Podcasts about because syria

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 1:30PM Session   Scott leads a bible study of the political climate of Judiah during the book of Isaiah.   Isaiah 7-12 - Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind. 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established.” ' ” The Immanuel Prophecy 10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” 13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.” 18 And it shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will whistle for the fly That is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, And for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 They will come, and all of them will rest In the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, And on all thorns and in all pastures. 20 In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, With those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, The head and the hair of the legs, And will also remove the beard. 21 It shall be in that day That a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; 22 So it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, That he will eat curds; For curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. 23 It shall happen in that day, That wherever there could be a thousand vines Worth a thousand shekels of silver, It will be for briers and thorns. 24 With arrows and bows men will come there, Because all the land will become briers and thorns. 25 And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, You will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; But it will become a range for oxen And a place for sheep to roam. Assyria Will Invade the Land 8 Moreover the Lord said to me, “Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. 2 And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.” 3 Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, “Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; 4 for before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘My father' and ‘My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The Lord also spoke to me again, saying: 6 “Inasmuch as these people refused The waters of Shiloah that flow softly, And rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's son; 7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up over them The waters of the River, strong and mighty— The king of Assyria and all his glory; He will go up over all his channels And go over all his banks. 8 He will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over, He will reach up to the neck; And the stretching out of his wings Will fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel. 9 “Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. 10 Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For [r]God is with us.” Fear God, Heed His Word 11 For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. 13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. 14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness. The Government of the Promised Son 9 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. 5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. The Punishment of Samaria 8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, And it has fallen on Israel. 9 All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10 “The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” 11 Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15 The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed. 17 Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, Nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; For everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. 18 For wickedness burns as the fire; It shall devour the briers and thorns, And kindle in the thickets of the forest; They shall mount up like rising smoke. 19 Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts The land is burned up, And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother. 20 And he shall snatch on the right hand And be hungry; He shall devour on the left hand And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Assyria Shall Be Broken 10 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? 4 Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain.” For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Arrogant Assyria Also Judged 5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. 6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations. 8 For he says, ‘Are not my princes altogether kings? 9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria, 11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols, Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?' ” 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.” 13 For he says: “By the strength of my hand I have done it, And by my wisdom, for I am prudent; Also I have removed the boundaries of the people, And have robbed their treasuries; So I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man. 14 My hand has found like a nest the riches of the people, And as one gathers eggs that are left, I have gathered all the earth; And there was no one who moved his wing, Nor opened his mouth with even a peep.” 15 Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, Or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! 16 Therefore the Lord, the Lord of hosts, Will send leanness among his fat ones; And under his glory He will kindle a burning Like the burning of a fire. 17 So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day. 18 And it will consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, Both soul and body; And they will be as when a sick man wastes away. 19 Then the rest of the trees of his forest Will be so few in number That a child may write them. The Returning Remnant of Israel 20 And it shall come to pass in that day That the remnant of Israel, And such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, Will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, To the Mighty God. 22 For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, A remnant of them will return; The destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. 23 For the Lord God of hosts Will make a determined end In the midst of all the land. 24 Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. 25 For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” 26 And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. 27 It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil. 28 He has come to Aiath, He has passed Migron; At Michmash he has attended to his equipment. 29 They have gone along the ridge, They have taken up lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid, Gibeah of Saul has fled. 30 Lift up your voice, O daughter of Gallim! Cause it to be heard as far as Laish— O poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah has fled, The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge. 32 As yet he will remain at Nob that day; He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, The hill of Jerusalem. 33 Behold, the Lord, The Lord of hosts, Will lop off the bough with terror; Those of high stature will be hewn down, And the haughty will be humbled. 34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, And Lebanon will fall by the Mighty One. The Reign of Jesse's Offspring 11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” 11 It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, And Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, And strike it in the seven streams, And make men cross over dry-shod. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people Who will be left from Assyria, As it was for Israel In the day that he came up from the land of Egypt. A Hymn of Praise 12 And in that day you will say: “O Lord, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.' ” 3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”   Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6T9IGrUlv4   Duration 41:36  

Isaiah 7:1–16 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us (ESV)

