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Isaiah 48:12-50:11
New Living Translation
Isaiah 48:12-50:11
New Living Translation
Freedom from Babylon
12 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
the First and the Last.
13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.”
14 Have any of your idols ever told you this?
Come, all of you, and listen:
The Lord has chosen Cyrus as his ally.
He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon
and to destroy the Babylonian[a] armies.
15 “I have said it: I am calling Cyrus!
I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed.
16 Come closer, and listen to this.
From the beginning I have told you plainly what would happen.”
And now the Sovereign Lord and his Spirit
have sent me with this message.
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands!
Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river
and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.
19 Your descendants would have been like the sands along the seashore—
too many to count!
There would have been no need for your destruction,
or for cutting off your family name.”
20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity!
Leave Babylon and the Babylonians.[b]
Sing out this message!
Shout it to the ends of the earth!
The Lord has redeemed his servants,
the people of Israel.[c]
21 They were not thirsty
when he led them through the desert.
He divided the rock,
and water gushed out for them to drink.
22 “But there is no peace for the wicked,”
says the Lord.
The Lord’s Servant Commissioned
49 Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword.
He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand.
I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
and you will bring me glory.”
4 I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.
Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
I will trust God for my reward.”
5 And now the Lord speaks—
the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
and my God has given me strength.
6 He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
7 The Lord, the Redeemer
and Holy One of Israel,
says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations,
to the one who is the servant of rulers:
“Kings will stand at attention when you pass by.
Princes will also bow low
because of the Lord, the faithful one,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Promises of Israel’s Restoration
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At just the right time, I will respond to you.[d]
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you and give you to the people
as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
and assign it to its own people again.
9 I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’
and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
and on hills that were previously bare.
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst.
The searing sun will not reach them anymore.
For the Lord in his mercy will lead them;
he will lead them beside cool waters.
11 And I will make my mountains into level paths for them.
The highways will be raised above the valleys.
12 See, my people will return from far away,
from lands to the north and west,
and from as far south as Egypt.[e]”
13 Sing for joy, O heavens!
Rejoice, O earth!
Burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on them in their suffering.
14 Yet Jerusalem[f] says, “The Lord has deserted us;
the Lord has forgotten us.”
15 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
I would not forget you!
16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.
17 Soon your descendants will come back,
and all who are trying to destroy you will go away.
18 Look around you and see,
for all your children will come back to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.
19 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land
will soon be crowded with your people.
Your enemies who enslaved you
will be far away.
20 The generations born in exile will return and say,
‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’
21 Then you will think to yourself,
‘Who has given me all these descendants?
For most of my children were killed,
and the rest were carried away into exile.
I was left here all alone.
Where did all these people come from?
Who bore these children?
Who raised them for me?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I will give a signal to the godless nations.
They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms;
they will bring your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings and queens will serve you
and care for all your needs.
They will bow to the earth before you
and lick the dust from your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who trust in me will never be put to shame.”
24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior?
Who can demand that a tyrant[g] let his captives go?
25 But the Lord says,
“The captives of warriors will be released,
and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved.
For I will fight those who fight you,
and I will save your children.
26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh.
They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood.
All the world will know that I, the Lord,
am your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Israel.[h]”
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Was your mother sent away because I divorced her?
Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors?
No, you were sold because of your sins.
And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
Why didn’t anyone answer when I called?
Is it because I have no power to rescue?
No, that is not the reason!
For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up!
I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.
3 I dress the skies in darkness,
covering them with clothes of mourning.”
The Lord’s Obedient Servant
4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom,
so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me,
and I have listened.
I have not rebelled or turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
from mockery and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
Let them appear!
9 See, the Sovereign Lord is on my side!
Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!
10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light,
trust in the Lord
and rely on your God.
11 But watch out, you who live in your own light
and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
You will soon fall down in great torment.
Footnotes
- 48:14 Or Chaldean.
- 48:20a Or the Chaldeans.
- 48:20b Hebrew his servant, Jacob. See note on 14:1.
- 49:8 Greek version reads I heard you. Compare 2 Cor 6:2.
- 49:12 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, which read from the region of Aswan, which is in southern Egypt. Masoretic Text reads from the region of Sinim.
- 49:14 Hebrew Zion.
- 49:24 As in Dead Sea Scrolls, Syriac version, and Latin Vulgate (also see 49:25); Masoretic Text reads a righteous person.
