11 “This is what the Lord says—
    the Holy One(A) of Israel, and its Maker:(B)
Concerning things to come,
    do you question me about my children,
    or give me orders about the work of my hands?(C)
12 It is I who made the earth(D)
    and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(E)
    I marshaled their starry hosts.(F)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[a](G) in my righteousness:
    I will make all his ways straight.(H)
He will rebuild my city(I)
    and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(J)
    says the Lord Almighty.”

14 This is what the Lord says:

“The products(K) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[b]
    and those tall Sabeans(L)
they will come over to you(M)
    and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(N)
    coming over to you in chains.(O)
They will bow down before you
    and plead(P) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(Q) and there is no other;
    there is no other god.(R)’”

15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(S) himself,
    the God and Savior(T) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(U)
    they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(V) by the Lord
    with an everlasting salvation;(W)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(X)
    to ages everlasting.

18 For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
    he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,(Y)
    he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(Z)
    but formed it to be inhabited(AA)
he says:
“I am the Lord,
    and there is no other.(AB)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(AC)
    from somewhere in a land of darkness;(AD)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(AE)
    ‘Seek(AF) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
    I declare what is right.(AG)

20 “Gather together(AH) and come;
    assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(AI) are those who carry(AJ) about idols of wood,
    who pray to gods that cannot save.(AK)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
    let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(AL) this long ago,
    who declared it from the distant past?(AM)
Was it not I, the Lord?
    And there is no God apart from me,(AN)
a righteous God(AO) and a Savior;(AP)
    there is none but me.

22 “Turn(AQ) to me and be saved,(AR)
    all you ends of the earth;(AS)
    for I am God, and there is no other.(AT)
23 By myself I have sworn,(AU)
    my mouth has uttered in all integrity(AV)
    a word that will not be revoked:(AW)
Before me every knee will bow;(AX)
    by me every tongue will swear.(AY)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
    are deliverance(AZ) and strength.(BA)’”
All who have raged against him
    will come to him and be put to shame.(BB)
25 But all the descendants(BC) of Israel
    will find deliverance(BD) in the Lord
    and will make their boast in him.(BE)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
  2. Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region

11 Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts.

14 Thus saith the Lord, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.

15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

24 Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

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Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

As a prisoner(A) for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy(B) of the calling(C) you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another(D) in love.(E) Make every effort to keep the unity(F) of the Spirit through the bond of peace.(G) There is one body(H) and one Spirit,(I) just as you were called to one hope when you were called(J); one Lord,(K) one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all,(L) who is over all and through all and in all.(M)

But to each one of us(N) grace(O) has been given(P) as Christ apportioned it. This is why it[a] says:

“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives(Q)
    and gave gifts to his people.”[b](R)

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended(S) higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)(T) 11 So Christ himself gave(U) the apostles,(V) the prophets,(W) the evangelists,(X) the pastors and teachers,(Y) 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ(Z) may be built up(AA) 13 until we all reach unity(AB) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God(AC) and become mature,(AD) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.(AE)

14 Then we will no longer be infants,(AF) tossed back and forth by the waves,(AG) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.(AH) 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,(AI) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,(AJ) that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows(AK) and builds itself up(AL) in love,(AM) as each part does its work.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:8 Or God
  2. Ephesians 4:8 Psalm 68:18
  3. Ephesians 4:9 Or the depths of the earth

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

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19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(A)
    who daily bears our burdens.(B)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(C)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(D)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(E) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(F)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(G)
    while the tongues of your dogs(H) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(I)
25 In front are the singers,(J) after them the musicians;(K)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(L)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(M)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(N)
27 There is the little tribe(O) of Benjamin,(P) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(Q)

28 Summon your power,(R) God[a];
    show us your strength,(S) our God, as you have done(T) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(U)
30 Rebuke the beast(V) among the reeds,(W)
    the herd of bulls(X) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(Y) who delight in war.(Z)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(AA)
    Cush[b](AB) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(AC)
    sing praise(AD) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(AE) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(AF) with mighty voice.(AG)
34 Proclaim the power(AH) of God,
    whose majesty(AI) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(AJ) in your sanctuary;(AK)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(AL) to his people.(AM)

Praise be to God!(AN)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  2. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.

21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:

23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

24 They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

26 Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

27 There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:

33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

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Saying 21

By wisdom a house is built,(A)
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.(B)

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Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

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