Isaiah 46

New American Standard Bible

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

46 ^(A)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their idols have become loads for the animals and the cattle.
The things ^[a]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary animal.
²They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But ^[b]have themselves ^(B)gone into captivity.

³“^(C)Listen to Me, house of Jacob,
And all ^(D)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been ^(E)carried by Me from ^[c]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
⁴Even to your old age ^(F)I ^[d]will be the same,
And even to your ^[e]^(G)graying years I will ^[f]carry you!
I have ^[g]done it, and I will bear you;
And I will ^[h]carry you and I will save you.

⁵“^(H)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal, and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
⁶Those who ^(I)lavish gold from the bag
And weigh silver on the scale,
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They ^(J)bow down, indeed they worship it.
⁷They ^(K)lift it on the shoulder, carry it,
And set it in its place, and it stands there.
^(L)It does not move from its place.
Though one may shout to it, it ^(M)cannot answer;
It ^(N)cannot save him from his distress.

⁸“^(O)Remember this, and be ^[i]assured;
^(P)Recall it to ^[j]mind, you ^(Q)wrongdoers.
⁹Remember the ^(R)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is ^(S)no other;
I am God, and there is ^(T)no one like Me,
¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘^(U)My plan will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
¹¹Calling a ^(V)bird of prey from the ^(W)east,
The man of ^[k]My purpose from a distant country.
Truly I have ^(X)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, I will certainly do it.

¹²“^(Y)Listen to Me, you ^(Z)stubborn-minded,
Who are ^(AA)far from righteousness.
¹³I ^(AB)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant ^(AC)salvation in Zion,
And My ^(AD)glory for Israel.

Footnotes

Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
Isaiah 46:4 Lit will be He
Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
Isaiah 46:4 Or support
Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
Isaiah 46:4 Or support
Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
Isaiah 46:8 Lit heart
Isaiah 46:11 Lit His

Romans 11-12

New American Standard Bible

Israel Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not ^(A)rejected His people, has He? ^[a]^(B)Far from it! For ^(C)I too am an Israelite, ^[b]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ²God ^(D)has not rejected His people whom He ^(E)foreknew. ^(F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ³“Lord, ^(G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴But what ^[c]is the divine response to him? “^(H)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time ^(I)a remnant according to God’s ^[d]gracious choice. ⁶But ^(J)if it is by grace, it is no longer ^[e]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

⁷What then? What ^(K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but ^[f]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were ^(L)hardened; ⁸just as it is written:

“^(M)God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”

⁹And David says,

“^(N)May their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
¹⁰^(O)May their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs continually.”

¹¹^(P)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? ^[g]^(Q)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing ^(R)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to ^(S)make them jealous. ¹²Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their ^[h]^(T)fulfillment be! ¹³But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as ^(U)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴if somehow I may ^(V)move ^(W)my ^[i]own people to jealousy and ^(X)save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection proves to be the ^(Y)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but ^(Z)life from the dead? ¹⁶If the ^(AA)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

¹⁷But if some of the ^(AB)branches were broken off, and ^(AC)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the ^[j]rich root of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that ^(AD)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹^(AE)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you ^(AF)stand by your faith. ^(AG)Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²²See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s ^(AH)kindness, ^(AI)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too ^(AJ)will be cut off. ²³And they also, ^(AK)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵For ^(AL)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this ^(AM)mystery—so that you will not be ^(AN)wise in your own estimation—that a partial ^(AO)hardening has happened to Israel until the ^(AP)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

“^(AQ)The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
²⁷“^(AR)This is ^[k]My covenant with them,
^(AS)When I take away their sins.”

²⁸In relation to the gospel they are ^(AT)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved ^(AU)on account of the fathers; ²⁹for the gifts and the ^(AV)calling of God ^(AW)are irrevocable. ³⁰For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. ³²For ^(AX)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

³³Oh, the depth of ^(AY)the riches, ^[l]both of the ^(AZ)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(BA)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴For ^(BB)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵Or ^(BC)who has first given to Him, ^[m]that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶For ^(BD)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. ^(BE)To Him be the glory ^[n]forever. Amen.

Dedicated Service

12 Therefore ^(BF)I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to ^(BG)present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, ^[o]acceptable to God, which is your ^[p]spiritual service of worship. ²And do not ^(BH)be conformed to ^(BI)this ^[q]world, but be transformed by the ^(BJ)renewing of your mind, so that you may ^[r]^(BK)prove what the will of God is, that which is good and ^[s]acceptable and perfect.

