Isaiah 59

New International Version

Sin, Confession and Redemption

59 Surely the arm^(A) of the Lord is not too short^(B) to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear.^(C)
²But your iniquities have separated^(D)
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.^(E)
³For your hands are stained with blood,^(F)
    your fingers with guilt.^(G)
Your lips have spoken falsely,^(H)
    and your tongue mutters wicked things.
⁴No one calls for justice;^(I)
    no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely^(J) on empty arguments, they utter lies;^(K)
    they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.^(L)
⁵They hatch the eggs of vipers^(M)
    and spin a spider’s web.^(N)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
    and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
⁶Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
    they cannot cover themselves with what they make.^(O)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
    and acts of violence^(P) are in their hands.
⁷Their feet rush into sin;
    they are swift to shed innocent blood.^(Q)
They pursue evil schemes;^(R)
    acts of violence mark their ways.^(S)
⁸The way of peace they do not know;^(T)
    there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;^(U)
    no one who walks along them will know peace.^(V)

⁹So justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;^(W)
    for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
¹⁰Like the blind^(X) we grope along the wall,
    feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble^(Y) as if it were twilight;
    among the strong, we are like the dead.^(Z)
¹¹We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.^(AA)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

¹²For our offenses^(AB) are many in your sight,
    and our sins testify^(AC) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
    and we acknowledge our iniquities:^(AD)
¹³rebellion^(AE) and treachery against the Lord,
    turning our backs^(AF) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,^(AG)
    uttering lies^(AH) our hearts have conceived.
¹⁴So justice^(AI) is driven back,
    and righteousness^(AJ) stands at a distance;
truth^(AK) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
¹⁵Truth^(AL) is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.^(AM)
¹⁶He saw that there was no one,^(AN)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;^(AO)
so his own arm achieved salvation^(AP) for him,
    and his own righteousness^(AQ) sustained him.
¹⁷He put on righteousness as his breastplate,^(AR)
    and the helmet^(AS) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments^(AT) of vengeance^(AU)
    and wrapped himself in zeal^(AV) as in a cloak.
¹⁸According to what they have done,
    so will he repay^(AW)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands^(AX) their due.
¹⁹From the west,^(AY) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,^(AZ) they will revere his glory.^(BA)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath^(BB) of the Lord drives along.^[a]

²⁰“The Redeemer^(BC) will come to Zion,^(BD)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”^(BE)
declares the Lord.

²¹“As for me, this is my covenant^(BF) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,^(BG) who is on you, will not depart from you,^(BH) and my words that I have put in your mouth^(BI) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

Footnotes

Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight

Isaiah 60

New International Version

The Glory of Zion

60 “Arise,^(A) shine, for your light^(B) has come,
    and the glory^(C) of the Lord rises upon you.
²See, darkness^(D) covers the earth
    and thick darkness^(E) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³Nations^(F) will come to your light,^(G)
    and kings^(H) to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴“Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble^(I) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,^(J)
    and your daughters^(K) are carried on the hip.^(L)
⁵Then you will look and be radiant,^(M)
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;^(N)
the wealth^(O) on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
⁶Herds of camels^(P) will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian^(Q) and Ephah.^(R)
And all from Sheba^(S) will come,
    bearing gold and incense^(T)
    and proclaiming the praise^(U) of the Lord.
⁷All Kedar’s^(V) flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings^(W) on my altar,^(X)
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.^(Y)

⁸“Who are these^(Z) that fly along like clouds,^(AA)
    like doves to their nests?
⁹Surely the islands^(AB) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,^[a]^(AC)
bringing^(AD) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,^(AE)
to the honor^(AF) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(AG) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.^(AH)

¹⁰“Foreigners^(AI) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings^(AJ) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor^(AK) I will show you compassion.^(AL)
¹¹Your gates^(AM) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations^(AN)—
    their kings^(AO) led in triumphal procession.
¹²For the nation or kingdom that will not serve^(AP) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.^(AQ)

¹³“The glory of Lebanon^(AR) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,^(AS)
to adorn my sanctuary;^(AT)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.^(AU)
¹⁴The children of your oppressors^(AV) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down^(AW) at your feet
and will call you the City^(AX) of the Lord,
    Zion^(AY) of the Holy One^(AZ) of Israel.

¹⁵“Although you have been forsaken^(BA) and hated,
    with no one traveling^(BB) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride^(BC)
    and the joy^(BD) of all generations.
¹⁶You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed^(BE) at royal breasts.
Then you will know^(BF) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,^(BG)
    your Redeemer,^(BH) the Mighty One of Jacob.^(BI)
¹⁷Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,^(BJ)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace^(BK) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.^(BL)
¹⁸No longer will violence^(BM) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction^(BN) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation^(BO)
    and your gates Praise.^(BP)
¹⁹The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,^(BQ)
    and your God will be your glory.^(BR)
²⁰Your sun^(BS) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow^(BT) will end.
²¹Then all your people will be righteous^(BU)
    and they will possess^(BV) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,^(BW)
    the work of my hands,^(BX)
    for the display of my splendor.^(BY)
²²The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.^(BZ)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”^(CA)

Footnotes

Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships

Hebrews 12:1-17

New International Version

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(C) the pioneer^(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(E) scorning its shame,^(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^(G) ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary^(H) and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

⁴In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.^(I) ⁵And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart^(J) when he rebukes you,
⁶because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,^(K)
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]^(L)

⁷Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.^(M) For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline^(N)—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits^(O) and live!^(P) ¹⁰They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.^(Q) ¹¹No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace^(R) for those who have been trained by it.

¹²Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.^(S) ¹³“Make level paths for your feet,”^[b]^(T) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.^(U)

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(V) and to be holy;^(W) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^(X) ¹⁵See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God^(Y) and that no bitter root^(Z) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶See that no one is sexually immoral,^(AA) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^(AB) ¹⁷Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,^(AC) he could not change what he had done.

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Footnotes

Hebrews 12:6 Prov. 3:11,12 (see Septuagint)
Hebrews 12:13 Prov. 4:26

Psalm 99

New International Version

Psalm 99

¹The Lord reigns,^(A)
    let the nations tremble;^(B)
he sits enthroned^(C) between the cherubim,^(D)
    let the earth shake.
²Great is the Lord^(E) in Zion;^(F)
    he is exalted^(G) over all the nations.
³Let them praise^(H) your great and awesome name^(I)—
    he is holy.^(J)

⁴The King^(K) is mighty, he loves justice^(L)—
    you have established equity;^(M)
in Jacob you have done
    what is just and right.^(N)
⁵Exalt^(O) the Lord our God
    and worship at his footstool;
    he is holy.

⁶Moses^(P) and Aaron^(Q) were among his priests,
    Samuel^(R) was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
    and he answered^(S) them.
⁷He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;^(T)
    they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

⁸Lord our God,
    you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,^(U)
    though you punished^(V) their misdeeds.^[a]
⁹Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his holy mountain,
    for the Lord our God is holy.

Footnotes

Psalm 99:8 Or God, / an avenger of the wrongs done to them

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Isaiah 59

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Sin, Confession and Redemption

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Isaiah 60

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The Glory of Zion

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Hebrews 12:1-17

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God Disciplines His Children

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Psalm 99

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