart?
Is it not because (P)I have [d]held My peace from of old
That you do not fear Me?
12 I will declare your righteousness
And your works,
For they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out,
Let your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A breath will take them.
But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land,
And shall inherit My holy mountain.”
Healing for the Backslider
14 And one shall say,
(Q)“Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, (R)whose name is Holy:
(S)“I dwell in the high and holy place,
(T)With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
(U)To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 (V)For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls (W)which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of (X)his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
(Y)I hid and was angry,
(Z)And he went on [e]backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and (AA)will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to (AB)his mourners.
19 “I create (AC)the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace (AD)to him who is far off and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord,
“And I will heal him.”
20 (AE)But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 “There(AF) is no peace,”
Says my God, “for the wicked.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:1 Lit. the face of evil
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit. cut
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit. hand, a euphemism
- Isaiah 57:11 remained silent
- Isaiah 57:17 Or turning back
Isaiah 58
New American Standard Bible
Observances of Fasts
58 “(A)Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their (B)wrongdoing,
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they (C)seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done (D)righteousness
And (E)has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight (F)in the nearness of God.
3 ‘Why have we (G)fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not [a]notice?’
Behold, on the (H)day of your fast you find your desire,
And oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast for contention and (I)strife, and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you have done today to (J)make your voice heard on high!
5 Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it for bowing [b]one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out (K)sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an (L)acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is this not the fast that I choose:
To (M)release the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the ropes of the yoke,
And to (N)let the oppressed go free,
And (O)break every yoke?
7 Is it not to (P)break your bread [c]with the hungry
And (Q)bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the (R)naked, to cover him;
And not to (S)hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your (T)light will break out like the dawn,
And your (U)recovery will spring up quickly;
And your (V)righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the (W)Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will (X)call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you (Y)remove the yoke from your midst,
The [d](Z)pointing of the finger and (AA)speaking wickedness,
10 And if you (AB)offer yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the [e]need of the afflicted,
Then your (AC)light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the (AD)Lord will continually guide you,
And (AE)satisfy your [f]desire in scorched places,
And (AF)give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a (AG)watered garden,
And like a (AH)spring of water whose waters do not [g]fail.
12 Those from among you will (AI)rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will (AJ)raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the (AK)breach,
The restorer of the [h]streets in which to dwell.
Keeping the Sabbath
13 “If, because of the Sabbath, you (AL)restrain your foot
From doing as you wish on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a (AM)pleasure, and the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your (AN)own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And (AO)speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take (AP)delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride (AQ)on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the (AR)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 58:3 Lit know
- Isaiah 58:5 Lit his
- Isaiah 58:7 Lit for
- Isaiah 58:9 I.e., an abusive gesture
- Isaiah 58:10 Or soul
- Isaiah 58:11 Or soul
- Isaiah 58:11 Or deceive
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit paths
Isaiah 58
New King James Version
Fasting that Pleases God
58 “Cry aloud, [a]spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
(A)Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek Me daily,
And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness,
And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice;
They take delight in approaching God.
3 ‘Why(B) have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we (C)afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
“In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure,
And [b]exploit all your laborers.
4 (D)Indeed you fast for strife and debate,
And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day,
To make your voice heard on high.
5 Is (E)it a fast that I have chosen,
(F)A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush,
And (G)to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast,
And an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To (H)loose the bonds of wickedness,
(I)To undo the [c]heavy burdens,
(J)To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not (K)to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are [d]cast out;
(L)When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from (M)your own flesh?
8 (N)Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
(O)The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The [e]pointing of the finger, and (P)speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your [f]darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
(Q)Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of [g]Streets to Dwell In.
13 “If (R)you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 (S)Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to (T)ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
(U)The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 58:1 do not hold back
- Isaiah 58:3 Lit. drive hard
- Isaiah 58:6 Lit. bonds of the yoke
- Isaiah 58:7 wandering
- Isaiah 58:9 Lit. sending out of
- Isaiah 58:10 Or gloom
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit. Paths
Isaiah 59
New American Standard Bible
Separation from God
59 Behold, (A)the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
(B)Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
2 But your (C)wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His [a]face from you so that He does (D)not hear.
3 For your (E)hands are defiled with blood,
And your fingers with wrongdoing;
Your lips have spoken (F)deceit,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 (G)No one sues righteously and (H)no one pleads [b]honestly.