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:Watch, for you know not when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning; lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.Mark 13:35, 36 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 37: Part INoli aemulariBCP p. 633Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *do not be jealous of those who do wrong.For they shall soon wither like the grass, *and like the green grass fade away.Put your trust in the Lord and do good; *dwell in the land and feed on its riches.Take delight in the Lord, *and he shall give you your heart's desire.Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *and he will bring it to pass.He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *and your just dealing as the noonday.Be still before the Lord *and wait patiently for him.Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *the one who succeeds in evil schemes.Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.For evildoers shall be cut off, *but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.In a little while the wicked shall be no more; *you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.But the lowly shall possess the land; *they will delight in abundance of peace.The wicked plot against the righteous *and gnash at them with their teeth.The Lord laughs at the wicked, *because he sees that their day will come.The wicked draw their sword and bend their bowto strike down the poor and needy, *to slaughter those who are upright in their ways.Their sword shall go through their own heart, *and their bow shall be broken.The little that the righteous has *is better than great riches of the wicked.For the power of the wicked shall be broken, *but the Lord upholds the righteous. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 7:1-9A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.  And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God:    “‘It shall not stand,        and it shall not come to pass.    For the head of Syria is Damascus,        and the head of Damascus is Rezin.    And within sixty-five years        Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.    And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,        and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.    If you are not firm in faith,        you will not be firm at all.'” The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. 2 Thess. 2:1-12A Reading from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians.Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.   The CollectsAdvent 2Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Audio Recording Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 7:1-17 (ESV)1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord God:“‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'”10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”Sermon OutlineFaith can be challenged (v. 1-2)An invitation to have faith (v. 3-9)Faith that can endure (v. 10-17)Prayer of ConfessionGracious God, you invite us to have faith in you, but it is not easy. Instead of trusting in you, we take matters into our own hands. We often care more about what you can do for us rather than who you are. Help us to see your invitations to have faith in you. You are a God who not only makes promises, but you fulfill them. May we trust that you are Immanuel; God with us. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Can you recall a time when your faith in God was tested? How did you respond in that time? How do your struggles shape the way you see God? Have there been times of learning, growth, or wavering? Have there been challenging moments that drew you closer to God? What did you learn about God through those experiences?One of the names of God is Immanuel: God with us. Do you resonate with this? In what ways does this comfort you? What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 7:1-17 (ESV)1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.3 And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord God:“‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass.8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin.And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9 And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.'”10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”Sermon OutlineFaith can be challenged (v. 1-2)An invitation to have faith (v. 3-9)Faith that can endure (v. 10-17)Prayer of ConfessionGracious God, you invite us to have faith in you, but it is not easy. Instead of trusting in you, we take matters into our own hands. We often care more about what you can do for us rather than who you are. Help us to see your invitations to have faith in you. You are a God who not only makes promises, but you fulfill them. May we trust that you are Immanuel; God with us. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Can you recall a time when your faith in God was tested? How did you respond in that time? How do your struggles shape the way you see God? Have there been times of learning, growth, or wavering? Have there been challenging moments that drew you closer to God? What did you learn about God through those experiences?One of the names of God is Immanuel: God with us. Do you resonate with this? In what ways does this comfort you? What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________The First Week of AdventThe glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. In AdventOur King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Psalm 28 Ad te, Domine1O Lord, I call to you;my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *lest, if you do not hear me,I become like those who go down to the Pit.2Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.3Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, *who speak peaceably with their neighbors,while strife is in their hearts.4Repay them according to their deeds, *and according to the wickedness of their actions.5According to the work of their hands repay them, *and give them their just deserts.6They have no understanding of the Lord's doings,nor of the works of his hands; *therefore he will break them down and not build them up.7Blessed is the Lord! *for he has heard the voice of my prayer.8The Lord is my strength and my shield; *my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;9Therefore my heart dances for joy, *and in my song will I praise him.10The Lord is the strength of his people, *a safe refuge for his anointed.11Save your people and bless your inheritance; *shepherd them and carry them for ever. Psalm 29 Afferte Domino1Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.2Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.3The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;the God of glory thunders; *the Lord is upon the mighty waters.4The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.5The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.7The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.8The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *and strips the forests bare.9And in the temple of the Lord *all are crying, “Glory!”10The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.11The Lord shall give strength to his people; *the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 7:1-9 - English Standard VersionIn the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God:“‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.If you are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. You are God(Te Deum laudamus)You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Mark 2:13-22 - English Standard VersionHe went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. The First Week of AdventAlmighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 110 Psalm 110 (Listen) Sit at My Right Hand A Psalm of David. 110   The LORD says to my Lord:    “Sit at my right hand,  until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2   The LORD sends forth from Zion    your mighty scepter.    Rule in the midst of your enemies!3   Your people will offer themselves freely    on the day of your power,1    in holy garments;2  from the womb of the morning,    the dew of your youth will be yours.34   The LORD has sworn    and will not change his mind,  “You are a priest forever    after the order of Melchizedek.” 5   The Lord is at your right hand;    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.6   He will execute judgment among the nations,    filling them with corpses;  he will shatter chiefs4    over the wide earth.7   He will drink from the brook by the way;    therefore he will lift up his head. Footnotes [1] 110:3 Or on the day you lead your forces [2] 110:3 Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy mountains [3] 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 110:6 Or the head (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 18 (Listen) Hezekiah Reigns in Judah 18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).1 5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, 10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed. Sennacherib Attacks Judah 13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents2 of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field. 18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. 19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, “We trust in the LORD our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? 23 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”'” 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my3 hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me4 and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'” 36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. Footnotes [1] 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and serpent [2] 18:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [3] 18:29 Hebrew his [4] 18:31 Hebrew Make a blessing with me (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 7–8 Isaiah 7–8 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 11:55–12:19 John 11:55–12:19 (Listen) 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for1 Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound2 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii3 and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it4 for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” The Plot to Kill Lazarus 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus5 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15   “Fear not, daughter of Zion;  behold, your king is coming,    sitting on a donkey's colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Footnotes [1] 11:56 Greek were seeking for [2] 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams [3] 12:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [4] 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it [5] 12:9 Greek he (ESV)

église AB Lausanne ; KJV Isaiah 7 And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, ...

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83   O God, do not keep silence;    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2   For behold, your enemies make an uproar;    those who hate you have raised their heads.3   They lay crafty plans against your people;    they consult together against your treasured ones.4   They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5   For they conspire with one accord;    against you they make a covenant—6   the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,    Moab and the Hagrites,7   Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 4:14–5:10 Hebrews 4:14–5:10 (Listen) Jesus the Great High Priest 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,   “You are my Son,    today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place,   “You are a priest forever,    after the order of Melchizedek.”

Morning: Isaiah 7–9 Isaiah 7–9 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. For to Us a Child Is Born 9 21 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.22 2   23 The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;  those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,    on them has light shone.3   You have multiplied the nation;    you have increased its joy;  they rejoice before you    as with joy at the harvest,    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.4   For the yoke of his burden,    and the staff for his shoulder,    the rod of his oppressor,    you have broken as on the day of Midian.5   For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult    and every garment rolled in blood    will be burned as fuel for the fire.6   For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon24 his shoulder,    and his name shall be called25  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7   Of the increase of his government and of peace    there will be no end,  on the throne of David and over his kingdom,    to establish it and to uphold it  with justice and with righteousness    from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression 8   The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,    and it will fall on Israel;9   and all the people will know,    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,    who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:10   “The bricks have fallen,    but we will build with dressed stones;  the sycamores have been cut down,    but we will put cedars in their place.”11   But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,    and stirs up his enemies.12   The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west    devour Israel with open mouth.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 13   The people did not turn to him who struck them,    nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.14   So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail,    palm branch and reed in one day—15   the elder and honored man is the head,    and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;16   for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,    and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.17   Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,    and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;  for everyone is godless and an evildoer,    and every mouth speaks folly.26  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 18   For wickedness burns like a fire;    it consumes briers and thorns;  it kindles the thickets of the forest,    and they roll upward in a column of smoke.19   Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts    the land is scorched,  and the people are like fuel for the fire;    no one spares another.20   They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,    and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;  each devours the flesh of his own arm,21   Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;    together they are against Judah.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by [21] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [22] 9:1 Or of the Gentiles [23] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [24] 9:6 Or is upon [25] 9:6 Or is called [26] 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things (ESV) Evening: Galatians 4 Galatians 4 (Listen) Sons and Heirs 4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,1 though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles2 of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Paul's Concern for the Galatians 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. 12 Brothers,3 I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?4 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Example of Hagar and Sarah 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;5 she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,   “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!  For the children of the desolate one will be more    than those of the one who has a husband.” 28 Now you,6 brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Footnotes [1] 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 7 [2] 4:3 Or elemental spirits; also verse 9 [3] 4:12 Or Brothers and sisters; also verses 28, 31 [4] 4:16 Or by dealing truthfully with you [5] 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia [6] 4:28 Some manuscripts we (ESV)

