September 28 Reading through the Bible

 

ISAIAH 54:1-57:14

EPHESIANS 6:1-24

PSALM 70:1-5

PROVERBS 24:8

ISAIAH 54:1-57:14

" Sing, O childless woman! Break forth into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, even though you never gave birth to a child. For the woman who could bear no children now has more than all the other women," says the LORD. 2 " Enlarge your house; build an addition; spread out your home! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will take over other nations and live in their cities. 4 " Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more, 5 for your Creator will be your husband. The LORD Almighty is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the LORD has called you back from your grief--as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. 7 " For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In a moment of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. 9 " Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth and destroy its life, so now I swear that I will never again pour out my anger on you. 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but even then I will remain loyal to you. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you. 11 " O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies and your gates and walls of shining gems. 13 I will teach all your citizens, and their prosperity will be great. 14 You will live under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away; you will live in peace. Terror will not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it will not be because I sent them to punish you. Your enemies will always be defeated because I am on your side. 16 I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed. And everyone who tells lies in court will be brought to justice. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!55:1 " IS anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul! 3 " Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the mercies and unfailing love that I promised to David. 4 He displayed my power by being my witness and a leader among the nations. 5 You also will command the nations, and they will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious." 6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 " My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. " And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. 10 " The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! 13 Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where briers grew, myrtles will sprout up. This miracle will bring great honor to the LORD's name; it will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.56:1 " BE just and fair to all," says the LORD. " Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you. 2 Blessed are those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest by refusing to work. And blessed are those who keep themselves from doing wrong. 3 " And my blessings are for Gentiles, too, when they commit themselves to the LORD. Do not let them think that I consider them second-class citizens. And my blessings are also for the eunuchs. They are as much mine as anyone else. 4 For I say this to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy, who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me: 5 I will give them--in my house, within my walls--a memorial and a name far greater than the honor they would have received by having sons and daughters. For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear! 6 " I will also bless the Gentiles who commit themselves to the LORD and serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who have accepted his covenant. 7 I will bring them also to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 8 For the Sovereign LORD, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel." 9 Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people! 10 For the leaders of my people--the LORD's watchmen, his shepherds--are blind to every danger. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming. 11 And they are as greedy as dogs, never satisfied. They are stupid shepherds, all following their own path, all of them intent on personal gain. 12 " Come," they say. " We will get some wine and have a party. Let's all get drunk. Let this go on and on, and tomorrow will be even better."57:1 THE righteous pass away; the godly often die before their time. And no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. 2 For the godly who die will rest in peace. 3 " But you--come here, you witches' children, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 4 Whom do you mock, making faces and sticking out your tongues? You children of sinners and liars! 5 You worship your idols with great passion beneath every green tree. You slaughter your children as human sacrifices down in the valleys, under overhanging rocks. 6 Your gods are the smooth stones in the valleys. You worship them with drink offerings and grain offerings. They, not I, are your inheritance. Does all this make me happy? 7 You have committed adultery on the mountaintops by worshiping idols there, and so you have been unfaithful to me. 8 Behind closed doors, you have set up your idols and worship them instead of me. This is adultery, for you are loving these idols instead of loving me. You have climbed right into bed with these detestable gods. 9 You have given olive oil and perfume to Molech as your gift. You have traveled far, even into the world of the dead, to find new gods to love. 10 You grew weary in your search, but you never gave up. You strengthened yourself and went on. 11 Why were you more afraid of them than of me? How is it that you don't even remember me or think about me? Is it because I have not corrected you that you have no fear of me? 12 " Now I will expose your so-called good deeds that you consider so righteous. None of them will benefit or save you. 13 Let's see if your idols can do anything for you when you cry to them for help. They are so helpless that a breath of wind can knock them down! But whoever trusts in me will possess the land and inherit my holy mountain. 14 I will say, ` Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.' "

EPHESIANS 6:1-24

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. 2 " Honor your father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. 3 And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, " you will live a long life, full of blessing." 4 And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord. 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. 9 And in the same way, you masters must treat your slaves right. Don't threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.10 A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. 11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. 13 Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too. 20 I am in chains now for preaching this message as God's ambassador. But pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.21 Tychicus, a much loved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's work, will tell you all about how I am getting along. 22 I am sending him to you for just this purpose. He will let you know how we are, and he will encourage you. 23 May God give you peace, dear brothers and sisters,* and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 May God's grace be upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

PSALM 70:1-5

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to bring us to the LORD's remembrance.

