Isaiah 57:14-21

English Standard Version

Comfort for the Contrite

¹⁴And it shall be said,
^(A)“Build up, build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstruction from my people's way.”
¹⁵For thus says ^(B)the One who is high and lifted up,
    who inhabits eternity, whose name is ^(C)Holy:
^(D)“I dwell in the high and holy place,
    and also ^(E)with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
^(F)to revive the spirit of the lowly,
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.
¹⁶^(G)For I will not contend forever,
    nor will I always be angry;
for the spirit would grow faint before me,
    and the breath of life that I made.
¹⁷Because of the iniquity of his ^(H)unjust gain I was angry,
    I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,
    but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.
¹⁸I have seen his ways, ^(I)but I will heal him;
    I will lead him ^(J)and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
¹⁹    ^(K)creating ^(L)the fruit of the lips.
^(M)Peace, peace, ^(N)to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
    ^(O)“and I will heal him.
²⁰^(P)But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
    for it cannot be quiet,
    and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
²¹^(Q)There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

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Isaiah 66:1-2

English Standard Version

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

66 ^(A)Thus says the Lord:
^(B)“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
²^(C)All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
^(D)But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.

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Matthew 7:7-11

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Ask, and It Will Be Given

⁷^(A)“Ask, ^(B)and it will be given to you; ^(C)seek, and you will find; ^(D)knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹Or which one of you, if his son asks him for ^(E)bread, will give him ^(F)a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹If you then, ^(G)who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will ^(H)your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

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Colossians 3:13-14

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¹³^(A)bearing with one another and, ^(B)if one has a complaint against another, ^(C)forgiving each other; ^(D)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴And above all these put on ^(E)love, which ^(F)binds everything together in ^(G)perfect harmony.

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Colossians 4:2-6

English Standard Version

Further Instructions

²^(A)Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it ^(B)with thanksgiving. ³At the same time, pray also for us, that God may ^(C)open to us a door for the word, ^(D)to declare the mystery of Christ, ^(E)on account of which I am in prison— ⁴that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

⁵^(F)Walk in wisdom toward ^(G)outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always ^(H)be gracious, ^(I)seasoned with salt, ^(J)so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.