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

With family: Numbers 17–18; Psalm 55 Numbers 17–18 (Listen) Aaron's Staff Buds 17 1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. 8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. 12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?” Duties of Priests and Levites 18 So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. 4 They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. 5 And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6 And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7 And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift,2 and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” 8 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons. 10 In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you. 11 This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 12 All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you. 13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 14 Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels3 in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 18 But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. 19 All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you.” 20 And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. 21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” 25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27 And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.' 30 Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. 31 And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.'” Footnotes [1] 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Hebrew [2] 18:7 Hebrew service of gift [3] 18:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm 55 (Listen) Cast Your Burden on the Lord To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David. 55   Give ear to my prayer, O God,    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!2   Attend to me, and answer me;    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,3   because of the noise of the enemy,    because of the oppression of the wicked.  For they drop trouble upon me,    and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 4   My heart is in anguish within me;    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.5   Fear and trembling come upon me,    and horror overwhelms me.6   And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!    I would fly away and be at rest;7   yes, I would wander far away;    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah8   I would hurry to find a shelter    from the raging wind and tempest.” 9   Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;    for I see violence and strife in the city.10   Day and night they go around it    on its walls,  and iniquity and trouble are within it;11     ruin is in its midst;  oppression and fraud    do not depart from its marketplace. 12   For it is not an enemy who taunts me—    then I could bear it;  it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—    then I could hide from him.13   But it is you, a man, my equal,    my companion, my familiar friend.14   We used to take sweet counsel together;    within God's house we walked in the throng.15   Let death steal over them;    let them go down to Sheol alive;    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. 16   But I call to God,    and the LORD will save me.17   Evening and morning and at noon    I utter my complaint and moan,    and he hears my voice.18   He redeems my soul in safety    from the battle that I wage,    for many are arrayed against me.19   God will give ear and humble them,    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah  because they do not change    and do not fear God. 20   My companion2 stretched out his hand against his friends;    he violated his covenant.21   His speech was smooth as butter,    yet war was in his heart;  his words were softer than oil,    yet they were drawn swords. 22   Cast your burden on the LORD,    and he will sustain you;  he will never permit    the righteous to be moved. 23   But you, O God, will cast them down    into the pit of destruction;  men of blood and treachery    shall not live out half their days.  But I will trust in you. Footnotes [1] 55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 55:20 Hebrew He (ESV) In private: Isaiah 7; James 1 Isaiah 7 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) James 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 102 Psalm 102 (Listen) Do Not Hide Your Face from Me A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. 102   Hear my prayer, O LORD;  let my cry come to you!2   Do not hide your face from me    in the day of my distress!  Incline your ear to me;    answer me speedily in the day when I call! 3   For my days pass away like smoke,    and my bones burn like a furnace.4   My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;    I forget to eat my bread.5   Because of my loud groaning    my bones cling to my flesh.6   I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,    like an owl1 of the waste places;7   I lie awake;    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.8   All the day my enemies taunt me;    those who deride me use my name for a curse.9   For I eat ashes like bread    and mingle tears with my drink,10   because of your indignation and anger;    for you have taken me up and thrown me down.11   My days are like an evening shadow;    I wither away like grass. 12   But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;    you are remembered throughout all generations.13   You will arise and have pity on Zion;    it is the time to favor her;    the appointed time has come.14   For your servants hold her stones dear    and have pity on her dust.15   Nations will fear the name of the LORD,    and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.16   For the LORD builds up Zion;    he appears in his glory;17   he regards the prayer of the destitute    and does not despise their prayer. 18   Let this be recorded for a generation to come,    so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:19   that he looked down from his holy height;    from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,20   to hear the groans of the prisoners,    to set free those who were doomed to die,21   that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,    and in Jerusalem his praise,22   when peoples gather together,    and kingdoms, to worship the LORD. 23   He has broken my strength in midcourse;    he has shortened my days.24   “O my God,” I say, “take me not away    in the midst of my days—  you whose years endure    throughout all generations!” 25   Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,    and the heavens are the work of your hands.26   They will perish, but you will remain;    they will all wear out like a garment.  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,27     but you are the same, and your years have no end.28   The children of your servants shall dwell secure;    their offspring shall be established before you. Footnotes [1] 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Leviticus 9 Leviticus 9 (Listen) The Lord Accepts Aaron's Offering 9 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. 3 And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.'” 5 And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6 And Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” 7 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.” 8 So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9 And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. 10 But the fat and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 The flesh and the skin he burned up with fire outside the camp. 12 Then he killed the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. 13 And they handed the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. 15 Then he presented the people's offering and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and killed it and offered it as a sin offering, like the first one. 16 And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the rule. 17 And he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. 18 Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people. And Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. 19 But the fat pieces of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the entrails and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver—20 they put the fat pieces on the breasts, and he burned the fat pieces on the altar, 21 but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. 22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 7–8 Isaiah 7–8 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: 2 Corinthians 4–5:10 2 Corinthians 4–5:10 (Listen) The Light of the Gospel 4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,1 we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice2 cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants3 for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Treasure in Jars of Clay 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self4 is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Our Heavenly Dwelling 5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on5 we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Footnotes [1] 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy [2] 4:2 Greek to walk in [3] 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) [4] 4:16 Greek man [5] 5:3 Some manuscripts putting it off (ESV)