1 Please, God, rescue me!

Come quickly, LORD, and help me.

2 May those who try to destroy me

be humiliated and put to shame.

May those who take delight in my trouble

be turned back in disgrace.

3 Let them be horrified by their shame,

for they said, " Aha! We've got him now!"

4 But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness.

May those who love your salvation

repeatedly shout, " God is great!"

5 But I am poor and needy;

please hurry to my aid, O God.

You are my helper and my savior;

O LORD, do not delay!

PROVERBS 24:8

A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker.

September 27 Reading through the Bible

 ISAIAH 51:1-53:12

EPHESIANS 5:1-33

PSALM 69:19-36

PROVERBS 24:7

ISAIAH 51:1-53:12

" Listen to me [the LORD], all who hope for deliverance--all who seek the LORD! Consider the quarry from which you were mined, the rock from which you were cut! 2 Yes, think about your ancestors Abraham and Sarah, from whom you came. Abraham was alone when I called him. But when I blessed him, he became a great nation." 3 The LORD will comfort Israel again and make her deserts blossom. Her barren wilderness will become as beautiful as Eden--the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found there. Lovely songs of thanksgiving will fill the air. 4 " Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. 5 My mercy and justice are coming soon. Your salvation is on the way. I will rule the nations. They will wait for me and long for my power. 6 Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth beneath. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! 7 " Listen to me, you who know right from wrong and cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn or their slanderous talk. 8 For the moth will destroy them as it destroys clothing. The worm will eat away at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation." 9 Wake up, LORD! Robe yourself with strength! Rouse yourself as in the days of old when you slew Egypt, the dragon of the Nile. 10 Are you not the same today, the one who dried up the sea, making a path of escape when you saved your people? 11 Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness. 12 " I, even I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? 13 Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who put the stars in the sky and established the earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human oppression? Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies from morning till night? 14 Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate! 15 For I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar. My name is the LORD Almighty. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely within my hand. I set all the stars in space and established the earth. I am the one who says to Israel, ` You are mine!' " 17 Wake up, wake up, O Jerusalem! You have drunk enough from the cup of the LORD's fury. You have drunk the cup of terror, tipping out its last drops. 18 Not one of your children is left alive to help you or tell you what to do. 19 These two things have been your lot: desolation and destruction, famine and war. And who is left to sympathize? Who is left to comfort you? 20 For your children have fainted and lie in the streets, helpless as antelopes caught in a net. The LORD has poured out his fury; God has rebuked them. 21 But now listen to this, you afflicted ones, who sit in a drunken stupor, though not from drinking wine. 22 This is what the Sovereign LORD, your God and Defender, says: " See, I am taking the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury. It is gone at last! 23 But I will put that cup into the hands of those who tormented you. I will give it to those who trampled you into the dust and walked on your backs."52:1 WAKE up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourselves with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will no longer enter your gates. 2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Remove the slave bands from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the LORD says: " When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without paying for you." 4 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " Long ago my people went to live as resident foreigners in Egypt. Now they have been oppressed without cause by Assyria. 5 And now, what is this?" asks the LORD. " Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is being blasphemed all day long. 6 But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that it is I who speaks to them." 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! 8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the LORD bringing his people home to Jerusalem. 9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the LORD has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD will demonstrate his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. The ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. 11 Go now, leave your bonds and slavery. Put Babylon behind you, with everything it represents, for it is unclean to you. You are the LORD's holy people. Purify yourselves, you who carry home the vessels of the LORD. 12 You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the LORD will go ahead of you, and the God of Israel will protect you from behind. 13 See, my servant will prosper; he will be highly exalted. 14 Many were amazed when they saw him--beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person. 15 And he will again startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not previously been told about; they will understand what they had not heard about.53:1 WHO has believed our message? To whom will the LORD reveal his saving power? 2 My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! 5 But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! 6 All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins--that he was suffering their punishment? 9 He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. 10 But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among those who were sinners. He bore the sins of many and interceded for sinners.