They (I)trust in confusion and speak lies;
They (J)conceive trouble and give birth to disaster.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and (K)weave the spider’s web;
The one who eats of their eggs dies,
And from what is crushed, a snake breaks out.
6 Their webs will not become clothing,
Nor will they (L)cover themselves with their works;
Their (M)works are works of wrongdoing,
And an (N)act of violence is in their [c]hands.
7 (O)Their feet run to evil,
And they hurry to shed innocent blood;
(P)Their thoughts are thoughts of wrongdoing,
Devastation and destruction are in their paths.
8 They do not know the (Q)way of peace,
And there is (R)no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
(S)Whoever walks on [d]them does not know peace.
A Confession of Wickedness
9 Therefore (T)justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not reach us;
We (U)hope for light, but there is darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We (V)grope for the wall like people who are blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We (W)stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are (X)like the dead.
11 All of us growl like bears,
And (Y)moan sadly like doves;
We hope for (Z)justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (AA)wrongful acts have multiplied before You,
And our (AB)sins have testified against us;
For our wrongful acts are with us,
And [e]we know our wrongdoings:
13 [f]Offending and (AC)denying the Lord,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking (AD)oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and (AE)uttering lying words from the heart.
14 (AF)Justice is turned back,
And (AG)righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
And one who turns aside from evil (AH)makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was [g]displeasing in His sight (AI)that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was (AJ)no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His (AK)own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on (AL)righteousness like a breastplate,
And a (AM)helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on (AN)garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with (AO)zeal as a cloak.
18 (AP)According to their deeds, [h]so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, [i]retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [j]deal [k]retribution.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the (AQ)west
And His glory from the (AR)rising of the sun,
For He will (AS)come like a [l]rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A (AT)Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob who (AU)turn from wrongdoing,” declares the Lord.
21 “As for Me, this is My (AV)covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My (AW)Spirit who is upon you, and My (AX)words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your [m]offspring, nor from the mouth of your [n]offspring’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:2 As in ancient versions; MT faces
- Isaiah 59:4 Lit in truth
- Isaiah 59:6 Lit palms
- Isaiah 59:8 Lit it
- Isaiah 59:12 Lit our wrongdoings we know them
- Isaiah 59:13 Or Revolting against and
- Isaiah 59:15 Or evil
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit accordingly
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit requital
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit repay
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit requital
- Isaiah 59:19 Lit narrow
- Isaiah 59:21 Lit seed
- Isaiah 59:21 Lit seed
Isaiah 59
New King James Version
Separated from God
59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not (A)shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will (B)not hear.
3 For (C)your hands are defiled with [a]blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in (D)empty words and speak lies;
(E)They conceive [b]evil and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6 (F)Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7 (G)Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed (H)innocent blood;
(I)Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and (J)destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of (K)peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
(L)They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.
Sin Confessed
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
(M)We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
10 (N)We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
11 We all growl like bears,
And (O)moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (P)transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering (Q)from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a (R)prey.
The Redeemer of Zion
Then the Lord saw it, and [c]it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
16 (S)He saw that there was no man,
And (T)wondered that there was no intercessor;
(U)Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 (V)For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 (W)According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 (X)So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in (Y)like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
20 “The(Z) Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.
21 “As(AA) for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:3 bloodshed
- Isaiah 59:4 trouble
- Isaiah 59:15 Lit. it was evil in His eyes
1 Corinthians 16
New American Standard Bible
Instructions and Greetings
16 Now concerning (A)the collection for [a](B)the saints, as (C)I directed the churches of (D)Galatia, so you are to do as well. 2 On (E)the first day of every week, each of you is to [b]put aside and save as he may prosper, so that (F)no collections need to be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, (G)whomever you approve, I will send them with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.
5 But I (H)will come to you after I go through (I)Macedonia; for I (J)am going through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may (K)send me on my way wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now (L)just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, (M)if the Lord permits. 8 But I will remain in (N)Ephesus until (O)Pentecost; 9 for a (P)wide door [c]for effective service has opened to me, and (Q)there are many adversaries.