2 Advent First Psalm: Psalm 37:1–18 Psalm 37:1–18 (Listen) He Will Not Forsake His Saints 1 Of David. 37   Fret not yourself because of evildoers;    be not envious of wrongdoers!2   For they will soon fade like the grass    and wither like the green herb. 3   Trust in the LORD, and do good;    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.24   Delight yourself in the LORD,    and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5   Commit your way to the LORD;    trust in him, and he will act.6   He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,    and your justice as the noonday. 7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,    over the man who carries out evil devices! 8   Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.9   For the evildoers shall be cut off,    but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10   In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.11   But the meek shall inherit the land    and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12   The wicked plots against the righteous    and gnashes his teeth at him,13   but the Lord laughs at the wicked,    for he sees that his day is coming. 14   The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows    to bring down the poor and needy,    to slay those whose way is upright;15   their sword shall enter their own heart,    and their bows shall be broken. 16   Better is the little that the righteous has    than the abundance of many wicked.17   For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,    but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18   The LORD knows the days of the blameless,    and their heritage will remain forever; Footnotes [1] 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] 37:3 Or and feed on faithfulness, or and find safe pasture (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 37:19–40 Psalm 37:19–40 (Listen) 19   they are not put to shame in evil times;    in the days of famine they have abundance. 20   But the wicked will perish;    the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21   The wicked borrows but does not pay back,    but the righteous is generous and gives;22   for those blessed by the LORD1 shall inherit the land,    but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23   The steps of a man are established by the LORD,    when he delights in his way;24   though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,    for the LORD upholds his hand. 25   I have been young, and now am old,    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken    or his children begging for bread.26   He is ever lending generously,    and his children become a blessing. 27   Turn away from evil and do good;    so shall you dwell forever.28   For the LORD loves justice;    he will not forsake his saints.  They are preserved forever,    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.29   The righteous shall inherit the land    and dwell upon it forever. 30   The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,    and his tongue speaks justice.31   The law of his God is in his heart;    his steps do not slip. 32   The wicked watches for the righteous    and seeks to put him to death.33   The LORD will not abandon him to his power    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34   Wait for the LORD and keep his way,    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;    you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35   I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,    spreading himself like a green laurel tree.236   But he passed away,3 and behold, he was no more;    though I sought him, he could not be found. 37   Mark the blameless and behold the upright,    for there is a future for the man of peace.38   But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;    the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39   The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.40   The LORD helps them and delivers them;    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,    because they take refuge in him. Footnotes [1] 37:22 Hebrew by him [2] 37:35 The identity of this tree is uncertain [3] 37:36 Or But one passed by (ESV) Old Testament: Isaiah 7:1–9 Isaiah 7:1–9 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 (ESV) New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 (Listen) The Man of Lawlessness 2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,1 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness2 is revealed, the son of destruction,3 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Footnotes [1] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 13, 15 [2] 2:3 Some manuscripts sin [3] 2:3 Greek the son of perdition (a Hebrew idiom) (ESV) Gospel: Luke 22:1–13 Luke 22:1–13 (Listen) The Plot to Kill Jesus 22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Judas to Betray Jesus 3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. The Passover with the Disciples 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus1 sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. Footnotes [1] 22:8 Greek he (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 110 Psalm 110 (Listen) Sit at My Right Hand A Psalm of David. 110   The LORD says to my Lord:    “Sit at my right hand,  until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2   The LORD sends forth from Zion    your mighty scepter.    Rule in the midst of your enemies!3   Your people will offer themselves freely    on the day of your power,1    in holy garments;2  from the womb of the morning,    the dew of your youth will be yours.34   The LORD has sworn    and will not change his mind,  “You are a priest forever    after the order of Melchizedek.” 5   The Lord is at your right hand;    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.6   He will execute judgment among the nations,    filling them with corpses;  he will shatter chiefs4    over the wide earth.7   He will drink from the brook by the way;    therefore he will lift up his head. Footnotes [1] 110:3 Or on the day you lead your forces [2] 110:3 Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy mountains [3] 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 110:6 Or the head (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 18 (Listen) Hezekiah Reigns in Judah 18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).1 5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, 10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed. Sennacherib Attacks Judah 13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents2 of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field. 18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. 19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, “We trust in the LORD our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? 23 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”'” 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my3 hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me4 and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'” 36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. Footnotes [1] 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and serpent [2] 18:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [3] 18:29 Hebrew his [4] 18:31 Hebrew Make a blessing with me (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 7–8 Isaiah 7–8 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 11:55–12:19 John 11:55–12:19 (Listen) 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for1 Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound2 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii3 and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it4 for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” The Plot to Kill Lazarus 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus5 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15   “Fear not, daughter of Zion;  behold, your king is coming,    sitting on a donkey's colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Footnotes [1] 11:56 Greek were seeking for [2] 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams [3] 12:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [4] 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it [5] 12:9 Greek he (ESV)

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83   O God, do not keep silence;    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2   For behold, your enemies make an uproar;    those who hate you have raised their heads.3   They lay crafty plans against your people;    they consult together against your treasured ones.4   They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5   For they conspire with one accord;    against you they make a covenant—6   the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,    Moab and the Hagrites,7   Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 4:14–5:10 Hebrews 4:14–5:10 (Listen) Jesus the Great High Priest 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,   “You are my Son,    today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place,   “You are a priest forever,    after the order of Melchizedek.”

