Isaiah 63:7-16
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
God’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.(A)
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not act deceitfully,”
and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.(B)
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
he himself fought against them.(C)
11 Then they[a] remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.[b]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
his holy spirit,(D)
12 who caused his glorious arm
to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,(E)
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.(F)
14 Like cattle that go down into the valley,
the spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.(G)
A Prayer of Penitence
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and glorious habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
Your great pity and your compassion are withheld from me.(H)
16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.(I)
Amos 9:5-15
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
5 The Lord, God of hosts,
he who touches the earth and it melts,
and all who live in it mourn,
and all of it rises like the Nile
and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt,(A)
6 who builds his upper chambers in the heavens
and founds his vault upon the earth,
who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out upon the surface of the earth—
the Lord is his name.(B)
7 Are you not like the Cushites to me,
O people of Israel? says the Lord.
Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt
and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?(C)
8 The eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom,
and I will destroy it from the face of the earth
—except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,
says the Lord.(D)
9 For I will command
and shake the house of Israel among all the nations,
as one shakes with a sieve
but no pebble shall fall to the ground.(E)
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword,
who say, “Evil shall not overtake or meet us.”(F)
The Restoration of David’s Kingdom
11 On that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen
and repair its[a] breaches
and raise up its[b] ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old,(G)
12 in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,
says the Lord who does this.(H)
13 The time is surely coming, says the Lord,
when the one who plows shall catch up with the one who reaps
and the treader of grapes with the one who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.(I)
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.(J)
15 I will plant them upon their land,
and they shall never again be plucked up
out of the land that I have given them,
says the Lord your God.(K)
Ephesians 6:10-24
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; 11 put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, 12 for our[a] struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present[b] darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.[c](A) 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.(B) 14 Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness(C) 15 and lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these,[d] take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.(D) 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.(E) 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.(F) 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,[e](G) 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.(H)
Personal Matters and Benediction
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus will tell you everything. He is a dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord.(I) 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, to let you know how we are and to encourage your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brothers and sisters and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(J) 24 Grace be with all who have an undying love for[f] our Lord Jesus Christ.[g]
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John 7:37-52
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,(A) 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As[a] the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart[b] shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”(B) 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit[c] because Jesus was not yet glorified.(C)
Division among the People
40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.”[d] But some asked, “Surely the Messiah[e] does not come from Galilee, does he?(D) 42 Has not the scripture said that the Messiah[f] is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”(E) 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
The Unbelief of Those in Authority
45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” 46 The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” 47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived, too, have you? 48 Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him?(F) 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus[g] before and who was one of them, asked, 51 “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”(G) 52 They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”
Read full chapterNew Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.