Zechariah 8

New International Version

The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

8 The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

²This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous^(A) for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

³This is what the Lord says: “I will return^(B) to Zion^(C) and dwell in Jerusalem.^(D) Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City,^(E) and the mountain^(F) of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.^(G)”

⁴This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem,^(H) each of them with cane in hand because of their age. ⁵The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.^(I)”

⁶This is what the Lord Almighty says: “It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time,^(J) but will it seem marvelous to me?^(K)” declares the Lord Almighty.

⁷This is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west.^(L) ⁸I will bring them back^(M) to live^(N) in Jerusalem; they will be my people,^(O) and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.^(P)”

⁹This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong^(Q) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets^(R) said who were present when the foundation^(S) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty. ¹⁰Before that time there were no wages^(T) for people or hire for animals. No one could go about their business safely^(U) because of their enemies, since I had turned everyone against their neighbor. ¹¹But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past,”^(V) declares the Lord Almighty.

¹²“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit,^(W) the ground will produce its crops,^(X) and the heavens will drop their dew.^(Y) I will give all these things as an inheritance^(Z) to the remnant of this people.^(AA) ¹³Just as you, Judah and Israel, have been a curse^[a]^(AB) among the nations, so I will save^(AC) you, and you will be a blessing.^[b]^(AD) Do not be afraid,^(AE) but let your hands be strong.^(AF)”

¹⁴This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Just as I had determined to bring disaster^(AG) on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me,” says the Lord Almighty, ¹⁵“so now I have determined to do good^(AH) again to Jerusalem and Judah.^(AI) Do not be afraid. ¹⁶These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth^(AJ) to each other, and render true and sound judgment^(AK) in your courts;^(AL) ¹⁷do not plot evil^(AM) against each other, and do not love to swear falsely.^(AN) I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸The word of the Lord Almighty came to me.

¹⁹This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,^(AO) fifth,^(AP) seventh^(AQ) and tenth^(AR) months will become joyful^(AS) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth^(AT) and peace.”

²⁰This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, ²¹and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat^(AU) the Lord and seek^(AV) the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ ²²And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him.”^(AW)

²³This is what the Lord Almighty says: “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’”^(AX)

Footnotes

Zechariah 8:13 That is, your name has been used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, you have been regarded as under a curse.
Zechariah 8:13 Or and your name will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or and you will be seen as blessed

Romans 15

New International Version

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak^(A) and not to please ourselves. ²Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,^(B) to build them up.^(C) ³For even Christ did not please himself^(D) but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”^[a]^(E) ⁴For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,^(F) so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind^(G) toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify^(H) the God and Father^(I) of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Accept one another,^(J) then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ⁸For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews^[b]^(K) on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises^(L) made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹and, moreover, that the Gentiles^(M) might glorify God^(N) for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”^[c]^(O)

¹⁰Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”^[d]^(P)

¹¹And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”^[e]^(Q)

¹²And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse^(R) will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”^[f]^(S)

¹³May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace^(T) as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(U)

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

¹⁴I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness,^(V) filled with knowledge^(W) and competent to instruct one another. ¹⁵Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me^(X) ¹⁶to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.^(Y) He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God,^(Z) so that the Gentiles might become an offering^(AA) acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus^(AB) in my service to God.^(AC) ¹⁸I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles^(AD) to obey God^(AE) by what I have said and done— ¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders,^(AF) through the power of the Spirit of God.^(AG) So from Jerusalem^(AH) all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.^(AI) ²⁰It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel^(AJ) where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.^(AK) ²¹Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.”^[g]^(AL)

²²This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.^(AM)

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

²³But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you,^(AN) ²⁴I plan to do so when I go to Spain.^(AO) I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist^(AP) me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem^(AQ) in the service^(AR) of the Lord’s people^(AS) there. ²⁶For Macedonia^(AT) and Achaia^(AU) were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.^(AV) ²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.^(AW) ²⁸So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain^(AX) and visit you on the way. ²⁹I know that when I come to you,^(AY) I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,^(AZ) to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.^(BA) ³¹Pray that I may be kept safe^(BB) from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution^(BC) I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people^(BD) there, ³²so that I may come to you^(BE) with joy, by God’s will,^(BF) and in your company be refreshed.^(BG) ³³The God of peace^(BH) be with you all. Amen.

Footnotes

Romans 15:3 Psalm 69:9
Romans 15:8 Greek circumcision
Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49
Romans 15:10 Deut. 32:43
Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1
Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10 (see Septuagint)
Romans 15:21 Isaiah 52:15 (see Septuagint)

Psalm 37

New International Version

Psalm 37^[a]

Of David.

¹Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious^(A) of those who do wrong;^(B)
²for like the grass they will soon wither,^(C)
like green plants they will soon die away.^(D)

³Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land^(E) and enjoy safe pasture.^(F)
⁴Take delight^(G) in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.^(H)

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him^(I) and he will do this:
⁶He will make your righteous reward^(J) shine like the dawn,^(K)
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷Be still^(L) before the Lord
and wait patiently^(M) for him;
do not fret^(N) when people succeed in their ways,^(O)
when they carry out their wicked schemes.^(P)

⁸Refrain from anger^(Q) and turn from wrath;
do not fret^(R)—it leads only to evil.
⁹For those who are evil will be destroyed,^(S)
but those who hope^(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.^(U)

¹⁰A little while, and the wicked will be no more;^(V)
though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹But the meek will inherit the land^(W)
and enjoy peace and prosperity.^(X)

¹²The wicked plot^(Y) against the righteous
and gnash their teeth^(Z) at them;
¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.^(AA)

¹⁴The wicked draw the sword^(AB)
    and bend the bow^(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,^(AD)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵But their swords will pierce their own hearts,^(AE)
    and their bows will be broken.^(AF)

¹⁶Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth^(AG) of many wicked;
¹⁷for the power of the wicked will be broken,^(AH)
but the Lord upholds^(AI) the righteous.

¹⁸The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,^(AJ)
and their inheritance will endure forever.^(AK)
¹⁹In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰But the wicked will perish:^(AL)
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.^(AM)

²¹The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;^(AN)
²²those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses^(AO) will be destroyed.^(AP)

²³The Lord makes firm the steps^(AQ)
of the one who delights^(AR) in him;
²⁴though he may stumble, he will not fall,^(AS)
for the Lord upholds^(AT) him with his hand.

²⁵I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken^(AU)
    or their children begging^(AV) bread.
²⁶They are always generous and lend freely;^(AW)
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]^(AX)

²⁷Turn from evil and do good;^(AY)
then you will dwell in the land forever.^(AZ)
²⁸For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.^(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.^(BB)
²⁹The righteous will inherit the land^(BC)
and dwell in it forever.^(BD)

³⁰The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,^(BE)
and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹The law of their God is in their hearts;^(BF)
their feet do not slip.^(BG)

³²The wicked lie in wait^(BH) for the righteous,^(BI)
intent on putting them to death;
³³but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned^(BJ) when brought to trial.^(BK)

³⁴Hope in the Lord^(BL)
and keep his way.^(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed,^(BN) you will see^(BO) it.

³⁵I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing^(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.^(BQ)

³⁷Consider the blameless,^(BR) observe the upright;^(BS)
a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]^(BT)
³⁸But all sinners^(BU) will be destroyed;^(BV)
there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.^(BW)

³⁹The salvation^(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.^(BY)
⁴⁰The Lord helps^(BZ) them and delivers^(CA) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves^(CB) them,
    because they take refuge^(CC) in him.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
Psalm 37:38 Or posterity