Morning: Isaiah 7–9 Isaiah 7–9 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. For to Us a Child Is Born 9 21 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.22 2   23 The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;  those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,    on them has light shone.3   You have multiplied the nation;    you have increased its joy;  they rejoice before you    as with joy at the harvest,    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.4   For the yoke of his burden,    and the staff for his shoulder,    the rod of his oppressor,    you have broken as on the day of Midian.5   For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult    and every garment rolled in blood    will be burned as fuel for the fire.6   For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon24 his shoulder,    and his name shall be called25  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7   Of the increase of his government and of peace    there will be no end,  on the throne of David and over his kingdom,    to establish it and to uphold it  with justice and with righteousness    from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression 8   The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,    and it will fall on Israel;9   and all the people will know,    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,    who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:10   “The bricks have fallen,    but we will build with dressed stones;  the sycamores have been cut down,    but we will put cedars in their place.”11   But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,    and stirs up his enemies.12   The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west    devour Israel with open mouth.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 13   The people did not turn to him who struck them,    nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.14   So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail,    palm branch and reed in one day—15   the elder and honored man is the head,    and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;16   for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,    and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.17   Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,    and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;  for everyone is godless and an evildoer,    and every mouth speaks folly.26  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 18   For wickedness burns like a fire;    it consumes briers and thorns;  it kindles the thickets of the forest,    and they roll upward in a column of smoke.19   Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts    the land is scorched,  and the people are like fuel for the fire;    no one spares another.20   They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,    and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;  each devours the flesh of his own arm,21   Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;    together they are against Judah.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by [21] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [22] 9:1 Or of the Gentiles [23] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [24] 9:6 Or is upon [25] 9:6 Or is called [26] 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things (ESV) Evening: Galatians 4 Galatians 4 (Listen) Sons and Heirs 4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,1 though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles2 of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Paul's Concern for the Galatians 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. 12 Brothers,3 I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?4 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Example of Hagar and Sarah 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;5 she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,   “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!  For the children of the desolate one will be more    than those of the one who has a husband.” 28 Now you,6 brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Footnotes [1] 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 7 [2] 4:3 Or elemental spirits; also verse 9 [3] 4:12 Or Brothers and sisters; also verses 28, 31 [4] 4:16 Or by dealing truthfully with you [5] 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia [6] 4:28 Some manuscripts we (ESV)

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

With family: Numbers 17–18; Psalm 55 Numbers 17–18 (Listen) Aaron's Staff Buds 17 1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. 8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. 12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?” Duties of Priests and Levites 18 So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. 4 They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. 5 And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6 And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7 And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift,2 and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” 8 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons. 10 In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you. 11 This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 12 All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you. 13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 14 Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels3 in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 18 But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. 19 All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you.” 20 And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. 21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” 25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27 And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD's contribution to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.' 30 Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. 31 And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.'” Footnotes [1] 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Hebrew [2] 18:7 Hebrew service of gift [3] 18:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm 55 (Listen) Cast Your Burden on the Lord To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David. 55   Give ear to my prayer, O God,    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!2   Attend to me, and answer me;    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,3   because of the noise of the enemy,    because of the oppression of the wicked.  For they drop trouble upon me,    and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 4   My heart is in anguish within me;    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.5   Fear and trembling come upon me,    and horror overwhelms me.6   And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!    I would fly away and be at rest;7   yes, I would wander far away;    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah8   I would hurry to find a shelter    from the raging wind and tempest.” 9   Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;    for I see violence and strife in the city.10   Day and night they go around it    on its walls,  and iniquity and trouble are within it;11     ruin is in its midst;  oppression and fraud    do not depart from its marketplace. 12   For it is not an enemy who taunts me—    then I could bear it;  it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—    then I could hide from him.13   But it is you, a man, my equal,    my companion, my familiar friend.14   We used to take sweet counsel together;    within God's house we walked in the throng.15   Let death steal over them;    let them go down to Sheol alive;    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. 16   But I call to God,    and the LORD will save me.17   Evening and morning and at noon    I utter my complaint and moan,    and he hears my voice.18   He redeems my soul in safety    from the battle that I wage,    for many are arrayed against me.19   God will give ear and humble them,    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah  because they do not change    and do not fear God. 20   My companion2 stretched out his hand against his friends;    he violated his covenant.21   His speech was smooth as butter,    yet war was in his heart;  his words were softer than oil,    yet they were drawn swords. 22   Cast your burden on the LORD,    and he will sustain you;  he will never permit    the righteous to be moved. 23   But you, O God, will cast them down    into the pit of destruction;  men of blood and treachery    shall not live out half their days.  But I will trust in you. Footnotes [1] 55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 55:20 Hebrew He (ESV) In private: Isaiah 7; James 1 Isaiah 7 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) James 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 102 Psalm 102 (Listen) Do Not Hide Your Face from Me A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. 102   Hear my prayer, O LORD;  let my cry come to you!2   Do not hide your face from me    in the day of my distress!  Incline your ear to me;    answer me speedily in the day when I call! 3   For my days pass away like smoke,    and my bones burn like a furnace.4   My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;    I forget to eat my bread.5   Because of my loud groaning    my bones cling to my flesh.6   I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,    like an owl1 of the waste places;7   I lie awake;    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.8   All the day my enemies taunt me;    those who deride me use my name for a curse.9   For I eat ashes like bread    and mingle tears with my drink,10   because of your indignation and anger;    for you have taken me up and thrown me down.11   My days are like an evening shadow;    I wither away like grass. 12   But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;    you are remembered throughout all generations.13   You will arise and have pity on Zion;    it is the time to favor her;    the appointed time has come.14   For your servants hold her stones dear    and have pity on her dust.15   Nations will fear the name of the LORD,    and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.16   For the LORD builds up Zion;    he appears in his glory;17   he regards the prayer of the destitute    and does not despise their prayer. 18   Let this be recorded for a generation to come,    so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:19   that he looked down from his holy height;    from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,20   to hear the groans of the prisoners,    to set free those who were doomed to die,21   that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,    and in Jerusalem his praise,22   when peoples gather together,    and kingdoms, to worship the LORD. 23   He has broken my strength in midcourse;    he has shortened my days.24   “O my God,” I say, “take me not away    in the midst of my days—  you whose years endure    throughout all generations!” 25   Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,    and the heavens are the work of your hands.26   They will perish, but you will remain;    they will all wear out like a garment.  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,27     but you are the same, and your years have no end.28   The children of your servants shall dwell secure;    their offspring shall be established before you. Footnotes [1] 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Leviticus 9 Leviticus 9 (Listen) The Lord Accepts Aaron's Offering 9 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. 3 And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.'” 5 And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6 And Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” 7 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.” 8 So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9 And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar. 10 But the fat and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 The flesh and the skin he burned up with fire outside the camp. 12 Then he killed the burnt offering, and Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. 13 And they handed the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14 And he washed the entrails and the legs and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar. 15 Then he presented the people's offering and took the goat of the sin offering that was for the people and killed it and offered it as a sin offering, like the first one. 16 And he presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the rule. 17 And he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. 18 Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people. And Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar. 19 But the fat pieces of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail and that which covers the entrails and the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver—20 they put the fat pieces on the breasts, and he burned the fat pieces on the altar, 21 but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. 22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 7–8 Isaiah 7–8 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: 2 Corinthians 4–5:10 2 Corinthians 4–5:10 (Listen) The Light of the Gospel 4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,1 we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice2 cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants3 for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Treasure in Jars of Clay 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self4 is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Our Heavenly Dwelling 5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on5 we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Footnotes [1] 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy [2] 4:2 Greek to walk in [3] 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) [4] 4:16 Greek man [5] 5:3 Some manuscripts putting it off (ESV)