EPHESIANS 5:1-33

Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes--these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world. 6 Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him. 7 Don't participate in the things these people do. 8 For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But when the light shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these things are. 14 And where your light shines, it will expose their evil deeds. This is why it is said, " Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light." 15 So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. 17 Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. 19 Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.25 And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. 29 No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. 30 And we are his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, " A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

PSALM 69:19-36

You [LORD] know the insults I endure--

the humiliation and disgrace.

You have seen all my enemies

and know what they have said.

20 Their insults have broken my heart,

and I am in despair.

If only one person would show some pity;

if only one would turn and comfort me.

21 But instead, they give me poison for food;

they offer me sour wine to satisfy my thirst.

22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare,

and let their security become a trap.

23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,

and let their bodies grow weaker and weaker.

24 Pour out your fury on them;

consume them with your burning anger.

25 May their homes become desolate

and their tents be deserted.

26 To those you have punished, they add insult to injury;

they scoff at the pain of those you have hurt.

27 Pile their sins up high,

and don't let them go free.

28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;

don't let them be counted among the righteous.

29 I am suffering and in pain.

Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

30 Then I will praise God's name with singing,

and I will honor him with thanksgiving.

31 For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing an ox

or presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.

32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.

Let all who seek God's help live in joy.

33 For the LORD hears the cries of his needy ones;

he does not despise his people who are oppressed.

34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,

the seas and all that move in them.

35 For God will save Jerusalem

and rebuild the towns of Judah.

His people will live there

and take possession of the land.

36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,

and those who love him will live there in safety.

PROVERBS 24:7

Wisdom is too much for a fool. When the leaders gather, the fool has nothing to say.

September 26 Reading through the Bible

 

