Isaiah 4-5
Christian Standard Bible
4 On that day seven women
will seize one man,(A) saying,
“We will eat our own bread
and provide our own clothing.
Just let us bear your name.
Take away our disgrace.”(B)
Zion’s Future Glory
2 On that day the Branch[a] of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious,(C) and the fruit of the land(D) will be the pride and glory(E) of Israel’s survivors.(F) 3 Whoever remains in Zion and whoever is left in Jerusalem(G) will be called holy(H)—all in Jerusalem written in the book of life[b](I)— 4 when the Lord has washed away the filth(J) of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt(K) from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment(L) and a spirit of burning.(M) 5 Then the Lord will create(N) a cloud of smoke by day(O) and a glowing flame of fire by night over the entire site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies. For there will be a canopy over all the glory,[c] 6 and there will be a shelter for shade from heat by day and a refuge and shelter from storm and rain.(P)
Song of the Vineyard
5 I will sing about the one I love,
a song about my loved one’s vineyard:(Q)
The one I love had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones,
and planted it with the finest vines.(R)
He built a tower in the middle of it
and even dug out a winepress there.
He expected(S) it to yield good grapes,
but it yielded worthless grapes.(T)
3 So now, residents of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
please judge between me
and my vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for my vineyard
than I did?(U)
Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes,
did it yield worthless grapes?
5 Now I will tell you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge,(V)
and it will be consumed;
I will tear down its wall,(W)
and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland.(X)
It will not be pruned or weeded;
thorns and briers will grow up.(Y)
I will also give orders to the clouds
that rain should not fall on it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Armies
is the house of Israel,(Z)
and the men[d] of Judah,
the plant he delighted in.
He expected justice
but saw injustice;
he expected righteousness
but heard cries of despair.
Judah’s Sins Denounced
8 Woe to those who add house to house(AA)
and join field to field
until there is no more room
and you alone are left in the land.
9 I heard the Lord of Armies say:
Indeed, many houses(AB) will become desolate,
grand and lovely ones without inhabitants.
10 For a ten-acre[e] vineyard will yield
only six gallons of wine,[f]
and ten bushels[g] of seed will yield
only one bushel of grain.[h]
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning
in pursuit of beer,(AC)
who linger into the evening,
inflamed by wine.
12 At their feasts they have lyre, harp,
tambourine, flute, and wine.
They do not perceive the Lord’s actions,(AD)
and they do not see the work of his hands.(AE)
13 Therefore my people will go into exile
because they lack knowledge;(AF)
her[i] dignitaries are starving,
and her masses are parched with thirst.
14 Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat
and opens wide its enormous jaws,(AG)
and down go Zion’s dignitaries, her masses,
her crowds, and those who celebrate in her!
15 Humanity is brought low, each person is humbled,
and haughty eyes are humbled.(AH)
16 But the Lord of Armies is exalted by his justice,(AI)
and the holy God(AJ) demonstrates his holiness through his righteousness.(AK)
17 Lambs will graze
as if in[j] their own pastures,(AL)
and resident aliens[k] will eat
among the ruins of the rich.
18 Woe to those who drag iniquity
with cords of deceit(AM)
and pull sin along with cart ropes,
19 to those who say,
“Let him hurry up and do his work quickly
so that we can see it!
Let the plan(AN) of the Holy One of Israel(AO) take place
so that we can know it!”
20 Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,(AP)
who substitute darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who substitute bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
21 Woe to those who consider themselves wise
and judge themselves clever.[l](AQ)
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,
who are champions at pouring beer,(AR)
23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe(AS)
and deprive the innocent of justice.
24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw
and as dry grass shrivels in the flame,
so their roots will become like something rotten
and their blossoms will blow away like dust,
for they have rejected(AT)
the instruction of the Lord of Armies,
and they have despised
the word of the Holy One of Israel.(AU)
25 Therefore the Lord’s anger burned(AV) against his people.
He raised his hand against them and struck them;
the mountains quaked,(AW)
and their corpses were like garbage in the streets.
In all this, his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is still raised to strike.(AX)
26 He raises a signal flag for the distant nations(AY)
and whistles(AZ) for them from the ends of the earth.
Look—how quickly and swiftly they come!
27 None of them grows weary or stumbles;(BA)
no one slumbers or sleeps.
No belt is loose
and no sandal strap broken.
28 Their arrows are sharpened,
and all their bows strung.
Their horses’ hooves are like flint;
their chariot wheels are like a whirlwind.
29 Their roaring is like a lion’s;(BB)
they roar like young lions;(BC)
they growl and seize their prey
and carry it off,
and no one can rescue it.
30 On that day they will roar over it,
like the roaring of the sea.
When one looks at the land,
there will be darkness and distress;
light will be obscured by clouds.[m]
Footnotes
Romans 16
Christian Standard Bible
Paul’s Commendation of Phoebe
16 I commend to you(A) our sister Phoebe, who is a servant[a] of the church in Cenchreae.(B) 2 So you should welcome her in the Lord(C) in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.
Greeting to Roman Christians
3 Give my greetings to Prisca[b] and Aquila,(D) my coworkers in(E) Christ Jesus,(F) 4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. 5 Greet also the church that meets in their home.(G) Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert[c](H) to Christ from Asia.[d](I) 6 Greet Mary,[e] who has worked very hard for you.[f] 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews[g](J) and fellow prisoners.(K) They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles,[h] and they were also in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.(L) 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.[i] Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus,(M) chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.(N) 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(O) All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
Warning against Divisive People
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned.(P) Avoid them,(Q) 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ(R) but their own appetites.[j](S) They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.(T)
Paul’s Gracious Conclusion
19 The report of your obedience has reached everyone.(U) Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.(V) 20 The God of peace(W) will soon crush Satan(X) under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.(Y)
21 Timothy,(Z) my coworker, and Lucius,(AA) Jason,(AB) and Sosipater,(AC) my fellow countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter,(AD) greet you in the Lord.[k]
23 Gaius,(AE) who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus,(AF) the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.[l]
Glory to God
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you(AG) according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,(AH) according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent(AI) for long ages(AJ) 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures,(AK) according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith(AL) among all the Gentiles— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever Amen.
Footnotes
- 16:1 Others interpret this term in a technical sense: deacon, or deaconess, or minister, or courier
- 16:3 Traditionally, Priscilla, as in Ac 18:2,18,26
- 16:5 Lit the firstfruits
- 16:5 Other mss read Achaia
- 16:6 Or Maria
- 16:6 Other mss read us
- 16:7 Or family members
- 16:7 Or They are noteworthy among the apostles
- 16:11 Or family member
- 16:18 Lit belly
- 16:22 Or letter in the Lord, greet you
- 16:23 Some mss include v. 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
- 16:25–27 Other mss have these vv. at the end of chap. 14 or 15.
Psalm 102:10-16
Christian Standard Bible
10 because of your indignation and wrath;
for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.(A)
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither away like grass.(B)
12 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;(C)
your fame endures to all generations.(D)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her—
the appointed time has come.(E)
14 For your servants take delight in its stones
and favor its dust.(F)
15 Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,(G)
16 for the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will appear in his glory.(H)
Proverbs 21:14-15
Christian Standard Bible
14 A secret gift soothes anger,
and a covert bribe, fierce rage.(A)
15 Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to evildoers.(B)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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