Isaiah 66:1-12
New King James Version
True Worship and False
66 Thus says the Lord:
(A)“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
(B)“But on this one will I look:
(C)On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.
3 “He(D) who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he (E)breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood;
He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.
Just as they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,
4 So will I choose their delusions,
And bring their fears on them;
(F)Because, when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 Hear the word of the Lord,
You who tremble at His word:
“Your brethren who (G)hated you,
Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,
(H)‘Let the Lord be glorified,
That (I)we may see your joy.’
But they shall be ashamed.”
6 The sound of noise from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
Who fully repays His enemies!
7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
11 That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”
12 For thus says the Lord:
“Behold, (J)I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall (K)feed;
On her sides shall you be (L)carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
Luke 6:39-49
New King James Version
39 And He spoke a parable to them: (A)“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 (B)A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 (C)And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit(D)
43 (E)“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For (F)every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 (G)A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil [a]treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out (H)of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Build on the Rock(I)
46 (J)“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 (K)Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was [b]founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it [c]fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
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1 Corinthians 7:1-24
New King James Version
Principles of Marriage
7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
(A)It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 (B)Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 (C)Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that (D)Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, (E)not as a commandment. 7 For (F)I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: (G)It is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but (H)if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Keep Your Marriage Vows
10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the (I)Lord: (J)A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.
12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise (K)your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us (L)to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will (M)save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
Live as You Are Called
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And (N)so I [a]ordain in all the churches. 18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? (O)Let him not be circumcised. 19 (P)Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but (Q)keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is (R)the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is (S)Christ’s slave. 23 (T)You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, let each one remain with (U)God in that state in which he was called.
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- 1 Corinthians 7:17 direct
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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