ISAIAH 16

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16:1

Send the lamb to the ruler of the land,

from Sela, by way of the desert,

to the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2

Like fleeing birds,

like a scattered nest,

so are the daughters of Moab

at the fords of the Arnon.
3

“Give counsel;

grant justice;

make your shade like night

at the height of noon;

shelter the outcasts;

do not reveal the fugitive; 4

let the outcasts of Moab

sojourn among you;

be a shelter to them

from the destroyer.

When the oppressor is no more,

and destruction has ceased,

and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land, 5

then a throne will be established in steadfast love,

and on it will sit in faithfulness

in the tent of David

one who judges and seeks justice

and is swift to do righteousness.”
6

We have heard of the pride of Moab—

how proud he is!—

of his arrogance, his pride, and his insolence;

in his idle boasting he is not right. 7

Therefore let Moab wail for Moab,

let everyone wail.

Mourn, utterly stricken,

for the raisin cakes of Kir-hareseth.
8

For the fields of Heshbon languish,

and the vine of Sibmah;

the lords of the nations

have struck down its branches,

which reached to Jazer

and strayed to the desert;

its shoots spread abroad

and passed over the sea. 9

Therefore I weep with the weeping of Jazer

for the vine of Sibmah;

I drench you with my tears,

O Heshbon and Elealeh;

for over your summer fruit and your harvest

the shout has ceased. 10

And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field,

and in the vineyards no songs are sung,

no cheers are raised;

no treader treads out wine in the presses;

I have put an end to the shouting. 11

Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab,

and my inmost self for Kir-hareseth.
    12 And when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself on the high place, when he comes to his sanctuary to pray, he will not prevail.
    13 This is the word that the Lord spoke concerning Moab in the past. 14 But now the Lord has spoken, saying, “In three years, like the years of a hired worker, the glory of Moab will be brought into contempt, in spite of all his great multitude, and those who remain will be very few and feeble.”

ISAIAH 17

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An Oracle Concerning Damascus  17:1 An oracle concerning Damascus.

Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city

and will become a heap of ruins. 2

The cities of Aroer are deserted;

they will be for flocks,

which will lie down, and none will make them afraid. 3

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim,

and the kingdom from Damascus;

and the remnant of Syria will be

like the glory of the children of Israel,declares the Lord of hosts.
4

And in that day the glory of Jacob will be brought low,

and the fat of his flesh will grow lean. 5

And it shall be as when the reaper gathers standing grain

and his arm harvests the ears,

and as when one gleans the ears of grain

in the Valley of Rephaim. 6

Gleanings will be left in it,

as when an olive tree is beaten—

two or three berries

in the top of the highest bough,

four or five

on the branches of a fruit tree,declares the Lord God of Israel.
    7 In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. 8 He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense.
    9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.
10

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation

and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;

therefore, though you plant pleasant plants

and sow the vine-branch of a stranger, 11

though you make them grow on the day that you plant them,

and make them blossom in the morning that you sow,

yet the harvest will flee away

in a day of grief and incurable pain.
12

Ah, the thunder of many peoples;

they thunder like the thundering of the sea!

Ah, the roar of nations;

they roar like the roaring of mighty waters! 13

The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,

but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,

chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind

and whirling dust before the storm. 14

At evening time, behold, terror!

Before morning, they are no more!

This is the portion of those who loot us,

and the lot of those who plunder us.

PROVERBS 9

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The Way of Wisdom9:1

Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn her seven pillars. 2

She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;

she has also set her table. 3

She has sent out her young women to call

from the highest places in the town, 4

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

To him who lacks sense she says, 5

“Come, eat of my bread

and drink of the wine I have mixed. 6

Leave your simple ways, and live,

and walk in the way of insight.”
7

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;

reprove a wise man, and he will love you. 9

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. 10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 11

For by me your days will be multiplied,

and years will be added to your life. 12

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;

if you scoff, you alone will bear it. The Way of Folly13

The woman Folly is loud;

she is seductive and knows nothing. 14

She sits at the door of her house;

she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, 15

calling to those who pass by,

who are going straight on their way, 16

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”

And to him who lacks sense she says, 17

“Stolen water is sweet,

and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” 18

But he does not know that the dead are there,

that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

HEBREWS 1

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The Supremacy of God’s Son  1:1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
    5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?Or again,“I will be to him a father,and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,

and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” 10 And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11

they will perish, but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment, 12

like a robe you will roll them up,

like a garment they will be changed.

But you are the same,

and your years will have no end.” 13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?