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to make war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2 And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria's forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind. 3 Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller's Field, 4 and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have plotted evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and trouble it, and let us make a gap in its wall for ourselves, and set a king over them, the son of Tabel”— 7 thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand, Nor shall it come to pass. 8 For the head of Syria is Damascus, And the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, And the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, Surely you shall not be established.” 10 Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!” 13 Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. 15 Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father's house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

Isaiah 7:1–14 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us (ESV)

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 110 Psalm 110 (Listen) Sit at My Right Hand A Psalm of David. 110   The LORD says to my Lord:    “Sit at my right hand,  until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2   The LORD sends forth from Zion    your mighty scepter.    Rule in the midst of your enemies!3   Your people will offer themselves freely    on the day of your power,1    in holy garments;2  from the womb of the morning,    the dew of your youth will be yours.34   The LORD has sworn    and will not change his mind,  “You are a priest forever    after the order of Melchizedek.” 5   The Lord is at your right hand;    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.6   He will execute judgment among the nations,    filling them with corpses;  he will shatter chiefs4    over the wide earth.7   He will drink from the brook by the way;    therefore he will lift up his head. Footnotes [1] 110:3 Or on the day you lead your forces [2] 110:3 Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy mountains [3] 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain [4] 110:6 Or the head (ESV) Pentateuch and History: 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 18 (Listen) Hezekiah Reigns in Judah 18 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).1 5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. 7 And the LORD was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city. 9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, 10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the LORD their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed. Sennacherib Attacks Judah 13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents2 of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field. 18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder. 19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, “We trust in the LORD our God,” is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? 23 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Moreover, is it without the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”'” 26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?” 28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my3 hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD by saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.' 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me4 and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The LORD will deliver us.” 33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'” 36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh. Footnotes [1] 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and serpent [2] 18:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [3] 18:29 Hebrew his [4] 18:31 Hebrew Make a blessing with me (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Isaiah 7–8 Isaiah 7–8 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: John 11:55–12:19 John 11:55–12:19 (Listen) 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for1 Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany 12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound2 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii3 and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it4 for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” The Plot to Kill Lazarus 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus5 was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. The Triumphal Entry 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15   “Fear not, daughter of Zion;  behold, your king is coming,    sitting on a donkey's colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.” Footnotes [1] 11:56 Greek were seeking for [2] 12:3 Greek litra; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams [3] 12:5 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer [4] 12:7 Or Leave her alone; she intended to keep it [5] 12:9 Greek he (ESV)

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83   O God, do not keep silence;    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2   For behold, your enemies make an uproar;    those who hate you have raised their heads.3   They lay crafty plans against your people;    they consult together against your treasured ones.4   They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5   For they conspire with one accord;    against you they make a covenant—6   the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,    Moab and the Hagrites,7   Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Old Testament: Isaiah 5–7 Isaiah 5–7 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13 Or without their knowledge [7] 5:13 Or die of hunger [8] 5:14 Hebrew her nobility [9] 5:15 Hebrew high [10] 5:16 Hebrew high [11] 6:1 Or hem [12] 6:3 Or may his glory fill the whole earth [13] 6:9 Or Hear indeed [14] 6:9 Or see indeed [15] 6:10 Hebrew fat [16] 6:13 Or purged [17] 6:13 Or offspring [18] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [19] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [20] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [21] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [22] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [23] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [24] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [25] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [26] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [27] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [28] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) New Testament: Hebrews 4:14–5:10 Hebrews 4:14–5:10 (Listen) Jesus the Great High Priest 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 5 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,   “You are my Son,    today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place,   “You are a priest forever,    after the order of Melchizedek.”

Morning: Isaiah 7–9 Isaiah 7–9 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,12 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'13 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,14 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,15 you peoples, and be shattered;16    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.17 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching18 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,19 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against20 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. For to Us a Child Is Born 9 21 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.22 2   23 The people who walked in darkness    have seen a great light;  those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,    on them has light shone.3   You have multiplied the nation;    you have increased its joy;  they rejoice before you    as with joy at the harvest,    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.4   For the yoke of his burden,    and the staff for his shoulder,    the rod of his oppressor,    you have broken as on the day of Midian.5   For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult    and every garment rolled in blood    will be burned as fuel for the fire.6   For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon24 his shoulder,    and his name shall be called25  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7   Of the increase of his government and of peace    there will be no end,  on the throne of David and over his kingdom,    to establish it and to uphold it  with justice and with righteousness    from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. Judgment on Arrogance and Oppression 8   The Lord has sent a word against Jacob,    and it will fall on Israel;9   and all the people will know,    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria,    who say in pride and in arrogance of heart:10   “The bricks have fallen,    but we will build with dressed stones;  the sycamores have been cut down,    but we will put cedars in their place.”11   But the LORD raises the adversaries of Rezin against him,    and stirs up his enemies.12   The Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west    devour Israel with open mouth.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 13   The people did not turn to him who struck them,    nor inquire of the LORD of hosts.14   So the LORD cut off from Israel head and tail,    palm branch and reed in one day—15   the elder and honored man is the head,    and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;16   for those who guide this people have been leading them astray,    and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.17   Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men,    and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows;  for everyone is godless and an evildoer,    and every mouth speaks folly.26  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 18   For wickedness burns like a fire;    it consumes briers and thorns;  it kindles the thickets of the forest,    and they roll upward in a column of smoke.19   Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts    the land is scorched,  and the people are like fuel for the fire;    no one spares another.20   They slice meat on the right, but are still hungry,    and they devour on the left, but are not satisfied;  each devours the flesh of his own arm,21   Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim devours Manasseh;    together they are against Judah.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [12] 8:1 Hebrew with a man's stylus [13] 8:1 Maher-shalal-hash-baz means The spoil speeds, the prey hastens [14] 8:7 That is, the Euphrates [15] 8:9 Or Be evil [16] 8:9 Or dismayed [17] 8:10 The Hebrew for God is with us is Immanuel [18] 8:16 Or law; also verse 20 [19] 8:21 Hebrew it [20] 8:21 Or speak contemptuously by [21] 9:1 Ch 8:23 in Hebrew [22] 9:1 Or of the Gentiles [23] 9:2 Ch 9:1 in Hebrew [24] 9:6 Or is upon [25] 9:6 Or is called [26] 9:17 Or speaks disgraceful things (ESV) Evening: Galatians 4 Galatians 4 (Listen) Sons and Heirs 4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,1 though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles2 of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Paul's Concern for the Galatians 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. 12 Brothers,3 I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?4 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Example of Hagar and Sarah 21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;5 she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,   “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!  For the children of the desolate one will be more    than those of the one who has a husband.” 28 Now you,6 brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. Footnotes [1] 4:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 7 [2] 4:3 Or elemental spirits; also verse 9 [3] 4:12 Or Brothers and sisters; also verses 28, 31 [4] 4:16 Or by dealing truthfully with you [5] 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia [6] 4:28 Some manuscripts we (ESV)

