Isaiah 30

New International Version

Woe to the Obstinate Nation

30 “Woe^(A) to the obstinate children,”^(B)
    declares the Lord,
“to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
    forming an alliance,^(C) but not by my Spirit,
    heaping sin upon sin;
²who go down to Egypt^(D)
    without consulting^(E) me;
who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection,^(F)
    to Egypt’s shade for refuge.^(G)
³But Pharaoh’s protection will be to your shame,
    Egypt’s shade^(H) will bring you disgrace.^(I)
⁴Though they have officials in Zoan^(J)
    and their envoys have arrived in Hanes,
⁵everyone will be put to shame
    because of a people^(K) useless^(L) to them,
who bring neither help^(M) nor advantage,
    but only shame and disgrace.^(N)”

⁶A prophecy^(O) concerning the animals of the Negev:^(P)

Through a land of hardship and distress,^(Q)
    of lions^(R) and lionesses,
    of adders and darting snakes,^(S)
the envoys carry their riches on donkeys’^(T) backs,
    their treasures^(U) on the humps of camels,
to that unprofitable nation,
⁷    to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.^(V)
Therefore I call her
    Rahab^(W) the Do-Nothing.

⁸Go now, write it on a tablet^(X) for them,
    inscribe it on a scroll,^(Y)
that for the days to come
    it may be an everlasting witness.^(Z)
⁹For these are rebellious^(AA) people, deceitful^(AB) children,
    children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.^(AC)
¹⁰They say to the seers,^(AD)
    “See no more visions^(AE)!”
and to the prophets,
    “Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,^(AF)
    prophesy illusions.^(AG)
¹¹Leave this way,^(AH)
    get off this path,
and stop confronting^(AI) us
    with the Holy One^(AJ) of Israel!”

¹²Therefore this is what the Holy One^(AK) of Israel says:

“Because you have rejected this message,^(AL)
    relied on oppression^(AM)
    and depended on deceit,
¹³this sin will become for you
    like a high wall,^(AN) cracked and bulging,
    that collapses^(AO) suddenly,^(AP) in an instant.
¹⁴It will break in pieces like pottery,^(AQ)
    shattered so mercilessly
that among its pieces not a fragment will be found
    for taking coals from a hearth
    or scooping water out of a cistern.”

¹⁵This is what the Sovereign^(AR) Lord, the Holy One^(AS) of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest^(AT) is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust^(AU) is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.^(AV)
¹⁶You said, ‘No, we will flee^(AW) on horses.’^(AX)
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
¹⁷A thousand will flee
    at the threat of one;
at the threat of five^(AY)
    you will all flee^(AZ) away,
till you are left^(BA)
    like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,
    like a banner^(BB) on a hill.”

¹⁸Yet the Lord longs^(BC) to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.^(BD)
For the Lord is a God of justice.^(BE)
Blessed are all who wait for him!^(BF)

¹⁹People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.^(BG) How gracious he will be when you cry for help!^(BH) As soon as he hears, he will answer^(BI) you. ²⁰Although the Lord gives you the bread^(BJ) of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers^(BK) will be hidden^(BL) no more; with your own eyes you will see them. ²¹Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice^(BM) behind you, saying, “This is the way;^(BN) walk in it.” ²²Then you will desecrate your idols^(BO) overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold;^(BP) you will throw them away like a menstrual^(BQ) cloth and say to them, “Away with you!^(BR)”

²³He will also send you rain^(BS) for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich^(BT) and plentiful.^(BU) In that day^(BV) your cattle will graze in broad meadows.^(BW) ²⁴The oxen^(BX) and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder^(BY) and mash, spread out with fork^(BZ) and shovel. ²⁵In the day of great slaughter,^(CA) when the towers^(CB) fall, streams of water will flow^(CC) on every high mountain and every lofty hill. ²⁶The moon will shine like the sun,^(CD) and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals^(CE) the wounds he inflicted.

