Isaiah 9
English Standard Version
For to Us a Child Is Born
9 [a] But there will be no (A)gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he (B)brought into contempt the land of (C)Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he (D)has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.[b]
2 [c] (E)The people (F)who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of (G)deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
3 (H)You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with (I)joy at the harvest,
as they (J)are glad (K)when they divide the spoil.
4 (L)For the yoke of his burden,
(M)and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as (N)on the day of Midian.
5 (O)For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 (P)For to us a child is born,
to us (Q)a son is given;
(R)and the government shall be (S)upon[d] his shoulder,
and his name shall be called[e]
Wonderful (T)Counselor, (U)Mighty God,
(V)Everlasting (W)Father, Prince of (X)Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
(Y)there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
(Z)with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
(AA)The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression
8 The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,
and it will fall on Israel;
9 and all the people will know,
(AB)Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,
who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:
10 “The bricks have fallen,
but we will build with dressed stones;
the sycamores have been cut down,
but we will put cedars in their place.”
11 But the Lord raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,
and stirs up his enemies.
12 (AC)The Syrians on the east and (AD)the Philistines on the west
devour Israel with open mouth.
(AE)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
13 The people (AF)did not turn to him who struck them,
nor inquire of the Lord of hosts.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel (AG)head and tail,
palm branch and reed in one day—
15 (AH)the elder and honored man is the head,
and (AI)the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,
and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
17 Therefore the Lord does not (AJ)rejoice over their young men,
and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;
for everyone is (AK)godless and an evildoer,
and every mouth speaks (AL)folly.[f]
(AM)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like (AN)a fire;
it consumes briers and thorns;
it kindles the thickets of the forest,
and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts
the land is scorched,
and (AO)the people are like fuel for the fire;
(AP)no one spares another.
20 (AQ)They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,
and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;
(AR)each devours the flesh of his own arm,
21 Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;
together they are (AS)against Judah.
(AT)For all this his anger has not turned away,
and his hand is stretched out still.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew
- Isaiah 9:1 Or of the Gentiles
- Isaiah 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew
- Isaiah 9:6 Or is upon
- Isaiah 9:6 Or is called
- Isaiah 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things
Mark 8:11-38
English Standard Version
The Pharisees Demand a Sign
11 (A)The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, (B)seeking from him (C)a sign from heaven (D)to test him. 12 And (E)he sighed deeply (F)in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And (G)he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; (H)beware of (I)the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of (J)Herod.”[a] 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And (K)Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? (L)Do you not yet perceive (M)or understand? (N)Are your hearts hardened? 18 (O)Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke (P)the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And (Q)the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 And they came (R)to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And (S)he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when (T)he had (U)spit on his eyes and (V)laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus[b] laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, (W)“Do not even enter the village.”
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27 (X)And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, (Y)“John the Baptist; and others say, (Z)Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, (AA)“You are (AB)the Christ.” 30 (AC)And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 (AD)And he began to teach them that (AE)the Son of Man must (AF)suffer many things and (AG)be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and (AH)after three days rise again. 32 And he said this (AI)plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, (AJ)“Get behind me, Satan! For you (AK)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him (AL)deny himself and (AM)take up his cross and follow me. 35 For (AN)whoever would save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake (AO)and the gospel's will save it. 36 (AP)For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For (AQ)what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For (AR)whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this (AS)adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed (AT)when he comes in the glory of his Father with (AU)the holy angels.”
Read full chapterThe ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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