Isaiah 24

New International Version

The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth

24 See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth^(A)
    and devastate^(B) it;
he will ruin its face
    and scatter^(C) its inhabitants—
²it will be the same
    for priest as for people,^(D)
    for the master as for his servant,
    for the mistress as for her servant,
    for seller as for buyer,^(E)
    for borrower as for lender,
    for debtor as for creditor.^(F)
³The earth will be completely laid waste^(G)
    and totally plundered.^(H)
The Lord has spoken^(I) this word.

⁴The earth dries up^(J) and withers,^(K)
    the world languishes and withers,
    the heavens^(L) languish with the earth.^(M)
⁵The earth is defiled^(N) by its people;
    they have disobeyed^(O) the laws,
violated the statutes
    and broken the everlasting covenant.^(P)
⁶Therefore a curse^(Q) consumes the earth;
    its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,^(R)
    and very few are left.
⁷The new wine dries up^(S) and the vine withers;^(T)
    all the merrymakers groan.^(U)
⁸The joyful timbrels^(V) are stilled,
    the noise^(W) of the revelers^(X) has stopped,
    the joyful harp^(Y) is silent.^(Z)
⁹No longer do they drink wine^(AA) with a song;
    the beer is bitter^(AB) to its drinkers.
¹⁰The ruined city^(AC) lies desolate;^(AD)
    the entrance to every house is barred.
¹¹In the streets they cry out^(AE) for wine;^(AF)
    all joy turns to gloom,^(AG)
    all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
¹²The city is left in ruins,^(AH)
    its gate^(AI) is battered to pieces.
¹³So will it be on the earth
    and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,^(AJ)
    or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.^(AK)

¹⁴They raise their voices, they shout for joy;^(AL)
    from the west^(AM) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
¹⁵Therefore in the east^(AN) give glory^(AO) to the Lord;
    exalt^(AP) the name^(AQ) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands^(AR) of the sea.
¹⁶From the ends of the earth^(AS) we hear singing:^(AT)
    “Glory^(AU) to the Righteous One.”^(AV)

But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!^(AW)
    Woe^(AX) to me!
The treacherous^(AY) betray!
    With treachery the treacherous betray!^(AZ)”
¹⁷Terror^(BA) and pit and snare^(BB) await you,
    people of the earth.^(BC)
¹⁸Whoever flees^(BD) at the sound of terror
    will fall into a pit;^(BE)
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare.^(BF)

The floodgates of the heavens^(BG) are opened,
    the foundations of the earth shake.^(BH)
¹⁹The earth is broken up,^(BI)
    the earth is split asunder,^(BJ)
    the earth is violently shaken.
²⁰The earth reels like a drunkard,^(BK)
    it sways like a hut^(BL) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion^(BM)
    that it falls^(BN)—never to rise again.^(BO)

²¹In that day^(BP) the Lord will punish^(BQ)
    the powers^(BR) in the heavens above
    and the kings^(BS) on the earth below.
²²They will be herded together
    like prisoners^(BT) bound in a dungeon;^(BU)
they will be shut up in prison
    and be punished^[a] after many days.^(BV)
²³The moon will be dismayed,
    the sun^(BW) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign^(BX)
    on Mount Zion^(BY) and in Jerusalem,
    and before its elders—with great glory.^(BZ)

Footnotes

Isaiah 24:22 Or released

2 Corinthians 11

New International Version

Paul and the False Apostles

11 I hope you will put up with^(A) me in a little foolishness.^(B) Yes, please put up with me! ²I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(C) to Christ, so that I might present you^(D) as a pure virgin to him. ³But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning,^(E) your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached,^(F) or if you receive a different spirit^(G) from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel^(H) from the one you accepted, you put up with it^(I) easily enough.

⁵I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”^[a]^(J) ⁶I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,^(K) but I do have knowledge.^(L) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way. ⁷Was it a sin^(M) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God^(N) to you free of charge?^(O) ⁸I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(P) so as to serve you. ⁹And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(Q) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(R) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(S) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(T) will stop this boasting^(U) of mine. ¹¹Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(V) I do!^(W)

¹²And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. ¹³For such people are false apostles,^(X) deceitful^(Y) workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.^(Z) ¹⁴And no wonder, for Satan^(AA) himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.^(AB)

Paul Boasts About His Sufferings

¹⁶I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool.^(AC) But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. ¹⁷In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would,^(AD) but as a fool.^(AE) ¹⁸Since many are boasting in the way the world does,^(AF) I too will boast.^(AG) ¹⁹You gladly put up with^(AH) fools since you are so wise!^(AI) ²⁰In fact, you even put up with^(AJ) anyone who enslaves you^(AK) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. ²¹To my shame I admit that we were too weak^(AL) for that!

Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.^(AM) ²²Are they Hebrews? So am I.^(AN) Are they Israelites? So am I.^(AO) Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.^(AP) ²³Are they servants of Christ?^(AQ) (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder,^(AR) been in prison more frequently,^(AS) been flogged more severely,^(AT) and been exposed to death again and again.^(AU) ²⁴Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes^(AV) minus one. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods,^(AW) once I was pelted with stones,^(AX) three times I was shipwrecked,^(AY) I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews,^(AZ) in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,^(BA) in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.^(BB) ²⁷I have labored and toiled^(BC) and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food;^(BD) I have been cold and naked. ²⁸Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.^(BE) ²⁹Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?^(BF) Who is led into sin,^(BG) and I do not inwardly burn?

³⁰If I must boast, I will boast^(BH) of the things that show my weakness.^(BI) ³¹The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever,^(BJ) knows^(BK) that I am not lying. ³²In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me.^(BL) ³³But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.^(BM)

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 11:5 Or to the most eminent apostles

Proverbs 8

New International Version

Wisdom’s Call

8 Does not wisdom call out?^(A)
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
²At the highest point along the way,
    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
³beside the gate leading into the city,
    at the entrance, she cries aloud:^(B)
⁴“To you, O people, I call out;^(C)
    I raise my voice to all mankind.
⁵You who are simple,^(D) gain prudence;^(E)
    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.^[a]
⁶Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
    I open my lips to speak what is right.
⁷My mouth speaks what is true,^(F)
    for my lips detest wickedness.
⁸All the words of my mouth are just;
    none of them is crooked or perverse.
⁹To the discerning all of them are right;
    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
¹⁰Choose my instruction instead of silver,
    knowledge rather than choice gold,^(G)
¹¹for wisdom is more precious^(H) than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.^(I)

¹²“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
    I possess knowledge and discretion.^(J)
¹³To fear the Lord^(K) is to hate evil;^(L)
    I hate^(M) pride and arrogance,
    evil behavior and perverse speech.
¹⁴Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
    I have insight, I have power.^(N)
¹⁵By me kings reign
    and rulers^(O) issue decrees that are just;
¹⁶by me princes govern,^(P)
    and nobles—all who rule on earth.^[b]
¹⁷I love those who love me,^(Q)
    and those who seek me find me.^(R)
¹⁸With me are riches and honor,^(S)
    enduring wealth and prosperity.^(T)
¹⁹My fruit is better than fine gold;^(U)
    what I yield surpasses choice silver.^(V)
²⁰I walk in the way of righteousness,^(W)
    along the paths of justice,
²¹bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
    and making their treasuries full.^(X)

²²“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,^[c]^[d]
    before his deeds of old;
²³I was formed long ages ago,
    at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
²⁴When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
    when there were no springs overflowing with water;^(Y)
²⁵before the mountains were settled in place,^(Z)
    before the hills, I was given birth,^(AA)
²⁶before he made the world or its fields
    or any of the dust of the earth.^(AB)
²⁷I was there when he set the heavens in place,^(AC)
    when he marked out the horizon^(AD) on the face of the deep,
²⁸when he established the clouds above^(AE)
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,^(AF)
²⁹when he gave the sea its boundary^(AG)
    so the waters would not overstep his command,^(AH)
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.^(AI)
³⁰    Then I was constantly^[e] at his side.^(AJ)
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.^(AK)

³²“Now then, my children, listen^(AL) to me;
    blessed are^(AM) those who keep my ways.^(AN)
³³Listen to my instruction and be wise;
    do not disregard it.
³⁴Blessed are those who listen^(AO) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
³⁵For those who find me^(AP) find life^(AQ)
    and receive favor from the Lord.^(AR)
³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves;^(AS)
    all who hate me love death.”^(AT)

Footnotes

Proverbs 8:5 Septuagint; Hebrew foolish, instruct your minds
Proverbs 8:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; other Hebrew manuscripts all righteous rulers
Proverbs 8:22 Or way; or dominion
Proverbs 8:22 Or The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work; or The Lord brought me forth at the beginning of his work
Proverbs 8:30 Or was the artisan; or was a little child