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

Isaiah 5–8 Isaiah 5–8 (Listen) The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed 5   Let me sing for my beloved    my love song concerning his vineyard:  My beloved had a vineyard    on a very fertile hill.2   He dug it and cleared it of stones,    and planted it with choice vines;  he built a watchtower in the midst of it,    and hewed out a wine vat in it;  and he looked for it to yield grapes,    but it yielded wild grapes. 3   And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem    and men of Judah,  judge between me and my vineyard.4   What more was there to do for my vineyard,    that I have not done in it?  When I looked for it to yield grapes,    why did it yield wild grapes? 5   And now I will tell you    what I will do to my vineyard.  I will remove its hedge,    and it shall be devoured;1  I will break down its wall,    and it shall be trampled down.6   I will make it a waste;    it shall not be pruned or hoed,    and briers and thorns shall grow up;  I will also command the clouds    that they rain no rain upon it. 7   For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts    is the house of Israel,  and the men of Judah    are his pleasant planting;  and he looked for justice,    but behold, bloodshed;2  for righteousness,    but behold, an outcry!3 Woe to the Wicked 8   Woe to those who join house to house,    who add field to field,  until there is no more room,    and you are made to dwell alone    in the midst of the land.9   The LORD of hosts has sworn in my hearing:  “Surely many houses shall be desolate,    large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.10   For ten acres4 of vineyard shall yield but one bath,    and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.”5 11   Woe to those who rise early in the morning,    that they may run after strong drink,  who tarry late into the evening    as wine inflames them!12   They have lyre and harp,    tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts,  but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD,    or see the work of his hands. 13   Therefore my people go into exile    for lack of knowledge;6  their honored men go hungry,7    and their multitude is parched with thirst.14   Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite    and opened its mouth beyond measure,  and the nobility of Jerusalem8 and her multitude will go down,    her revelers and he who exults in her.15   Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,    and the eyes of the haughty9 are brought low.16   But the LORD of hosts is exalted10 in justice,    and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.17   Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,    and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. 18   Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of falsehood,    who draw sin as with cart ropes,19   who say: “Let him be quick,    let him speed his work    that we may see it;  let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near,    and let it come, that we may know it!”20   Woe to those who call evil good    and good evil,  who put darkness for light    and light for darkness,  who put bitter for sweet    and sweet for bitter!21   Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,    and shrewd in their own sight!22   Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine,    and valiant men in mixing strong drink,23   who acquit the guilty for a bribe,    and deprive the innocent of his right! 24   Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble,    and as dry grass sinks down in the flame,  so their root will be as rottenness,    and their blossom go up like dust;  for they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts,    and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.25   Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he stretched out his hand against them and struck them,    and the mountains quaked;  and their corpses were as refuse    in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger has not turned away,    and his hand is stretched out still. 26   He will raise a signal for nations far away,    and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;  and behold, quickly, speedily they come!27   None is weary, none stumbles,    none slumbers or sleeps,  not a waistband is loose,    not a sandal strap broken;28   their arrows are sharp,    all their bows bent,  their horses' hoofs seem like flint,    and their wheels like the whirlwind.29   Their roaring is like a lion,    like young lions they roar;  they growl and seize their prey;    they carry it off, and none can rescue.30   They will growl over it on that day,    like the growling of the sea.  And if one looks to the land,    behold, darkness and distress;  and the light is darkened by its clouds. Isaiah's Vision of the Lord 6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train11 of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;  the whole earth is full of his glory!”12 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah's Commission from the Lord 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:   “‘Keep on hearing,13 but do not understand;  keep on seeing,14 but do not perceive.'10   Make the heart of this people dull,15    and their ears heavy,    and blind their eyes;  lest they see with their eyes,    and hear with their ears,  and understand with their hearts,    and turn and be healed.”11   Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”  And he said:  “Until cities lie waste    without inhabitant,  and houses without people,    and the land is a desolate waste,12   and the LORD removes people far away,    and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.13   And though a tenth remain in it,    it will be burned16 again,  like a terebinth or an oak,    whose stump remains    when it is felled.”  The holy seed17 is its stump. Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with18 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz19 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub20 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it21 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you22 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.'” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your23 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he24 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.25 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.26 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River27—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels28 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. The Coming Assyrian Invasion 8 Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters,29 ‘Belonging to Maher-shalal-hash-baz.'30 2 And I will get reliable witnesses, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah, to attest for me.” 3 And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, “Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry ‘My father' or ‘My mother,' the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria.” 5 The LORD spoke to me again: 6 “Because this people has refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently, and rejoice over Rezin and the son of Remaliah, 7 therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River,31 mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks, 8 and it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.” 9   Be broken,32 you peoples, and be shattered;33    give ear, all you far countries;  strap on your armor and be shattered;    strap on your armor and be shattered.10   Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;    speak a word, but it will not stand,    for God is with us.34 Fear God, Wait for the Lord 11 For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.” 16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching35 among my disciples. 17 I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. 19 And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. 21 They will pass through the land,36 greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against37 their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. Footnotes [1] 5:5 Or grazed over; compare Exodus 22:5 [2] 5:7 The Hebrew words for justice and bloodshed sound alike [3] 5:7 The Hebrew words for righteous and outcry sound alike [4] 5:10 Hebrew ten yoke, the area ten yoke of oxen can plow in a day [5] 5:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; an ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters [6] 5:13