EPHESIANS 4:17-32

PSALM 69:1-18

PROVERBS 24:5-6

ISAIAH 48:12-50:11

" Listen to me, O family of Jacob, Israel my chosen one! I alone am God, the First and the Last. 13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth. The palm of my right hand spread out the heavens above. I spoke, and they came into being. 14 " Have any of your idols ever told you this? Come, all of you, and listen: ` The LORD has chosen Cyrus as his ally. He will use him to put an end to the empire of Babylon, destroying the Babylonian armies.' 15 I have said it: I am calling Cyrus! I will send him on this errand and will help him succeed. 16 Come closer and listen. I have always told you plainly what would happen so you would have no trouble understanding." And now the Sovereign LORD and his Spirit have sent me with this message: 17 " The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow. 18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling like waves. 19 Then you would have become as numerous as the sands along the seashore--too many to count! There would have been no need for your destruction." 20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Leave Babylon and the Babylonians, singing as you go! Shout to the ends of the earth that the LORD has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel. 21 They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink. 22 " But there is no peace for the wicked," says the LORD.49:1 LISTEN to me, all of you in far-off lands! The LORD called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name. 2 He made my words of judgment as sharp as a sword. He has hidden me in the shadow of his hand. I am like a sharp arrow in his quiver. 3 He said to me, " You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory." 4 I replied, " But my work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose at all. Yet I leave it all in the LORD's hand; I will trust God for my reward." 5 And now the LORD speaks--he who formed me in my mother's womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring his people of Israel back to him. The LORD has honored me, and my God has given me strength. 6 He says, " You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." 7 The LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by a nation, to the one who is the servant of rulers: " Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will bow low because the LORD has chosen you. He, the faithful LORD, the Holy One of Israel, chooses you."8 This is what the LORD says: " At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation, I will help you. I will give you as a token and pledge to Israel. This will prove that I will reestablish the land of Israel and reassign it to its own people again. 9 Through you I am saying to the prisoners of darkness, ` Come out! I am giving you your freedom!' They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. 10 They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun and scorching desert winds will not reach them anymore. For the LORD in his mercy will lead them beside cool waters. 11 And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys. 12 See, my people will return from far away, from lands to the north and west, and from as far south as Egypt." 13 Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their sorrow. 14 Yet Jerusalem says, " The LORD has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us."15 " Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! 16 See, I have written your name on my hand. Ever before me is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins. 17 Soon your descendants will come back, and all who are trying to destroy you will go away. 18 Look and see, for all your children will come back to you. As surely as I live," says the LORD, " they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display. 19 " Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land will soon be crowded with your people. Your enemies who enslaved you will be far away. 20 The generations born in exile will return and say, ` We need more room! It's crowded here!' 21 Then you will think to yourself, ` Who has given me all these descendants? For most of my children were killed, and the rest were carried away into exile. I was left here all alone. Who bore these children? Who raised them for me?' " 22 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. They will carry your little sons back to you in their arms; they will bring your daughters on their shoulders. 23 Kings and queens will serve you. They will care for all your needs. They will bow to the earth before you and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who wait for me will never be put to shame." 24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go? 25 But the LORD says, " The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. 26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel."50:1 THE LORD asks, " Did I sell you as slaves to my creditors? Is that why you are not here? Is your mother gone because I divorced her and sent her away? No, you went away as captives because of your sins. And your mother, too, was taken because of your sins. 2 Was I too weak to save you? Is that why the house is silent and empty when I come home? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish. 3 I am the one who sends darkness out across the skies, bringing it to a state of mourning." 4 The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. 5 The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or turn away. 6 I give my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pull out my beard. I do not hide from shame, for they mock me and spit in my face.7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will triumph. 8 He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to oppose me now? Where are my enemies? Let them appear! 9 See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side! Who will declare me guilty? All my enemies will be destroyed like old clothes that have been eaten by moths! 10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. 11 But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon lie down in great torment.

EPHESIANS 4:17-32

With the Lord's authority let me [Paul] say this: Live no longer as the ungodly do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their closed minds are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They don't care anymore about right and wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed. 20 But that isn't what you were taught when you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard all about him and have learned the truth that is in Jesus, 22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness--righteous, holy, and true. 25 So put away all falsehood and " tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other. 26 And " don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. 28 If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

PSALM 69:1-18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune " Lilies."

1 Save me, O God,

for the floodwaters are up to my neck.

2 Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;

I can't find a foothold to stand on.

I am in deep water,

and the floods overwhelm me.

3 I am exhausted from crying for help;

my throat is parched and dry.

My eyes are swollen with weeping,

waiting for my God to help me.

4 Those who hate me without cause

are more numerous than the hairs on my head.

These enemies who seek to destroy me

are doing so without cause.

They attack me with lies,

demanding that I give back what I didn't steal.

5 O God, you know how foolish I am;

my sins cannot be hidden from you.

6 Don't let those who trust in you stumble because of me,

O Sovereign LORD Almighty.

Don't let me cause them to be humiliated,

O God of Israel.

7 For I am mocked and shamed for your sake;

humiliation is written all over my face.

8 Even my own brothers pretend they don't know me;

they treat me like a stranger.

9 Passion for your house burns within me,

so those who insult you are also insulting me.

10 When I weep and fast before the LORD,

they scoff at me.

11 When I dress in sackcloth to show sorrow,

they make fun of me.

12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,

and all the drunkards sing about me.

13 But I keep right on praying to you, LORD,

hoping this is the time you will show me favor.

In your unfailing love, O God,

answer my prayer with your sure salvation.

14 Pull me out of the mud;

don't let me sink any deeper!

Rescue me from those who hate me,

and pull me from these deep waters.

15 Don't let the floods overwhelm me,

or the deep waters swallow me,

or the pit of death devour me.

