Isaiah 65:17-25

New International Version

New Heavens and a New Earth

¹⁷“See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.^(A)
The former things will not be remembered,^(B)
    nor will they come to mind.
¹⁸But be glad and rejoice^(C) forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem^(D) to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
¹⁹I will rejoice^(E) over Jerusalem
    and take delight^(F) in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying^(G)
    will be heard in it no more.

²⁰“Never again will there be in it
    an infant^(H) who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;^(I)
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach^[a] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
²¹They will build houses^(J) and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.^(K)
²²No longer will they build houses and others live in them,^(L)
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,^(M)
    so will be the days^(N) of my people;
my chosen^(O) ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
²³They will not labor in vain,^(P)
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;^(Q)
for they will be a people blessed^(R) by the Lord,
    they and their descendants^(S) with them.
²⁴Before they call^(T) I will answer;^(U)
    while they are still speaking^(V) I will hear.
²⁵The wolf and the lamb^(W) will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,^(X)
    and dust will be the serpent’s^(Y) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”^(Z)
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches

Matthew 3:1-4:11

New International Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days John the Baptist^(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^(C) has come near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”^[a]^(D)

⁴John’s^(E) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.^(F) His food was locusts^(G) and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized^(H) by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^(I) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^(J) ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^(K) ⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(L) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(M)

¹¹“I baptize you with^[b] water for repentance.^(N) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^[c] the Holy Spirit^(O) and fire.^(P) ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^(Q)

The Baptism of Jesus^(R)

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.^(S) ¹⁴But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,^(T) and he saw the Spirit of God^(U) descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷And a voice from heaven^(V) said, “This is my Son,^(W) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”^(X)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness^(Y)

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[d]^(Z) by the devil.^(AA) ²After fasting forty days and forty nights,^(AB) he was hungry. ³The tempter^(AC) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,^(AD) tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[e]”^(AE)

⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city^(AF) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,”^(AG) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[f]”^(AH)

⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[g]”^(AI)

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!^(AJ) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[h]”^(AK)

¹¹Then the devil left him,^(AL) and angels came and attended him.^(AM)

Footnotes

Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
Matthew 3:11 Or in
Matthew 3:11 Or in
Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13

Isaiah 66:1-9

New International Version

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,^(A)
    and the earth is my footstool.^(B)
Where is the house^(C) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
²Has not my hand made all these things,^(D)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,^(E)
    and who tremble at my word.^(F)
³But whoever sacrifices a bull^(G)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s^(H) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense^(I)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,^(J)
    and they delight in their abominations;^(K)
⁴so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.^(L)
For when I called, no one answered,^(M)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil^(N) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”^(O)

⁵Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:^(P)
“Your own people who hate^(Q) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.^(R)
⁶Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound^(S) of the Lord
    repaying^(T) his enemies all they deserve.

⁷“Before she goes into labor,^(U)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.^(V)
⁸Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen^(W) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day^(X)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.^(Y)
⁹Do I bring to the moment of birth^(Z)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.