ISAIAH 61

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The Year of the Lord’s Favor61:1

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn; 3

to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4

They shall build up the ancient ruins;

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.
5

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;

foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; 6

but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;

they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

you shall eat the wealth of the nations,

and in their glory you shall boast. 7

Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;

instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;

therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;

they shall have everlasting joy.
8

For I the Lord love justice;

I hate robbery and wrong;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9

Their offspring shall be known among the nations,

and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge them,

that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;

my soul shall exult in my God,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11

For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,

so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise

to sprout up before all the nations.

ISAIAH 62

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Zion’s Coming Salvation62:1

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,

and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,

until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

and her salvation as a burning torch. 2

The nations shall see your righteousness,

and all the kings your glory,

and you shall be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4

You shall no more be termed Forsaken,

and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,

but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,

and your land Married;

for the Lord delights in you,

and your land shall be married. 5

For as a young man marries a young woman,

so shall your sons marry you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

so shall your God rejoice over you.
6

On your walls, O Jerusalem,

I have set watchmen;

all the day and all the night

they shall never be silent.

You who put the Lord in remembrance,

take no rest, 7

and give him no rest

until he establishes Jerusalem

and makes it a praise in the earth. 8

The Lord has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“I will not again give your grain

to be food for your enemies,

and foreigners shall not drink your wine

for which you have labored; 9

but those who garner it shall eat it

and praise the Lord,

and those who gather it shall drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.”
10

Go through, go through the gates;

prepare the way for the people;

build up, build up the highway;

clear it of stones;

lift up a signal over the peoples. 11

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed

to the end of the earth:

Say to the daughter of Zion,

“Behold, your salvation comes;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.” 12

And they shall be called The Holy People,

The Redeemed of the Lord;

and you shall be called Sought Out,

A City Not Forsaken.

PROVERBS 4

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A Father’s Wise Instruction4:1

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain insight, 2

for I give you good precepts;

do not forsake my teaching. 3

When I was a son with my father,

tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, 4

he taught me and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;

keep my commandments, and live. 5

Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. 6

Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

love her, and she will guard you. 7

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight. 8

Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her. 9

She will place on your head a graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10

Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many. 11

I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness. 12

When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble. 13

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life. 14

Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil. 15

Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on. 16

For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. 17

For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence. 18

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day. 19

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.
20

My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings. 21

Let them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart. 22

For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh. 23

Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life. 24

Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you. 25

Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you. 26

Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure. 27

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.

JAMES 3

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Taming the Tongue  3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
    How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Wisdom from Above13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.