16 Answer my prayers, O LORD,

for your unfailing love is wonderful.

Turn and take care of me,

for your mercy is so plentiful.

17 Don't hide from your servant;

answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!

18 Come and rescue me;

free me from all my enemies.

PROVERBS 24:5-6

A wise man is mightier than a strong man,> and a man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man. So don't go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many counselors.

September 25 Reading through the Bible

 ISAIAH 45:11-48:11

EPHESIANS 4:1-16

PSALM 68:19-35

PROVERBS 24:3-4

ISAIAH 45:11-48:11

This is what the LORD, the Creator and Holy One of Israel, says: " Do you [Israel] question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command. 13 I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide all his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people--and not for a reward! I, the LORD Almighty, have spoken!" 14 This is what the LORD says: " The Egyptians, Ethiopians, and Sabeans will be subject to you. They will come to you with all their merchandise, and it will all be yours. They will follow you as prisoners in chains. They will fall to their knees in front of you and say, ` God is with you, and he is the only God.' " 15 Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in strange and mysterious ways. 16 All who make idols will be humiliated and disgraced. 17 But the LORD will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation. They will never again be humiliated and disgraced throughout everlasting ages. 18 For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos." I am the LORD," he says, " and there is no other. 19 I publicly proclaim bold promises. I do not whisper obscurities in some dark corner so no one can understand what I mean. And I did not tell the people of Israel to ask me for something I did not plan to give. I, the LORD, speak only what is true and right. 20 " Gather together and come, you fugitives from surrounding nations. What fools they are who carry around their wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save! 21 Consult together, argue your case, and state your proofs that idol worship pays. Who made these things known long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the LORD? For there is no other God but me--a just God and a Savior--no, not one! 22 Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. 23 I have sworn by my own name, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name." 24 The people will declare, " The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength." And all who were angry with him will come to him and be ashamed. 25 In the LORD all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in him they will boast.46:1 THE idols of Babylon, Bel and Nebo, are being hauled away on ox carts. But look! The beasts are staggering under the weight! 2 Both the idols and the ones carrying them are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together. 3 " Listen to me, all you who are left in Israel. I created you and have cared for you since before you were born. 4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.5 " To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal? 6 Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it! 7 They carry it around on their shoulders, and when they set it down, it stays there. It cannot even move! And when someone prays to it, there is no answer. It has no power to get anyone out of trouble. 8 " Do not forget this, you guilty ones. 9 And do not forget the things I have done throughout history. For I am God--I alone! I am God, and there is no one else like me. 10 Only I can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. 11 I will call a swift bird of prey from the east--a leader from a distant land who will come and do my bidding. I have said I would do it, and I will. 12 Listen to me, you stubborn, evil people! 13 For I am ready to set things right, not in the distant future, but right now! I am ready to save Jerusalem and give my glory to Israel.47:1 " COME, Babylon, unconquered one, sit in the dust. For your days of glory, pomp, and honor have ended. O daughter of Babylonia, never again will you be the lovely princess, tender and delicate. 2 Take heavy millstones and grind the corn. Remove your veil and strip off your robe. Expose yourself to public view. 3 You will be naked and burdened with shame. I will take vengeance against you and will not negotiate." 4 Our Redeemer, whose name is the LORD Almighty, is the Holy One of Israel. 5 " O daughter of Babylonia, sit now in darkness and silence. Never again will you be known as the queen of kingdoms. 6 For I was angry with my chosen people and began their punishment by letting them fall into your hands. But you, Babylon, showed them no mercy. You have forced even the elderly to carry heavy burdens. 7 You thought, ` I will reign forever as queen of the world!' You did not care at all about my people or think about the consequences of your actions. 8 " You are a pleasure-crazy kingdom, living at ease and feeling secure, bragging as if you were the greatest in the world! You say, ` I'm self-sufficient and not accountable to anyone! I will never be a widow or lose my children.' 9 Well, those two things will come upon you in a moment: widowhood and the loss of your children. Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic. 10 " You felt secure in all your wickedness. ` No one sees me,' you said. Your ` wisdom' and ` knowledge' have caused you to turn away from me and claim, ` I am self-sufficient and not accountable to anyone!' 11 So disaster will overtake you suddenly, and you won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will arise so fast that you won't know what hit you. 12 " Call out the demon hordes you have worshiped all these years. Ask them to help you strike terror into the hearts of people once again. 13 You have more than enough advisers, astrologers, and stargazers. Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds. 14 But they are as useless as dried grass burning in a fire. They cannot even save themselves! You will get no help from them at all. Their hearth is not a place to sit for warmth. 15 And all your friends, those with whom you have done business since childhood, will slip away and disappear, unable to help.48:1 " LISTEN to me, O family of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and call on the God of Israel. You don't follow through on any of your promises, 2 even though you call yourself the holy city and talk about depending on the God of Israel, whose name is the LORD Almighty. 3 Time and again I warned you about what was going to happen in the future. Then suddenly I took action, and all my predictions came true. 4 " I know how stubborn and obstinate you are. Your necks are as unbending as iron. You are as hardheaded as bronze. 5 That is why I told you ahead of time what I was going to do. That way, you could never say, ` My idols did it. My wooden image and metal god commanded it to happen!' 6 You have heard my predictions and seen them fulfilled, but you refuse to admit it. Now I will tell you new things I have not mentioned before, secrets you have not yet heard. 7 They are brand new, not things from the past. So you cannot say, ` We knew that all the time!' 8 " Yes, I will tell you of things that are entirely new, for I know so well what traitors you are. You have been rebels from your earliest childhood, rotten through and through. 9 Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out. 10 I have refined you but not in the way silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. 11 I will rescue you for my sake--yes, for my own sake! That way, the pagan nations will not be able to claim that their gods have conquered me. I will not let them have my glory!"

