Separated from God

59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not (A)shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will (B)not hear.
For (C)your hands are defiled with [a]blood,
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.

No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in (D)empty words and speak lies;
(E)They conceive [b]evil and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out.

(F)Their webs will not become garments,
Nor will they cover themselves with their works;
Their works are works of iniquity,
And the act of violence is in their hands.
(G)Their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed (H)innocent blood;
(I)Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
Wasting and (J)destruction are in their paths.
The way of (K)peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
(L)They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.

Sin Confessed

Therefore justice is far from us,
Nor does righteousness overtake us;
(M)We look for light, but there is darkness!
For brightness, but we walk in blackness!
10 (N)We grope for the wall like the blind,
And we grope as if we had no eyes;
We stumble at noonday as at twilight;
We are as dead men in desolate places.
11 We all growl like bears,
And (O)moan sadly like doves;
We look for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (P)transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And as for our iniquities, we know them:
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord,
And departing from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering (Q)from the heart words of falsehood.
14 Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street,
And equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails,
And he who departs from evil makes himself a (R)prey.

The Redeemer of Zion

Then the Lord saw it, and [c]it displeased Him
That there was no justice.
16 (S)He saw that there was no man,
And (T)wondered that there was no intercessor;
(U)Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 (V)For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 (W)According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay,
Fury to His adversaries,
Recompense to His enemies;
The coastlands He will fully repay.
19 (X)So shall they fear
The name of the Lord from the west,
And His glory from the rising of the sun;
When the enemy comes in (Y)like a flood,
The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

20 “The(Z) Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”
Says the Lord.

21 “As(AA) for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

Notas al pie

  1. Isaiah 59:3 bloodshed
  2. Isaiah 59:4 trouble
  3. Isaiah 59:15 Lit. it was evil in His eyes

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)
But your iniquities have separated(D)
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.(E)
For your hands are stained with blood,(F)
    your fingers with guilt.(G)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(H)
    and your tongue mutters wicked things.
No 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)
They 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.
Their 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.
Their feet rush into sin;
    they are swift to shed innocent blood.(Q)
They pursue evil schemes;(R)
    acts of violence mark their ways.(S)
The 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)

So 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.
10 Like 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)
11 We all growl like bears;
    we moan mournfully like doves.(AA)
We look for justice, but find none;
    for deliverance, but it is far away.

12 For 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)
13 rebellion(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.
14 So justice(AI) is driven back,
    and righteousness(AJ) stands at a distance;
truth(AK) has stumbled in the streets,
    honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(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)
16 He 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.
17 He 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.
18 According 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.
19 From 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.

Notas al pie

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

(A)For by grace you have been saved (B)through faith, and that not of yourselves; (C)it is the gift of God, not of (D)works, lest anyone should (E)boast. 10 For we are (F)His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Brought Near by His Blood

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called (G)the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Christ Our Peace

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one (H)new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might (I)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby (J)putting to death the enmity.

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For it is by grace(A) you have been saved,(B) through faith(C)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,(D) so that no one can boast.(E) 10 For we are God’s handiwork,(F) created(G) in Christ Jesus to do good works,(H) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

11 Therefore, remember that formerly(I) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)(J) 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners(K) to the covenants of the promise,(L) without hope(M) and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once(N) were far away have been brought near(O) by the blood of Christ.(P)

14 For he himself is our peace,(Q) who has made the two groups one(R) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh(S) the law with its commands and regulations.(T) His purpose was to create in himself one(U) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,(V) by which he put to death their hostility.

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The Gentiles Bless Zion

60 Arise, (A)shine;
For your light has come!
And (B)the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The (C)Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

“Lift(D) up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, (E)they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because (F)the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and (G)Ephah;
All those from (H)Sheba shall come;
They shall bring (I)gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of (J)Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with (K)acceptance on My altar,
And (L)I will glorify the house of My glory.

“Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
(M)Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
(N)To bring your sons from afar,
(O)Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
(P)Because He has glorified you.

10 “The(Q) sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
(R)And their kings shall minister to you;
For (S)in My wrath I struck you,
(T)But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates (U)shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 (V)For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

13 “The(W) glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make (X)the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come (Y)bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall (Z)fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
(AA)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
(AB)And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that (AC)I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither [a]wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call (AD)your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The (AE)sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And (AF)your God your glory.
20 (AG)Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 (AH)Also your people shall all be righteous;
(AI)They shall inherit the land forever,
(AJ)The branch of My planting,
(AK)The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 (AL)A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Notas al pie

  1. Isaiah 60:18 devastation

The Glory of Zion

60 “Arise,(A) shine, for your light(B) has come,
    and the glory(C) of the Lord rises upon you.
See, 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.
Nations(F) will come to your light,(G)
    and kings(H) to the brightness of your dawn.

“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)
Then 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.
Herds 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.
All 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)

“Who are these(Z) that fly along like clouds,(AA)
    like doves to their nests?
Surely 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)
11 Your 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.
12 For 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)
14 The 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.
16 You 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)
17 Instead 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)
18 No 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)
19 The 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)
20 Your 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.
21 Then 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)
22 The 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)

Notas al pie

  1. Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships

14 I am the good shepherd; and (A)I know My sheep, and (B)am known by My own. 15 (C)As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; (D)and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And (E)other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; (F)and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

17 “Therefore My Father (G)loves Me, (H)because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I (I)have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. (J)This command I have received from My Father.”

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14 “I am the good shepherd;(A) I know my sheep(B) and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father(C)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.(D) 16 I have other sheep(E) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock(F) and one shepherd.(G) 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life(H)—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.(I) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”(J)

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25 Jesus said to her, “I am (A)the resurrection and the life. (B)He who believes in Me, though he may (C)die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

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25 Jesus said to her, “I am(A) the resurrection and the life.(B) The one who believes(C) in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing(D) in me will never die.(E) Do you believe this?”

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Take Up the Cross and Follow Him(A)

24 (B)Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and (C)follow Me. 25 For (D)whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what (E)profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or (F)what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For (G)the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father (H)with His angels, (I)and then He will reward each according to his works.

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24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(A) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(B) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(C) is going to come(D) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(E)

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Notas al pie

  1. Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.

and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, (A)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

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And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(A) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(B)

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and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, (A)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

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And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(A) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(B)

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Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry(A)

14 (B)Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, (C)preaching the gospel [a]of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, (D)“The time is fulfilled, and (E)the kingdom of God [b]is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

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Notas al pie

  1. Mark 1:14 NU omits of the kingdom
  2. Mark 1:15 has drawn near

Jesus Announces the Good News(A)

14 After John(B) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,(C) proclaiming the good news of God.(D) 15 “The time has come,”(E) he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe(F) the good news!”(G)

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Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, (A)unless one is born [a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, (B)unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is (C)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

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Notas al pie

  1. John 3:3 Or from above

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a](A)

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.(B) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit.(C) You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’

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Notas al pie

  1. John 3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.
  2. John 3:6 Or but spirit
  3. John 3:7 The Greek is plural.

15 that whoever (A)believes in Him should [a]not perish but (B)have eternal life. 16 (C)For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten (D)Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 (E)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 (F)“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, (G)that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For (H)everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been (I)done in God.”

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Notas al pie

  1. John 3:15 NU omits not perish but

15 that everyone who believes(A) may have eternal life in him.”[a](B)

16 For God so loved(C) the world that he gave(D) his one and only Son,(E) that whoever believes(F) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(G) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world(H) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.(I) 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,(J) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(K) 19 This is the verdict: Light(L) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.(M) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.(N) 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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Notas al pie

  1. John 3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.