Isaiah 53-54

New International Version

53 Who has believed our message^(A)
    and to whom has the arm^(B) of the Lord been revealed?^(C)
²He grew up before him like a tender shoot,^(D)
    and like a root^(E) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance^(F) that we should desire him.
³He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,^(G) and familiar with pain.^(H)
Like one from whom people hide^(I) their faces
    he was despised,^(J) and we held him in low esteem.

⁴Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,^(K)
yet we considered him punished by God,^(L)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.^(M)
⁵But he was pierced^(N) for our transgressions,^(O)
    he was crushed^(P) for our iniquities;
the punishment^(Q) that brought us peace^(R) was on him,
    and by his wounds^(S) we are healed.^(T)
⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray,^(U)
    each of us has turned to our own way;^(V)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity^(W) of us all.

⁷He was oppressed^(X) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;^(Y)
he was led like a lamb^(Z) to the slaughter,^(AA)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸By oppression^[a] and judgment^(AB) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;^(AC)
    for the transgression^(AD) of my people he was punished.^[b]
⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked,^(AE)
    and with the rich^(AF) in his death,
though he had done no violence,^(AG)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.^(AH)

¹⁰Yet it was the Lord’s will^(AI) to crush^(AJ) him and cause him to suffer,^(AK)
    and though the Lord makes^[c] his life an offering for sin,^(AL)
he will see his offspring^(AM) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper^(AN) in his hand.
¹¹After he has suffered,^(AO)
    he will see the light^(AP) of life^[d] and be satisfied^[e];
by his knowledge^[f] my righteous servant^(AQ) will justify^(AR) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.^(AS)
¹²Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,^[g]^(AT)
    and he will divide the spoils^(AU) with the strong,^[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,^(AV)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.^(AW)
For he bore^(AX) the sin of many,^(AY)
    and made intercession^(AZ) for the transgressors.

The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,^(BA)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,^(BB)
    you who were never in labor;^(BC)
because more are the children^(BD) of the desolate^(BE) woman
    than of her who has a husband,^(BF)”
says the Lord.
²“Enlarge the place of your tent,^(BG)
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.^(BH)
³For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants^(BI) will dispossess nations^(BJ)
    and settle in their desolate^(BK) cities.

⁴“Do not be afraid;^(BL) you will not be put to shame.^(BM)
    Do not fear disgrace;^(BN) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth^(BO)
    and remember no more the reproach^(BP) of your widowhood.^(BQ)
⁵For your Maker^(BR) is your husband^(BS)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One^(BT) of Israel is your Redeemer;^(BU)
    he is called the God of all the earth.^(BV)
⁶The Lord will call you back^(BW)
    as if you were a wife deserted^(BX) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,^(BY)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷“For a brief moment^(BZ) I abandoned^(CA) you,
    but with deep compassion^(CB) I will bring you back.^(CC)
⁸In a surge of anger^(CD)
    I hid^(CE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness^(CF)
    I will have compassion^(CG) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.^(CH)

⁹“To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(CI)
So now I have sworn^(CJ) not to be angry^(CK) with you,
    never to rebuke^(CL) you again.
¹⁰Though the mountains be shaken^(CM)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(CN) for you will not be shaken^(CO)
    nor my covenant^(CP) of peace^(CQ) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(CR) on you.

¹¹“Afflicted^(CS) city, lashed by storms^(CT) and not comforted,^(CU)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[i]^(CV)
    your foundations^(CW) with lapis lazuli.^(CX)
¹²I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(CY) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(CZ)
    and great will be their peace.^(DA)
¹⁴In righteousness^(DB) you will be established:^(DC)
Tyranny^(DD) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(DE)
Terror^(DF) will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.
¹⁵If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender^(DG) to you.

¹⁶“See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(DH)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon^(DI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer^(DJ) to wreak havoc;
¹⁷    no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(DK)
    and you will refute^(DL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants^(DM) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication^(DN) from me,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) ¹¹He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
Isaiah 53:12 Or many
Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Psalm 113:1-4

New International Version

Psalm 113

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(A)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;^(B)
    praise the name of the Lord.
²Let the name of the Lord be praised,^(C)
    both now and forevermore.^(D)
³From the rising of the sun^(E) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴The Lord is exalted^(F) over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.^(G)

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Footnotes

Psalm 113:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9

Proverbs 26:17-19

New International Version

¹⁷Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears
is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

¹⁸Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
¹⁹is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

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Ephesians 3

New International Version

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner^(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

²Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me^(B) for you, ³that is, the mystery^(C) made known to me by revelation,^(D) as I have already written briefly. ⁴In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight^(E) into the mystery of Christ, ⁵which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.^(F) ⁶This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs^(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,^(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.^(I)

⁷I became a servant of this gospel^(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me^(K) through the working of his power.^(L) ⁸Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,^(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles^(N) the boundless riches of Christ,^(O) ⁹and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,^(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God^(Q) should be made known^(R) to the rulers and authorities^(S) in the heavenly realms,^(T) ¹¹according to his eternal purpose^(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹²In him and through faith in him we may approach God^(V) with freedom and confidence.^(W) ¹³I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴For this reason I kneel^(X) before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches^(Y) he may strengthen you with power^(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,^(AA) ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts^(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted^(AC) and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,^(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep^(AE) is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge^(AF)—that you may be filled^(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.^(AH)

²⁰Now to him who is able^(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask^(AJ) or imagine, according to his power^(AK) that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.^(AL)