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

10 “The(E) sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
(F)And their kings shall minister to you;
For (G)in My wrath I struck you,
(H)But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates (I)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 (J)For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

13 “The(K) 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 (L)the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come (M)bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall (N)fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
(O)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,
(P)And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that (Q)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 (R)your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The (S)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 (T)your God your glory.
20 (U)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 (V)Also your people shall all be righteous;
(W)They shall inherit the land forever,
(X)The branch of My planting,
(Y)The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 (Z)A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:18 devastation

“Who are these(A) that fly along like clouds,(B)
    like doves to their nests?
Surely the islands(C) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[a](D)
bringing(E) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,(F)
to the honor(G) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(H) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.(I)

10 “Foreigners(J) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings(K) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor(L) I will show you compassion.(M)
11 Your gates(N) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(O)
    their kings(P) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(Q) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.(R)

13 “The glory of Lebanon(S) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(T)
to adorn my sanctuary;(U)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.(V)
14 The children of your oppressors(W) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down(X) at your feet
and will call you the City(Y) of the Lord,
    Zion(Z) of the Holy One(AA) of Israel.

15 “Although you have been forsaken(AB) and hated,
    with no one traveling(AC) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(AD)
    and the joy(AE) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed(AF) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(AG) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(AH)
    your Redeemer,(AI) the Mighty One of Jacob.(AJ)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(AK)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(AL) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.(AM)
18 No longer will violence(AN) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction(AO) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(AP)
    and your gates Praise.(AQ)
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,(AR)
    and your God will be your glory.(AS)
20 Your sun(AT) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow(AU) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(AV)
    and they will possess(AW) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(AX)
    the work of my hands,(AY)
    for the display of my splendor.(AZ)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.(BA)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”(BB)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?(A)

35 (B)Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said (C)by the Holy Spirit:

(D)‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

37 Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his (E)Son?”

And the common people heard Him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes(F)

38 Then (G)He said to them in His teaching, (H)“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, (I)love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the (J)best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 (K)who devour widows’ houses, and [a]for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Two Mites(L)

41 (M)Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money (N)into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two [b]mites, which make a [c]quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that (O)this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, (P)her whole livelihood.”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple(Q)

13 Then (R)as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? (S)Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age(T)

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, (U)Peter, (V)James, (W)John, and (X)Andrew asked Him privately, (Y)“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

And Jesus, answering them, began to say: (Z)“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and (AA)kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines [d]and troubles. (AB)These are the beginnings of [e]sorrows.

“But (AC)watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will [f]be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And (AD)the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 (AE)But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, [g]or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, (AF)but the Holy Spirit. 12 Now (AG)brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 (AH)And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But (AI)he who [h]endures to the end shall be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:40 for appearance’ sake
  2. Mark 12:42 Gr. lepta, very small copper coins
  3. Mark 12:42 A Roman coin
  4. Mark 13:8 NU omits and troubles
  5. Mark 13:8 Lit. birth pangs
  6. Mark 13:9 NU, M stand
  7. Mark 13:11 NU omits or premeditate
  8. Mark 13:13 bears patiently

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(A)(B)

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,(C) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?(D) 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,(E) declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[a](F)

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd(G) listened to him with delight.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.(H) 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering(I)

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put(J) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”(K)

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(L)

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”(M)

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives(N) opposite the temple, Peter, James, John(O) and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(P) Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.(Q) On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.(R)

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.(S) 13 Everyone will hate you because of me,(T) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(U)

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:36 Psalm 110:1

The Good News of Salvation

61 “The (A)Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord (B)has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me (C)to [a]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim (D)liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
(E)To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And (F)the day of vengeance of our God;
(G)To comfort all who mourn,
To [b]console those who mourn in Zion,
(H)To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
(I)The planting of the Lord, (J)that He may be glorified.”

And they shall (K)rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
(L)Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
(M)But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
(N)You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
(O)Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

“For (P)I, the Lord, love justice;
(Q)I hate robbery [c]for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
(R)And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
(S)That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

10 (T)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For (U)He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
(V)As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause (W)righteousness and (X)praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up
  2. Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
  3. Isaiah 61:8 Or in

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(A) of the Sovereign Lord(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(C) me
    to proclaim good news(D) to the poor.(E)
He has sent me to bind up(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(G) for the captives(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(I)
    and the day of vengeance(J) of our God,
to comfort(K) all who mourn,(L)
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(M) of beauty
    instead of ashes,(N)
the oil(O) of joy
    instead of mourning,(P)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting(Q) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.(R)

They will rebuild the ancient ruins(S)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers(T) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests(U) of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(V) of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

Instead of your shame(W)
    you will receive a double(X) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(Y) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy(Z) will be yours.

“For I, the Lord, love justice;(AA)
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant(AB) with them.
Their descendants(AC) will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(AD)

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices(AE) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(AF)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(AG) like a priest,
    and as a bride(AH) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden(AI) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(AJ)
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

God’s Promise Is Not Slack(A)

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which (B)I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words (C)which were spoken before by the holy prophets, (D)and of the commandment of [a]us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, (E)walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of (F)creation.” For this they willfully forget: that (G)by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth (H)standing out of water and in the water, (I)by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But (J)the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for (K)fire until the day of judgment and [b]perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and (L)a thousand years as one day. (M)The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but (N)is longsuffering toward [c]us, (O)not willing that any should perish but (P)that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

10 But (Q)the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which (R)the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be [d]burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be (S)in holy conduct and godliness, 12 (T)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will (U)be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will (V)melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for (W)new heavens and a (X)new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent (Y)to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that (Z)the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his (AA)epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the (AB)rest of the Scriptures.

17 You therefore, beloved, (AC)since you know this beforehand, (AD)beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 (AE)but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

(AF)To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 3:2 NU, M the apostles of your Lord and Savior or your apostles of the Lord and Savior
  2. 2 Peter 3:7 destruction
  3. 2 Peter 3:9 NU you
  4. 2 Peter 3:10 NU laid bare, lit. found

The Day of the Lord

Dear friends,(A) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders(B) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets(C) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.(D)

Above all, you must understand that in the last days(E) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.(F) They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?(G) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”(H) But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word(I) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.(J) By these waters also the world of that time(K) was deluged and destroyed.(L) By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,(M) being kept for the day of judgment(N) and destruction of the ungodly.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.(O) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,(P) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient(Q) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.(R)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.(S) The heavens will disappear with a roar;(T) the elements will be destroyed by fire,(U) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a](V)

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward(W) to the day of God and speed its coming.[b](X) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.(Y) 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,(Z) where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless(AA) and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience(AB) means salvation,(AC) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.(AD) 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable(AE) people distort,(AF) as they do the other Scriptures,(AG) to their own destruction.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard(AH) so that you may not be carried away by the error(AI) of the lawless(AJ) and fall from your secure position.(AK) 18 But grow in the grace(AL) and knowledge(AM) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(AN) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
  2. 2 Peter 3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come