²⁷See, the Name^(CF) of the Lord comes from afar,
    with burning anger^(CG) and dense clouds of smoke;
his lips are full of wrath,^(CH)
    and his tongue is a consuming fire.^(CI)
²⁸His breath^(CJ) is like a rushing torrent,^(CK)
    rising up to the neck.^(CL)
He shakes the nations in the sieve^(CM) of destruction;
    he places in the jaws of the peoples
    a bit^(CN) that leads them astray.
²⁹And you will sing
    as on the night you celebrate a holy festival;^(CO)
your hearts will rejoice^(CP)
    as when people playing pipes^(CQ) go up
to the mountain^(CR) of the Lord,
    to the Rock^(CS) of Israel.
³⁰The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice^(CT)
    and will make them see his arm^(CU) coming down
with raging anger^(CV) and consuming fire,^(CW)
    with cloudburst, thunderstorm^(CX) and hail.^(CY)
³¹The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria;^(CZ)
    with his rod he will strike^(DA) them down.
³²Every stroke the Lord lays on them
    with his punishing club^(DB)
will be to the music of timbrels^(DC) and harps,
    as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.^(DD)
³³Topheth^(DE) has long been prepared;
    it has been made ready for the king.
Its fire pit has been made deep and wide,
    with an abundance of fire and wood;
the breath^(DF) of the Lord,
    like a stream of burning sulfur,^(DG)
    sets it ablaze.^(DH)

Psalm 102

New International Version

Psalm 102^[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

¹Hear my prayer,^(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help^(B) come to you.
²Do not hide your face^(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear^(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

³For my days vanish like smoke;^(E)
    my bones^(F) burn like glowing embers.
⁴My heart is blighted and withered like grass;^(G)
    I forget to eat my food.^(H)
⁵In my distress I groan aloud^(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
⁶I am like a desert owl,^(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
⁷I lie awake;^(K) I have become
    like a bird alone^(L) on a roof.
⁸All day long my enemies^(M) taunt me;^(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.^(O)
⁹For I eat ashes^(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears^(Q)
¹⁰because of your great wrath,^(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
¹¹My days are like the evening shadow;^(S)
    I wither^(T) away like grass.

¹²But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;^(U)
    your renown endures^(V) through all generations.^(W)
¹³You will arise^(X) and have compassion^(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time^(Z) to show favor^(AA) to her;
    the appointed time^(AB) has come.
¹⁴For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
¹⁵The nations will fear^(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings^(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
¹⁶For the Lord will rebuild Zion^(AE)
    and appear in his glory.^(AF)
¹⁷He will respond to the prayer^(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸Let this be written^(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created^(AI) may praise the Lord:
¹⁹“The Lord looked down^(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoners^(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
²¹So the name of the Lord will be declared^(AL) in Zion
    and his praise^(AM) in Jerusalem
²²when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship^(AN) the Lord.

²³In the course of my life^[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.^(AO)
²⁴So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on^(AP) through all generations.
²⁵In the beginning^(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens^(AR) are the work of your hands.^(AS)
²⁶They will perish,^(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
²⁷But you remain the same,^(AU)
    and your years will never end.^(AV)
²⁸The children of your servants^(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants^(AX) will be established before you.”

Footnotes

Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
Psalm 102:23 Or By his power

2 Timothy 2

New International Version

The Appeal Renewed

2 You then, my son,^(A) be strong^(B) in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things you have heard me say^(C) in the presence of many witnesses^(D) entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. ³Join with me in suffering,^(E) like a good soldier^(F) of Christ Jesus. ⁴No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. ⁵Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown^(G) except by competing according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.^(H) ⁷Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

⁸Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,^(I) descended from David.^(J) This is my gospel,^(K) ⁹for which I am suffering^(L) even to the point of being chained^(M) like a criminal. But God’s word^(N) is not chained. ¹⁰Therefore I endure everything^(O) for the sake of the elect,^(P) that they too may obtain the salvation^(Q) that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.^(R)

¹¹Here is a trustworthy saying:^(S)

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;^(T)
¹²if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.^(U)
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;^(V)
¹³if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,^(W)
    for he cannot disown himself.

Dealing With False Teachers

¹⁴Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words;^(X) it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.^(Y) ¹⁶Avoid godless chatter,^(Z) because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. ¹⁷Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus^(AA) and Philetus, ¹⁸who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place,^(AB) and they destroy the faith of some.^(AC) ¹⁹Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm,^(AD) sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,”^(AE) and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord^(AF) must turn away from wickedness.”

²⁰In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.^(AG) ²¹Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.^(AH)

²²Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love^(AI) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord^(AJ) out of a pure heart.^(AK) ²³Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.^(AL) ²⁴And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.^(AM) ²⁵Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,^(AN) ²⁶and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,^(AO) who has taken them captive to do his will.