EPHESIANS 4:1-16

Therefore I [Paul], a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. 4 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. 5 There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. 7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. 8 That is why the Scriptures say, " When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people." 9 Notice that it says " he ascended." This means that Christ first came down to the lowly world in which we live. 10 The same one who came down is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that his rule might fill the entire universe. 11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.14 Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

PSALM 68:19-35

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!

For each day he carries us in his arms.

Interlude20 Our God is a God who saves!

The Sovereign LORD rescues us from death.

21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies,

crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.

22 The Lord says, " I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;

I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.

23 You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,

and even your dogs will get their share!"

24 Your procession has come into view, O God--

the procession of my God and King

as he goes into the sanctuary.

25 Singers are in front, musicians are behind;

with them are young women playing tambourines.

26 Praise God, all you people of Israel;

praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life.

27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.

Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah

and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28 Summon your might, O God.

Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.

29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute

to your Temple in Jerusalem.

30 Rebuke these enemy nations--

these wild animals lurking in the reeds,

this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.

Humble those who demand tribute from us.

Scatter the nations that delight in war.

31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals;

let Ethiopia bow in submission to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.

Sing praises to the Lord.

Interlude33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,

his mighty voice thundering from the sky.

34 Tell everyone about God's power.

His majesty shines down on Israel;

his strength is mighty in the heavens.

35 God is awesome in his sanctuary.

The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

PROVERBS 24:3-4

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

September 24 Reading through the Bible

 

