ISAIAH 50-52

« Isaiah 49 | Isaiah 50-52 | Isaiah 53 »

Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience50:1

Thus says the Lord:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce,

with which I sent her away?

Or which of my creditors is it

to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,

and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. 2

Why, when I came, was there no man;

why, when I called, was there no one to answer?

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?

Or have I no power to deliver?

Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,

I make the rivers a desert;

their fish stink for lack of water

and die of thirst. 3

I clothe the heavens with blackness

and make sackcloth their covering.”
4

The Lord God has given me

the tongue of those who are taught,

that I may know how to sustain with a word

him who is weary.

Morning by morning he awakens;

he awakens my ear

to hear as those who are taught. 5

The Lord God has opened my ear,

and I was not rebellious;

I turned not backward. 6

I gave my back to those who strike,

and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;

I hid not my face

from disgrace and spitting.
7

But the Lord God helps me;

therefore I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set my face like a flint,

and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8

He who vindicates me is near.

Who will contend with me?

Let us stand up together.

Who is my adversary?

Let him come near to me. 9

Behold, the Lord God helps me;

who will declare me guilty?

Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;

the moth will eat them up.
10

Who among you fears the Lord

and obeys the voice of his servant?

Let him who walks in darkness

and has no light

trust in the name of the Lord

and rely on his God. 11

Behold, all you who kindle a fire,

who equip yourselves with burning torches!

Walk by the light of your fire,

and by the torches that you have kindled!

This you have from my hand:

you shall lie down in torment. The Lord’s Comfort for Zion51:1

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,

you who seek the Lord:

look to the rock from which you were hewn,

and to the quarry from which you were dug. 2

Look to Abraham your father

and to Sarah who bore you;

for he was but one when I called him,

that I might bless him and multiply him. 3

For the Lord comforts Zion;

he comforts all her waste places

and makes her wilderness like Eden,

her desert like the garden of the Lord;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song.
4

“Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me,

and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. 5

My righteousness draws near,

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will judge the peoples;

the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm they wait. 6

Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment,

and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;

but my salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
7

“Listen to me, you who know righteousness,

the people in whose heart is my law;

fear not the reproach of man,

nor be dismayed at their revilings. 8

For the moth will eat them up like a garment,

and the worm will eat them like wool,

but my righteousness will be forever,

and my salvation to all generations.”
9

Awake, awake, put on strength,

O arm of the Lord;

awake, as in days of old,

the generations of long ago.

Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,

who pierced the dragon? 10

Was it not you who dried up the sea,

the waters of the great deep,

who made the depths of the sea a way

for the redeemed to pass over? 11

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
12

“I, I am he who comforts you;

who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,

of the son of man who is made like grass, 13

and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,

who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of the earth,

and you fear continually all the day

because of the wrath of the oppressor,

when he sets himself to destroy?

And where is the wrath of the oppressor? 14

He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;

he shall not die and go down to the pit,

neither shall his bread be lacking. 15

I am the Lord your God,

who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

the Lord of hosts is his name. 16

And I have put my words in your mouth

and covered you in the shadow of my hand,

establishing the heavens

and laying the foundations of the earth,

and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
17

Wake yourself, wake yourself,

stand up, O Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord

the cup of his wrath,

who have drunk to the dregs

the bowl, the cup of staggering. 18

There is none to guide her

among all the sons she has borne;

there is none to take her by the hand

among all the sons she has brought up. 19

These two things have happened to you—

who will console you?—

devastation and destruction, famine and sword;

who will comfort you? 20

Your sons have fainted;

they lie at the head of every street

like an antelope in a net;

they are full of the wrath of the Lord,

the rebuke of your God.
21

Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,

who are drunk, but not with wine: 22

Thus says your Lord, the Lord,

your God who pleads the cause of his people:

“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;

the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more; 23

and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,

who have said to you,

‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;

and you have made your back like the ground

and like the street for them to pass over.” The Lord’s Coming Salvation52:1

Awake, awake,

put on your strength, O Zion;

put on your beautiful garments,

O Jerusalem, the holy city;

for there shall no more come into you

the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2

Shake yourself from the dust and arise;

be seated, O Jerusalem;

loose the bonds from your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.
    3 For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”
7

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 8

The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

the return of the Lord to Zion. 9

Break forth together into singing,

you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people;

he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10

The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.
11

Depart, depart, go out from there;

touch no unclean thing;

go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,

you who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12

For you shall not go out in haste,

and you shall not go in flight,

for the Lord will go before you,

and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions13

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted. 14

As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— 15

so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

PROVERBS 26

« Proverbs 25 | Proverbs 26 | Proverbs 27 »

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.

PSALM 112

« Psalm 111 | Psalm 112 | Psalm 113 »

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved112:1

Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

who greatly delights in his commandments! 2

His offspring will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3

Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever. 4

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5

It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice. 6

For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever. 7

He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 8

His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 9

He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn is exalted in honor. 10

The wicked man sees it and is angry;

he gnashes his teeth and melts away;

the desire of the wicked will perish!