- 49:26 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
Isaiah 48:12-50:11
New International Version
Isaiah 48:12-50:11
New International Version
Israel Freed
12 “Listen(A) to me, Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:(B)
I am he;(C)
I am the first and I am the last.(D)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(E)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;(F)
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.(G)
14 “Come together,(H) all of you, and listen:
Which of the idols has foretold(I) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(J)
will carry out his purpose(K) against Babylon;(L)
his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
yes, I have called(M) him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed(N) in his mission.
16 “Come near(O) me and listen(P) to this:
“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(Q)
at the time it happens, I am there.”
17 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(U) the Holy One(V) of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches(W) you what is best for you,
who directs(X) you in the way(Y) you should go.
18 If only you had paid attention(Z) to my commands,
your peace(AA) would have been like a river,(AB)
your well-being(AC) like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants(AD) would have been like the sand,(AE)
your children like its numberless grains;(AF)
their name would never be blotted out(AG)
nor destroyed from before me.”
20 Leave Babylon,
flee(AH) from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy(AI)
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;(AJ)
say, “The Lord has redeemed(AK) his servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst(AL) when he led them through the deserts;
he made water flow(AM) for them from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.(AN)
The Servant of the Lord
49 Listen(AQ) to me, you islands;(AR)
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(AS) the Lord called(AT) me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(AU)
2 He made my mouth(AV) like a sharpened sword,(AW)
in the shadow of his hand(AX) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(AY)
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,(AZ)
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(BA)”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;(BB)
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(BC)
and my reward(BD) is with my God.”(BE)
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb(BF) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel(BG) to himself,
for I am[b] honored(BH) in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength(BI)—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(BJ)
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(BK)
I will also make you a light(BL) for the Gentiles,(BM)
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(BN)
7 This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(BO)—
to him who was despised(BP) and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings(BQ) will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,(BR)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(BS)
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(BT) you.”
Restoration of Israel
8 This is what the Lord says:
“In the time of my favor(BU) I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;(BV)
I will keep(BW) you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,(BX)
to restore the land(BY)
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(BZ)
9 to say to the captives,(CA) ‘Come out,’
and to those in darkness,(CB) ‘Be free!’
“They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.(CC)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(CD)
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(CE)
He who has compassion(CF) on them will guide(CG) them
and lead them beside springs(CH) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways(CI) will be raised up.(CJ)
12 See, they will come from afar(CK)—
some from the north, some from the west,(CL)
some from the region of Aswan.[c]”
13 Shout for joy,(CM) you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;(CN)
burst into song, you mountains!(CO)
For the Lord comforts(CP) his people
and will have compassion(CQ) on his afflicted ones.(CR)
15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child(CU) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!(CV)
16 See, I have engraved(CW) you on the palms of my hands;
your walls(CX) are ever before me.
17 Your children hasten back,
and those who laid you waste(CY) depart from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your children gather(CZ) and come to you.
As surely as I live,(DA)” declares the Lord,
“you will wear(DB) them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.
19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate(DC)
and your land laid waste,(DD)
now you will be too small for your people,(DE)
and those who devoured(DF) you will be far away.
20 The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.’(DG)
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who bore me these?(DH)
I was bereaved(DI) and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.(DJ)
Who brought these(DK) up?
I was left(DL) all alone,(DM)
but these—where have they come from?’”
22 This is what the Sovereign Lord(DN) says:
“See, I will beckon to the nations,
I will lift up my banner(DO) to the peoples;
they will bring(DP) your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their hips.(DQ)
23 Kings(DR) will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.(DS)
They will bow down(DT) before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust(DU) at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;(DV)
those who hope(DW) in me will not be disappointed.(DX)”
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives(DZ) will be taken from warriors,(EA)
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;(EB)
I will contend with those who contend with you,(EC)
and your children I will save.(ED)
26 I will make your oppressors(EE) eat(EF) their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood,(EG) as with wine.
Then all mankind will know(EH)
that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(EI)
your Redeemer,(EJ) the Mighty One of Jacob.(EK)”
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce(EL)
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
did I sell(EM) you?
Because of your sins(EN) you were sold;(EO)
because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 When I came, why was there no one?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?(EP)
Was my arm too short(EQ) to deliver you?
Do I lack the strength(ER) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke(ES) I dry up the sea,(ET)
I turn rivers into a desert;(EU)
their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with darkness(EV)
and make sackcloth(EW) its covering.”
