Isaiah 55:6-11

New International Version

⁶Seek^(A) the Lord while he may be found;^(B)
    call^(C) on him while he is near.
⁷Let the wicked forsake^(D) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(E)
Let them turn^(F) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(G) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(H)

⁸“For my thoughts^(I) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(J)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(K)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(L)
¹⁰As the rain^(M) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(N)
    so that it yields seed^(O) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(P)
¹¹so is my word^(Q) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(R)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(S) for which I sent it.

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Matthew 16:13-23

New International Version

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(A)

¹³When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(B) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(C)

¹⁵“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^(D)

¹⁷Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,^(E) but by my Father in heaven.^(F) ¹⁸And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a]^(G) and on this rock I will build my church,^(H) and the gates of Hades^[b] will not overcome it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys^(I) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[d] loosed in heaven.”^(J) ²⁰Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone^(K) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death^(L)

²¹From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem^(M) and suffer many things^(N) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(O) and that he must be killed^(P) and on the third day^(Q) be raised to life.^(R)

²²Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!^(S) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

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