Isaiah 27

New International Version

Deliverance of Israel

27 In that day,^(A)

the Lord will punish with his sword^(B)—
his fierce, great and powerful sword—
Leviathan^(C) the gliding serpent,^(D)
Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster^(E) of the sea.

²In that day^(F)—

“Sing^(G) about a fruitful vineyard:^(H)
³    I, the Lord, watch over it;
    I water^(I) it continually.
I guard^(J) it day and night
    so that no one may harm^(K) it.
⁴    I am not angry.
If only there were briers and thorns confronting me!
    I would march against them in battle;
    I would set them all on fire.^(L)
⁵Or else let them come to me for refuge;^(M)
    let them make peace^(N) with me,
    yes, let them make peace with me.”

⁶In days to come Jacob will take root,^(O)
Israel will bud and blossom^(P)
and fill all the world with fruit.^(Q)

⁷Has the Lord struck her
    as he struck^(R) down those who struck her?
Has she been killed
    as those were killed who killed her?
⁸By warfare^[a] and exile^(S) you contend with her—
    with his fierce blast he drives her out,
    as on a day the east wind^(T) blows.
⁹By this, then, will Jacob’s guilt be atoned^(U) for,
    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:^(V)
When he makes all the altar stones^(W)
    to be like limestone crushed to pieces,
no Asherah poles^[b]^(X) or incense altars^(Y)
    will be left standing.
¹⁰The fortified city stands desolate,^(Z)
    an abandoned settlement, forsaken^(AA) like the wilderness;
there the calves graze,^(AB)
    there they lie down;^(AC)
    they strip its branches bare.
¹¹When its twigs are dry, they are broken off^(AD)
    and women come and make fires^(AE) with them.
For this is a people without understanding;^(AF)
    so their Maker has no compassion on them,
    and their Creator^(AG) shows them no favor.^(AH)

¹²In that day the Lord will thresh^(AI) from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt,^(AJ) and you, Israel, will be gathered^(AK) up one by one. ¹³And in that day^(AL) a great trumpet^(AM) will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled^(AN) in Egypt^(AO) will come and worship^(AP) the Lord on the holy mountain^(AQ) in Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Isaiah 27:8 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Isaiah 27:9 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah

Acts 28:17-31

New International Version

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(A) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(B) although I have done nothing against our people^(C) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(D) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸They examined me^(E) and wanted to release me,^(F) because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.^(G) ¹⁹The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.^(H) I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel^(I) that I am bound with this chain.”^(J)

²¹They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(K) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²²But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”^(L)

²³They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,^(M) and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets^(N) he tried to persuade them about Jesus.^(O) ²⁴Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^(P) ²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said^(Q) through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶“‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
²⁷For this people’s heart has become calloused;^(R)
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]^(S)

²⁸“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation^(T) has been sent to the Gentiles,^(U) and they will listen!” ^[29]^[b]

³⁰For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹He proclaimed the kingdom of God^(V) and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness^(W) and without hindrance!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Acts 28:27 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)
Acts 28:29 Some manuscripts include here After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves.