ISAIAH 46

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The Idols of Babylon and the One True God46:1

Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;

their idols are on beasts and livestock;

these things you carry are borne

as burdens on weary beasts. 2

They stoop; they bow down together;

they cannot save the burden,

but themselves go into captivity.
3

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb; 4

even to your old age I am he,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.
5

“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,

and compare me, that we may be alike? 6

Those who lavish gold from the purse,

and weigh out silver in the scales,

hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;

then they fall down and worship! 7

They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,

they set it in its place, and it stands there;

it cannot move from its place.

If one cries to it, it does not answer

or save him from his trouble.
8

“Remember this and stand firm,

recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9

remember the former things of old;

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me, 10

declaring the end from the beginning

and from ancient times things not yet done,

saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,

and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 11

calling a bird of prey from the east,

the man of my counsel from a far country.

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;

I have purposed, and I will do it.
12

“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,

you who are far from righteousness: 13

I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,

and my salvation will not delay;

I will put salvation in Zion,

for Israel my glory.”

ISAIAH 47

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The Humiliation of Babylon47:1

Come down and sit in the dust,

O virgin daughter of Babylon;

sit on the ground without a throne,

O daughter of the Chaldeans!

For you shall no more be called

tender and delicate. 2

Take the millstones and grind flour,

put off your veil,

strip off your robe, uncover your legs,

pass through the rivers. 3

Your nakedness shall be uncovered,

and your disgrace shall be seen.

I will take vengeance,

and I will spare no one. 4

Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—

is the Holy One of Israel.
5

Sit in silence, and go into darkness,

O daughter of the Chaldeans;

for you shall no more be called

the mistress of kingdoms. 6

I was angry with my people;

I profaned my heritage;

I gave them into your hand;

you showed them no mercy;

on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. 7

You said, “I shall be mistress forever,”

so that you did not lay these things to heart

or remember their end.
8

Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures,

who sit securely,

who say in your heart,

“I am, and there is no one besides me;

I shall not sit as a widow

or know the loss of children”: 9

These two things shall come to you

in a moment, in one day;

the loss of children and widowhood

shall come upon you in full measure,

in spite of your many sorceries

and the great power of your enchantments.
10

You felt secure in your wickedness;

you said, “No one sees me”;

your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,

and you said in your heart,

“I am, and there is no one besides me.” 11

But evil shall come upon you,

which you will not know how to charm away;

disaster shall fall upon you,

for which you will not be able to atone;

and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,

of which you know nothing.
12

Stand fast in your enchantments

and your many sorceries,

with which you have labored from your youth;

perhaps you may be able to succeed;

perhaps you may inspire terror. 13

You are wearied with your many counsels;

let them stand forth and save you,

those who divide the heavens,

who gaze at the stars,

who at the new moons make known

what shall come upon you.
14

Behold, they are like stubble;

the fire consumes them;

they cannot deliver themselves

from the power of the flame.

No coal for warming oneself is this,

no fire to sit before! 15

Such to you are those with whom you have labored,

who have done business with you from your youth;

they wander about, each in his own direction;

there is no one to save you.

PROVERBS 26

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26:1

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight. 3

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools. 4

Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself. 5

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 7

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8

Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is one who gives honor to a fool. 9

Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10

Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly. 12

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!” 14

As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a sluggard on his bed. 15

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. 16

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven men who can answer sensibly. 17

Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own

is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. 18

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death 19

is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I am only joking!” 20

For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21

As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body. 23

Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel

are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24

Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart; 25

when he speaks graciously, believe him not,

for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26

though his hatred be covered with deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. 28

A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.

HEBREWS 11

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By Faith  11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
    4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
    8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
    13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
    17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
    23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
    29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
    32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
    39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.