4 The Sovereign Lord(EX) has given me a well-instructed tongue,(EY)
to know the word that sustains the weary.(EZ)
He wakens me morning by morning,(FA)
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.(FB)
5 The Sovereign Lord(FC) has opened my ears;(FD)
I have not been rebellious,(FE)
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat(FF) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(FG)
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.(FH)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord(FI) helps(FJ) me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,(FK)
and I know I will not be put to shame.(FL)
8 He who vindicates(FM) me is near.(FN)
Who then will bring charges against me?(FO)
Let us face each other!(FP)
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord(FQ) who helps(FR) me.
Who will condemn(FS) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths(FT) will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears(FU) the Lord
and obeys(FV) the word of his servant?(FW)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,(FX)
trust(FY) in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.
11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,(FZ)
go, walk in the light of your fires(GA)
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:(GB)
You will lie down in torment.(GC)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20
- Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
- Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim
- Isaiah 49:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 25); Masoretic Text righteous
Ephesians 4:17-32
New Living Translation
Ephesians 4:17-32
New Living Translation
Living as Children of Light
17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[b] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
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Ephesians 4:17-32
New International Version
Ephesians 4:17-32
New International Version
Instructions for Christian Living
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer(A) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.(B) 18 They are darkened in their understanding(C) and separated from the life of God(D) because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.(E) 19 Having lost all sensitivity,(F) they have given themselves over(G) to sensuality(H) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off(I) your old self,(J) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;(K) 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;(L) 24 and to put on(M) the new self,(N) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.(O)
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully(P) to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.(Q) 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]:(R) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.(S) 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work,(T) doing something useful with their own hands,(U) that they may have something to share with those in need.(V)
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,(W) but only what is helpful for building others up(X) according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,(Y) with whom you were sealed(Z) for the day of redemption.(AA) 31 Get rid of(AB) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.(AC) 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,(AD) forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(AE)
Footnotes
- Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:4 (see Septuagint)
Psalm 69:1-18
New Living Translation
Psalm 69:1-18
New Living Translation
Psalm 69
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”
1 Save me, O God,
for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
and the floods overwhelm me.
3 I am exhausted from crying for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
waiting for my God to help me.
4 Those who hate me without cause
outnumber the hairs on my head.
Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,
demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.
5 O God, you know how foolish I am;
my sins cannot be hidden from you.
6 Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
O God of Israel.
7 For I endure insults for your sake;
humiliation is written all over my face.
8 Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
they treat me like a stranger.
9 Passion for your house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10 When I weep and fast,
they scoff at me.
11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,
they make fun of me.
12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,
and all the drunks sing about me.
13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
hoping this time you will show me favor.
In your unfailing love, O God,
answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mud;
don’t let me sink any deeper!
Save me from those who hate me,
and pull me from these deep waters.
15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,
or the deep waters swallow me,
or the pit of death devour me.
16 Answer my prayers, O Lord,
for your unfailing love is wonderful.
Take care of me,
for your mercy is so plentiful.
17 Don’t hide from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
18 Come and redeem me;
free me from my enemies.
Psalm 69:1-18
New International Version
Psalm 69:1-18
New International Version
Psalm 69[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.
1 Save me, O God,
for the waters(A) have come up to my neck.(B)
2 I sink in the miry depths,(C)
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
3 I am worn out calling for help;(D)
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(E)
looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me(F) without reason(G)
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(H)
those who seek to destroy me.(I)
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
6 Lord, the Lord Almighty,
may those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me.
7 For I endure scorn(L) for your sake,(M)
and shame covers my face.(N)
8 I am a foreigner to my own family,
a stranger to my own mother’s children;(O)
9 for zeal for your house consumes me,(P)
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,(R)
I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(S)
people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(T) mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.(U)
13 But I pray to you, Lord,
in the time of your favor;(V)
in your great love,(W) O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(Y) engulf me
or the depths swallow me up(Z)
or the pit close its mouth over me.(AA)
Footnotes
- Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.
Proverbs 24:5-6
New Living Translation
Proverbs 24:5-6
New Living Translation
5 The wise are mightier than the strong,[a]
and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger.
6 So don’t go to war without wise guidance;
victory depends on having many advisers.
Footnotes
- 24:5 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads A wise man is strength.
Proverbs 24:5-6
New International Version
Proverbs 24:5-6
New International Version
Saying 22
5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.(A)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.