The Daily Audio Bible
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Jerusalem Will Have Many Children
54
You barren woman who never gave birth, shout for joy.
Burst forth with shouts of joy!
Cry aloud, you who have never been in labor,
because the deserted woman has more children
than the woman who is married, says the Lord.
2 Make more room for your tent.
Tell them to stretch out the curtains of your dwelling.
Do not hold back!
Make your tent ropes longer.
Make your tent stakes stronger,
3 because you will spread out to the right and to the left.
Your offspring will take possession of nations,
and they will repopulate devastated cities.
4 Do not be afraid,
because you will not be put to shame.
Do not be worried,
because you will not be embarrassed.
You will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will never remember the disgrace of your widowhood,
5 because your Maker is your husband.
The Lord of Armies is his name.
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
He is called the God of all the earth.
6 Though you are like an abandoned wife with a wounded spirit,
though you are like the wife from a man’s youth who has been rejected,
the Lord is calling you back, says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I am gathering you.
8 In a flood of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but in everlasting mercy I will have compassion on you,
says your Redeemer, the Lord.
9 To me this is like the time of the waters of Noah.
As I swore that the waters of Noah will never again cover the earth,
so I am swearing that I will not be angry at you,
and I will not rebuke you.
10 For even if the mountains are removed,
and the hills are overthrown,
my mercy will not be removed from you,
and my covenant of peace will not be overthrown,
says the Lord, who is showing you mercy.
11 Watch me, you afflicted woman, storm-tossed and not comforted,
I will set your precious stones in black mortar[a]
and lay down sapphires as your foundation.
12 I will decorate your parapets with rubies,
your gates with sparkling stones,
and your city boundaries with precious gems.[b]
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and the peace and prosperity of your children will be great.
14 In righteousness you will be established.
Oppression will be far from you, so you will not be afraid.
Terror will be far from you. It will never come near you.
15 If anyone attacks you, because of me he will accomplish nothing.[c]
Whoever launches an attack against you will fall before you.
16 See, I myself created the craftsman
who blows on the charcoal in the fire
to produce weapons for their task.
I myself have created a destroyer to cause devastation.
17 Every weapon formed against you will fail,
and you will condemn every tongue that rises up to judge you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.
Their righteousness is from me, declares the Lord.
Come to the Water
55
Hey,[d] all of you who are thirsty, come to the water,
even if you have no money!
Come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why do you spend money on something that is not bread?
Why do you waste your labor on something that does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.
Satisfy your appetite with rich food.
3 Turn your ear toward me, and come to me.
Listen, so that you may continue to live.
The Creator’s Everlasting Covenant
Yes, I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
the faithful mercies promised to David.
4 Look, I appointed him as a witness for peoples,
a leader and commander of peoples.
5 Look, you will call out to a nation you do not know,
and a nation that does not know you will run to you,
on account of the Lord your God,
because of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found!
Call on him while he is near!
7 Let the wicked man abandon his way.
Let an evil man abandon his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord,
and he will show him mercy.
Let him turn to our God,
because he will abundantly pardon.
8 Certainly my plans are not your plans,
and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord.
9 Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my plans are higher than your plans.
10 Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky
and do not return there
unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout,
so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth
will not return to me empty.
Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please,
and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.
12 Yes, you will go out with joy,
and in peace you will be carried along.
The mountains and the hills will break out in shouts of joy before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of thorns, a fir tree will grow up.
Instead of briers, a myrtle tree will grow up.
This will make a name for the Lord.
It will serve as an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.
56 This is what the Lord says.
Protect justice, and carry out righteousness,
because my salvation is coming very soon.
My righteousness is ready to be revealed.
2 How blessed is everyone who does this,
who grabs hold of it,
who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
who holds back his hand from doing any evil.
The Lord Welcomes All People
3 Therefore, the foreigner who joins himself to the Lord should not say,
“The Lord will certainly exclude me from his people.”
The eunuch should not say,
“I am just a dried-up tree.”
4 Because this is what the Lord says:
“If the eunuchs keep my Sabbaths,
choose things that delight me,
and take hold of my covenant,
5 then I will set up in my house and on my walls
a monument and a name for them
that is better than that of sons and daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.”
6 Then the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him and to love the name of the Lord
and to become his servants,
every one of them who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
those who take hold of my covenant—
7 I will bring them to my holy mountain,
and I will make them glad in my house of prayer.
Their whole burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be
acceptable on my altar.
For my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples
of the world.