³For through ^(BL)the grace given to me I say to everyone among you ^(BM)not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to ^(BN)each a measure of faith. ⁴For ^(BO)just as we have many parts in one body and all ^[t]the body’s parts do not have the same function, ⁵so we, ^(BP)who are many, are ^(BQ)one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another. ⁶However, since we have gifts that ^(BR)differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if ^(BS)prophecy, ^[u]in proportion to one’s faith; ⁷if ^[v]^(BT)service, in the act of serving; or the one who ^(BU)teaches, in the act of teaching; ⁸or the one who ^[w]^(BV)exhorts, in the work of ^[x]exhortation; the one who gives, with ^[y]^(BW)generosity; ^(BX)the one who ^[z]is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with ^(BY)cheerfulness.

⁹^[aa]^(BZ)Love must be free of hypocrisy. ^(CA)Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be ^(CB)devoted to one another in brotherly love; ^[ab]give preference to one another ^(CC)in honor, ¹¹not lagging behind in diligence, ^(CD)fervent in spirit, ^(CE)serving the Lord; ¹²^(CF)rejoicing in hope, ^(CG)persevering in tribulation, ^(CH)devoted to prayer, ¹³^(CI)contributing to the needs of the ^[ac]saints, ^[ad]^(CJ)practicing hospitality.

¹⁴^(CK)Bless those who persecute ^[ae]you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵^(CL)Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶^(CM)Be of the same mind toward one another; ^(CN)do not be ^[af]haughty in mind, but ^[ag]associate with the lowly. ^(CO)Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷^(CP)Never repay evil for evil to anyone. ^[ah]^(CQ)Respect what is right in the sight of all people. ¹⁸If possible, ^(CR)so far as it depends on you, ^(CS)be at peace with all people. ¹⁹^(CT)Never take your own revenge, beloved, but ^[ai]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “^(CU)Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰“^(CV)But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Footnotes

Romans 11:1 Lit May it never happen!
Romans 11:1 Lit of the seed of Abraham
Romans 11:4 Lit says
Romans 11:5 Lit choice of grace
Romans 11:6 Lit out of
Romans 11:7 Lit the election
Romans 11:11 Lit May it never happen!
Romans 11:12 Or fullness
Romans 11:14 Lit flesh
Romans 11:17 Lit root of the fatness
Romans 11:27 Lit the covenant from Me
Romans 11:33 Or and the wisdom
Romans 11:35 Lit and it will be paid back
Romans 11:36 Lit to the ages
Romans 12:1 Or pleasing
Romans 12:1 I.e., in contrast to offering a literal sacrifice
Romans 12:2 Or age
Romans 12:2 Or discover
Romans 12:2 Or pleasing
Romans 12:4 Lit the parts
Romans 12:6 Or in agreement with the faith
Romans 12:7 Or office of service
Romans 12:8 Or encourages
Romans 12:8 Or encouragement
Romans 12:8 Or sincere concern
Romans 12:8 Or provides care
Romans 12:9 Or Love has no
Romans 12:10 Or outdo one another in showing honor
Romans 12:13 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
Romans 12:13 Lit pursuing
Romans 12:14 Two early mss do not contain you
Romans 12:16 Or arrogant
Romans 12:16 Or accommodate yourself to lowly things
Romans 12:17 Lit Take thought for
Romans 12:19 Lit give a place

Psalm 83

New American Standard Bible

God Implored to Confound His Enemies.

A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.

83 God, ^(A)do not remain quiet;
^(B)Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.
²For behold, Your enemies ^(C)make an uproar,
And ^(D)those who hate You have ^[a]^(E)exalted themselves.
³They ^(F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And ^[b]conspire together against ^(G)Your ^[c]treasured ones.
⁴They have said, “Come, and ^(H)let’s wipe them out ^[d]as a nation,
So that the ^(I)name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
⁵For they have ^[e]^(J)conspired together with one mind;
They make a covenant against You:
⁶The tents of ^(K)Edom and the ^(L)Ishmaelites,
^(M)Moab and the ^(N)Hagrites;
⁷^(O)Gebal, ^(P)Ammon, and ^(Q)Amalek,
^(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of ^(S)Tyre;
⁸^(T)Assyria also has joined them;
They have become ^[f]a help to the ^(U)children of Lot. Selah

⁹Deal with them ^(V)as with Midian,
As ^(W)with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
¹⁰Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who ^(X)became like dung for the ground.
¹¹Make their nobles like ^(Y)Oreb and Zeeb,
And all their leaders like ^(Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹²Who said, “^(AA)Let’s possess for ourselves
The ^(AB)pastures of God.”

¹³My God, make them like the ^[g]^(AC)whirling dust,
Like ^(AD)chaff before the wind.
¹⁴Like ^(AE)fire that burns the forest,
And like a flame that ^(AF)sets the mountains on fire,
¹⁵So pursue them ^(AG)with Your heavy gale,
And terrify them with Your storm.
¹⁶^(AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
So that they will seek Your name, Lord.
¹⁷May they be ^(AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And may they be humiliated and perish,
¹⁸So that they will ^(AJ)know that ^(AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the ^(AL)Most High over all the earth.