10 Now if (R)Timothy comes, see that he [d]has no reason to be afraid while among you, for he is doing (S)the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 (T)So do not look down on him, anyone. But (U)send him on his way (V)in peace, so that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.
12 Now concerning our brother (W)Apollos, I strongly encouraged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now, but he will come when he has the opportunity.
13 (X)Be on the alert, (Y)stand firm in the faith, (Z)act like men, (AA)be strong. 14 All that you do must be done (AB)in love.
15 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters: you know the (AC)household of Stephanas, that [e]they are the (AD)first fruits of (AE)Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to (AF)ministry to (AG)the [f]saints; 16 I urge that (AH)you also be subject to such as these and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. 17 I rejoice over the [g](AI)coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, because they have [h]supplied (AJ)what was lacking on your part. 18 For they (AK)have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore (AL)acknowledge such men.
19 The churches of [i](AM)Asia greet you. (AN)Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with (AO)the church that is in their house. 20 All the brothers and sisters greet you. (AP)Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 The greeting is in (AQ)my own hand—that of Paul. 22 If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be [j](AR)accursed. [k](AS)Maranatha! 23 (AT)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 16:1 I.e., the Christians in Jerusalem
- 1 Corinthians 16:2 Lit put with himself
- 1 Corinthians 16:9 Lit and effective
- 1 Corinthians 16:10 Lit is with you without reason to fear
- 1 Corinthians 16:15 Lit it is
- 1 Corinthians 16:15 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- 1 Corinthians 16:17 Or presence
- 1 Corinthians 16:17 Or made up for your absence
- 1 Corinthians 16:19 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 Gr anathema
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 Aramaic [Our] Lord, come!
1 Corinthians 16
New King James Version
Collection for the Saints
16 Now concerning (A)the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 (B)On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 3 And when I come, (C)whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. 4 (D)But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.
Personal Plans(E)
5 Now I will come to you (F)when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia). 6 And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may (G)send me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, (H)if the Lord permits.
8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until (I)Pentecost. 9 For (J)a great and effective door has opened to me, and (K)there are many adversaries.
10 And (L)if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for (M)he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. 11 (N)Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey (O)in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.
12 Now concerning our brother (P)Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time.
Final Exhortations
13 (Q)Watch, (R)stand fast in the faith, be brave, (S)be strong. 14 (T)Let all that you do be done with love.
15 I urge you, brethren—you know (U)the household of Stephanas, that it is (V)the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to (W)the ministry of the saints— 16 (X)that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and (Y)labors with us.
17 I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, (Z)for what was lacking on your part they supplied. 18 (AA)For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore (AB)acknowledge such men.
Greetings and a Solemn Farewell
19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, (AC)with the church that is in their house. 20 All the brethren greet you.
(AD)Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 (AE)The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s.
22 If anyone (AF)does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, (AG)let him be [a]accursed. (AH)O[b] Lord, come!
23 (AI)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 Gr. anathema
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 Aram. Marana tha; possibly Maran atha, Our Lord has come
Psalm 70
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Help against Persecutors.
For the music director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.
70 (A)God, hurry to save me;
Lord, hurry to help me!
2 (B)May those who seek my [a]life
Be put to shame and humiliated;
May those who delight [b]in my harm
Be turned back and dishonored.
3 (C)May those who say, “Aha, aha!” be [c]turned back
Because of their shame.
4 May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And may those who love Your salvation say continually,
“May God be exalted!”
5 But (D)I am afflicted and needy;
(E)Hurry to me, God!
You are my help and my savior;
Lord, do not delay.
Footnotes
- Psalm 70:2 Or soul
- Psalm 70:2 Or to injure me
- Psalm 70:3 Some mss appalled
Psalm 70
New King James Version
Prayer for Relief from Adversaries(A)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. (B)To bring to remembrance.
70 Make haste, (C)O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!
2 (D)Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be [a]turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
3 (E)Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, [b]“Aha, aha!”
4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”
5 (F)But I am poor and needy;
(G)Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
Footnotes
- Psalm 70:2 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. appalled (cf. 40:15)
- Psalm 70:3 An expression of scorn
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