With family: Numbers 17–18; Psalm 55 Numbers 17–18 (Listen) Aaron’s Staff Buds 17 1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony. 8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so he did. 12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?” Duties of Priests and Levites 18 So the LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. 2 And with you bring your brothers also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They shall keep guard over you and over the whole tent, but shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary or to the altar lest they, and you, die. 4 They shall join you and keep guard over the tent of meeting for all the service of the tent, and no outsider shall come near you. 5 And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel. 6 And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 7 And you and your sons with you shall guard your priesthood for all that concerns the altar and that is within the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood as a gift,2 and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death.” 8 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due. 9 This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering of theirs and every sin offering of theirs and every guilt offering of theirs, which they render to me, shall be most holy to you and to your sons. 10 In a most holy place shall you eat it. Every male may eat it; it is holy to you. 11 This also is yours: the contribution of their gift, all the wave offerings of the people of Israel. I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 12 All the best of the oil and all the best of the wine and of the grain, the firstfruits of what they give to the LORD, I give to you. 13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 14 Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15 Everything that opens the womb of all flesh, whether man or beast, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn of man you shall redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 And their redemption price (at a month old you shall redeem them) you shall fix at five shekels3 in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall burn their fat as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 18 But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours. 19 All the holy contributions that the people of Israel present to the LORD I give to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due. It is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and for your offspring with you.” 20 And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. 21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” 25 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27 And your contribution shall be counted to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 So you shall also present a contribution to the LORD from all your tithes, which you receive from the people of Israel. And from it you shall give the LORD’s contribution to Aaron the priest. 29 Out of all the gifts to you, you shall present every contribution due to the LORD; from each its best part is to be dedicated.’ 30 Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be counted to the Levites as produce of the threshing floor, and as produce of the winepress. 31 And you may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.’” Footnotes [1] 17:1 Ch 17:16 in Hebrew [2] 18:7 Hebrew service of gift [3] 18:16 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) Psalm 55 (Listen) Cast Your Burden on the Lord To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil1 of David. 55   Give ear to my prayer, O God,    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!2   Attend to me, and answer me;    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,3   because of the noise of the enemy,    because of the oppression of the wicked.  For they drop trouble upon me,    and in anger they bear a grudge against me. 4   My heart is in anguish within me;    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.5   Fear and trembling come upon me,    and horror overwhelms me.6   And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!    I would fly away and be at rest;7   yes, I would wander far away;    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah8   I would hurry to find a shelter    from the raging wind and tempest.” 9   Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;    for I see violence and strife in the city.10   Day and night they go around it    on its walls,  and iniquity and trouble are within it;11     ruin is in its midst;  oppression and fraud    do not depart from its marketplace. 12   For it is not an enemy who taunts me—    then I could bear it;  it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—    then I could hide from him.13   But it is you, a man, my equal,    my companion, my familiar friend.14   We used to take sweet counsel together;    within God’s house we walked in the throng.15   Let death steal over them;    let them go down to Sheol alive;    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. 16   But I call to God,    and the LORD will save me.17   Evening and morning and at noon    I utter my complaint and moan,    and he hears my voice.18   He redeems my soul in safety    from the battle that I wage,    for many are arrayed against me.19   God will give ear and humble them,    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah  because they do not change    and do not fear God. 20   My companion2 stretched out his hand against his friends;    he violated his covenant.21   His speech was smooth as butter,    yet war was in his heart;  his words were softer than oil,    yet they were drawn swords. 22   Cast your burden on the LORD,    and he will sustain you;  he will never permit    the righteous to be moved. 23   But you, O God, will cast them down    into the pit of destruction;  men of blood and treachery    shall not live out half their days.  But I will trust in you. Footnotes [1] 55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 55:20 Hebrew He (ESV) In private: Isaiah 7; James 1 Isaiah 7 (Listen) Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz 7 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. 2 When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with1 Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz2 and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. 3 And the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub3 your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. 4 And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it4 for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7 thus says the Lord GOD:   “‘It shall not stand,    and it shall not come to pass.8   For the head of Syria is Damascus,    and the head of Damascus is Rezin.  And within sixty-five years    Ephraim will be shattered from being a people.9   And the head of Ephraim is Samaria,    and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah.  If you5 are not firm in faith,    you will not be firm at all.’” The Sign of Immanuel 10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your6 God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he7 said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.8 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!” 18 In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19 And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thornbushes, and on all the pastures.9 20 In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the River10—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will sweep away the beard also. 21 In that day a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, 22 and because of the abundance of milk that they give, he will eat curds, for everyone who is left in the land will eat curds and honey. 23 In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels11 of silver, will become briers and thorns. 24 With bow and arrows a man will come there, for all the land will be briers and thorns. 25 And as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not come there for fear of briers and thorns, but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread. Footnotes [1] 7:2 Hebrew Syria has rested upon [2] 7:2 Hebrew his heart [3] 7:3 Shear-jashub means A remnant shall return [4] 7:6 Hebrew let us split it open [5] 7:9 The Hebrew for you is plural in verses 9, 13, 14 [6] 7:11 The Hebrew for you and your is singular in verses 11, 16, 17 [7] 7:13 That is, Isaiah [8] 7:14 Immanuel means God is with us [9] 7:19 Or watering holes, or brambles [10] 7:20 That is, the Euphrates [11] 7:23 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV) James 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 James, a servant1 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Testing of Your Faith 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass3 he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.4 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Hearing and Doing the Word 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Footnotes [1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface [2] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19 [3] 1:10 Or a wild flower [4] 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning (ESV)