8 This is the declaration of God the Lord,
who gathers Israel’s dispersed people:
“I will gather still more people to my house besides
the ones already gathered.”
The Coming Judgment Against Israel’s Leaders
9 All you wild animals, come to eat—
all you animals in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind, all of them.
They know nothing.
All of them are silent dogs.
They are not able to bark.
They are seers who lie down,
who love to sleep.
11 These dogs have a big appetite.
They are never satisfied.
These shepherds have no understanding.
All of them turn to their own ways.
Each one, without exception, turns to his own gain.
12 “Come on, I want to drink wine.
Let’s get drunk on beer.
Tomorrow will be another day, just like today,
another great day, better than ever.”
There Will Be Peace for the Righteous Even in Death
57
The righteous one perishes,
but no one takes it to heart.
Men of mercy[e] are being taken away,
but no one understands
that the righteous one is being spared from evil.
2 He will enter into peace.
They will rest on their beds.
He is walking in his uprightness.[f]
The Coming Judgment Against Israel’s Leaders
3 But you there, come closer,
you children of a witch,
you offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.
4 Who are you mocking?[g]
Who are you making faces at and sticking out your tongue at?
Aren’t you all children born in rebellion,
the offspring of deceit,
5 you who are in heat among the oaks and under every green tree,
you who slaughter children in the ravines under the rugged cliffs?
6 Your chosen territory is among the smooth stones of the ravines.
They, yes, they, are your lot.
You even poured out a drink offering to them,
and you offered up a grain offering.
Since you have done these things, should I spare you?
7 Upon a mountain, high and lofty, you spread out your bed.
Yes, you went up there to offer a sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and doorpost you placed your memorial.
Yes, you deserted me and uncovered yourself.[h] You climbed right into bed.
You made room for them in your bed.
You committed yourself to them.
You loved their bed.
You stared at their bodies.[i]
9 You traveled to deliver offerings of fragrant oil to the king,[j]
and you made many offerings of incense.
You sent your messengers to a distant land.
You sent them as far as hell.[k]
10 Because of the length of your journey, you became weary,
but you did not say, “It is hopeless!”
So you found new strength, and you did not faint.
11 But who is making you so anxious and so afraid that you
practice deception?
You did not remember me
and did not keep me in your heart.
Is it because I have been silent for a long time
that you do not fear me?
12 I will declare your righteousness and your deeds,
but they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out for help,
let your collections of idols deliver you.
But the wind will blow them all away.
A breeze will take them away.
But the one who takes refuge in me will inherit the land.
He will possess my holy mountain.
14 I will say,[l]
“Build up, build up the highway.
Prepare the way.
Remove the stumbling block from the way of my people.”
Parents and Children
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,”[a] which is the first commandment with a promise: 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live a long life on the earth.”[b] 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Slaves and Masters
5 Slaves, obey your human masters[c] with respect and reverence, and with a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ. 6 Do this not just when they are watching, as if merely to please people, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 Serve with eagerness, as for the Lord and not for people, 8 because you know that each person, whether slave or free, will receive back from the Lord whatever good he has done. 9 And masters, do the same for your slaves. Do not threaten them, because you know that the one who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and with him there is no favoritism.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the schemes of the Devil. 12 For our[d] struggle is not against flesh and blood,[e] but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to take a stand on the evil day and, after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness fastened in place, 15 and with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace tied to your feet like sandals. 16 At all times hold up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. 17 Also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Prayer Requests
18 At every opportunity, pray in the Spirit with every kind of prayer and petition. Stay alert for the same reason, always persevering in your intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray for me also, that when I open my mouth a message will be given to me that boldly reveals the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may speak about it boldly, as it is necessary for me to speak.
Final Comments
21 Tychicus, our dear brother and a faithful minister in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very reason, that you may know how we are, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace to the brothers,[f] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who have an undying[g] love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.[h]
Psalm 70
Hurry to Save Me
(Psalm 40:13-17)
Heading
For the choir director. By David. To bring to remembrance.
Hurry to Help Me
1 Hurry, God! Rescue me!
Lord, hurry to help me!
2 May those who seek my life be put to shame and disgrace.
May all who desire to harm me be turned back and disgraced.
3 May those who say, “Aha! We got you!” be dismayed,
because they have been put to shame.
4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.
May those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”
5 Yet I am oppressed and poor.
God, hurry to me. You are my help and my deliverer.
O Lord, do not delay.
8 Whoever plans evil will be called a master schemer.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.