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Listen to today's reading by Tom Dooley © MasterMedia Ministries/Tyndale.
This content from World English Bible (public domain)
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear, heavens,
and listen, earth; for Yahweh [“Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. ]has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children
and they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows his owner,
and the donkey his master’s crib;
but Israel doesn’t know.
My people don’t consider.”
Ah sinful nation,
a people loaded with iniquity,
offspring [or, seed ]of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken Yahweh.
They have despised the Holy One of Israel.
They are estranged and backward.
Why should you be beaten more,
that you revolt more and more?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it,
but wounds, welts, and open sores.
They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.
Your country is desolate.
Your cities are burned with fire.
Strangers devour your land in your presence
and it is desolate,
as overthrown by strangers.
The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a field of melons,
like a besieged city.
Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant,
we would have been as Sodom.
We would have been like Gomorrah.
Hear Yahweh’s word, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the law of our God, [The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim). ]you people of Gomorrah!
“What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me ?”, says Yahweh.
“I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed animals.
I don’t delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs,
or of male goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings.
Incense is an abomination to me.
New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations —
I can’t stand evil assemblies.
My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts.
They are a burden to me.
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you.
Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean.
Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do well.
Seek justice.
Relieve the oppressed.
Defend the fatherless.
Plead for the widow.”
“Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh:
“Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword;
for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken it.”
How the faithful city has become a prostitute!
She was full of justice.
Righteousness lodged in her,
but now there are murderers.
Your silver has become dross,
your wine mixed with water.
Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.
They don’t defend the fatherless,
neither does the cause of the widow come to them.
Therefore the Lord, [The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” ]Yahweh of Armies,
the Mighty One of Israel, says:
“Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries,
and avenge myself on my enemies.
I will turn my hand on you,
thoroughly purge away your dross,
and will take away all your tin. [tin is a metal that is separated from silver during the refining and purification process. ]
I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness,
a faithful town.’
Zion shall be redeemed with justice,
and her converts with righteousness.
But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together,
and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired,
and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen.
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades,
and as a garden that has no water.
The strong will be like tinder,
and his work like a spark.
They will both burn together,
and no one will quench them.”
This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
and all nations shall flow to it.
Many peoples shall go and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the law shall go out of Zion,
and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations,
and will decide concerning many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
House of Jacob, come, and let’s walk in the light of Yahweh.
For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob,
because they are filled from the east,
with those who practice divination like the Philistines,
and they clasp hands with the children of foreigners.
Their land is full of silver and gold,
neither is there any end of their treasures.
Their land also is full of horses,
neither is there any end of their chariots.
Their land also is full of idols.
They worship the work of their own hands,
that which their own fingers have made.
Man is brought low,
and mankind is humbled;
therefore don’t forgive them.
Enter into the rock,
and hide in the dust,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty.
The lofty looks of man will be brought low,
the arrogance of men will be bowed down,
and Yahweh alone will be exalted in that day.
For there will be a day of Yahweh of Armies for all that is proud and arrogant,
and for all that is lifted up,
and it shall be brought low —
for all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up,
for all the oaks of Bashan,
for all the high mountains,
for all the hills that are lifted up,
for every lofty tower,
for every fortified wall,
for all the ships of Tarshish,
and for all pleasant imagery.
The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
and the arrogance of men shall be brought low;
and Yahweh alone shall be exalted in that day.
The idols shall utterly pass away.
Men shall go into the caves of the rocks,
and into the holes of the earth,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
In that day, men shall cast away their idols of silver
and their idols of gold,
which have been made for themselves to worship,
to the moles and to the bats,
to go into the caverns of the rocks,
and into the clefts of the ragged rocks,
from before the terror of Yahweh,
and from the glory of his majesty,
when he arises to shake the earth mightily.
Stop trusting in man, whose breath is in his nostrils;
for of what account is he? (WEB)
This content from OpenEnglishBible (public domain)
Now, I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ – I who, “in your presence, am humble in my bearing towards you, but, when absent, am bold in my language to you” – I implore you not to drive me to “show my boldness,” when I do come, by the confident tone which I expect to have to adopt towards some of you, who are expecting to find us influenced in our conduct by earthly motives. For, though we live an earthly life, we do not wage an earthly war. The weapons for our warfare are not earthly, but, under God, are powerful enough to pull down strongholds. We are engaged in confuting arguments and pulling down every barrier raised against the knowledge of God. We are taking captive every hostile thought, to bring it into submission to the Christ, and are fully prepared to punish every act of rebellion, when once your submission is complete. You look at the outward appearance of things! Let anyone, who is confident that he belongs to Christ, reflect, for himself, again on the fact – that we belong to Christ no less than he does. Even if I boast extravagantly about our authority – which the Lord gave us for building up your faith and not for overthrowing it – still I have no reason to be ashamed. I say this so that it doesn’t seem as if I am trying to overawe you by my letters. For people say “His letters are impressive and vigorous, but his personal appearance is insignificant and his speaking contemptible.” Let such a person be assured of this – that our words in our letters show us to be, when absent, just what our deeds will show us to be, when present. We have not indeed the audacity to class or compare ourselves with some of those who indulge in self-commendation! But, when such persons measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they show a want of wisdom. We, however, will not give way to unlimited boasting, but will confine ourselves to the limits of the sphere to which God limited us, when he permitted us to come as far as Corinth. For it is not the case, as it would be if we were not in the habit of coming to you, that we are exceeding our bounds! Why, we were the very first to reach you with the good news of the Christ! Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere – So that we will be able to tell the good news in the districts beyond you, without trespassing on the sphere assigned to others, or boasting of what has been already done. Let anyone who boasts make their boast of the Lord. For it is not those who commend themselves that stand the test, but those who are commended by the Lord. (OEB)
This content from OpenEnglishBible (public domain)
Why glory in mischief, you hero?
God’s kindness is all the day.
Engulfing ruin you plot,
your tongue like a razor sharpened,
you practiser of deceit.
Evil, not good, you love,
and falsehood, not words of truth. Selah
But you love all words that devour,
and a tongue that is given to deceit.
But God, on his part, shall destroy you forever,
grasp you and pluck you out of your tent,
and root you out of the land of the living. Selah
Smitten with awe at the sight,
the righteous shall laugh at you.
“Look” (they will say) “at the hero
who did not make God his stronghold,
but trusted in his great wealth
and in the strength of his riches.”
But I am like a fresh olive-tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the kindness of God
for ever and evermore.
I will render you thanks for ever
for what you have done.
I will tell how good you are
in the presence of those who love you.
(OEB)
Psalm 52:9, 22:3, 145:7, 108:5: The Celebration Song (In the presence of your people)
This content pulled from bible.org.
Do not be one who strikes hands in pledgeor who puts up security for debts. If you do not have enough to pay,your bed will be taken right out from under you!
(NET)