ISAIAH 43:14-45:10

EPHESIANS 3:1-21

PSALM 68:1-18

PROVERBS 24:1-2

ISAIAH 43:14-45:10

The LORD your [Israel's] Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: " For your sakes I will send an invading army against Babylon. And the Babylonians will be forced to flee in those ships they are so proud of. 15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator and King. 16 I am the LORD, who opened a way through the waters, making a dry path through the sea. 17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick. 18 " But forget all that--it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert! 20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me, the jackals and ostriches, too, for giving them water in the wilderness. Yes, I will make springs in the desert, so that my chosen people can be refreshed. 21 I have made Israel for myself, and they will someday honor me before the whole world. 22 " But, my dear people, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me! 23 You have not brought me lambs for burnt offerings. You have not honored me with sacrifices, though I have not burdened and wearied you with my requests for grain offerings and incense. 24 You have not brought me fragrant incense or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your faults. 25 " I--yes, I alone--am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again. 26 Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case if you have one. 27 From the very beginning, your ancestors sinned against me--all your leaders broke my laws. 28 That is why I have disgraced your priests and assigned Israel a future of complete destruction and shame.44:1 " BUT now, listen to me, Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. 2 The LORD who made you and helps you says: O Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid. O Israel, my chosen one, do not fear. 3 For I will give you abundant water to quench your thirst and to moisten your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children. 4 They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank. 5 Some will proudly claim, ` I belong to the LORD.' Others will say, ` I am a descendant of Jacob.' Some will write the LORD's name on their hands and will take the honored name of Israel as their own. 6 " This is what the LORD, Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty, says: I am the First and the Last; there is no other God. 7 Who else can tell you what is going to happen in the days ahead? Let them tell you if they can and thus prove their power. Let them do as I have done since ancient times. 8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Have I not proclaimed from ages past what my purposes are for you? You are my witnesses--is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock--not one!" 9 How foolish are those who manufacture idols to be their gods. These highly valued objects are really worthless. They themselves are witnesses that this is so, for their idols neither see nor know. No wonder those who worship them are put to shame. 10 Who but a fool would make his own god--an idol that cannot help him one bit! 11 All who worship idols will stand before the LORD in shame, along with all these craftsmen--mere humans--who claim they can make a god. Together they will stand in terror and shame. 12 The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool, pounding and shaping it with all his might. His work makes him hungry and thirsty, weak and faint. 13 Then the wood-carver measures and marks out a block of wood, takes the tool, and carves the figure of a man. Now he has a wonderful idol that cannot even move from where it is placed! 14 He cuts down cedars; he selects the cypress and the oak; he plants the cedar in the forest to be nourished by the rain. 15 And after his care, he uses part of the wood to make a fire to warm himself and bake his bread. Then--yes, it's true--he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god for people to worship! He makes an idol and bows down and praises it! 16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. 17 Then he takes what's left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. " Rescue me!" he says. " You are my god!" 18 Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. 19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, " Why, it's just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?" 20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He is trusting something that can give him no help at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, " Is this thing, this idol that I'm holding in my hand, a lie?"21 " Pay attention, O Israel, for you are my servant. I, the LORD, made you, and I will not forget to help you. 22 I have swept away your sins like the morning mists. I have scattered your offenses like the clouds. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free." 23 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing. Shout, O earth! Break forth into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel. 24 The LORD, your Redeemer and Creator, says: " I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. By myself I made the earth and everything in it. 25 I am the one who exposes the false prophets as liars by causing events to happen that are contrary to their predictions. I cause wise people to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools. 26 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets! When they say Jerusalem will be saved and the towns of Judah will be lived in once again, it will be done! 27 When I speak to the rivers and say, ` Be dry!' they will be dry. 28 When I say of Cyrus, ` He is my shepherd,' he will certainly do as I say. He will command that Jerusalem be rebuilt and that the Temple be restored."45:1 THIS is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear. Their fortress gates will be opened, never again to shut against him. 2 This is what the LORD says: " I will go before you, Cyrus, and level the mountains. I will smash down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3 And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness--secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name. 4 " And why have I called you for this work? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one. I called you by name when you did not know me. 5 I am the LORD; there is no other God. I have prepared you, even though you do not know me, 6 so all the world from east to west will know there is no other God. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things. 8 Open up, O heavens, and pour out your righteousness. Let the earth open wide so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together. I, the LORD, created them.9 " Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ` Stop, you are doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, ` How clumsy can you be!' 10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father and mother, ` Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?' "

EPHESIANS 3:1-21

I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus because of my preaching to you Gentiles. 2 As you already know, God has given me this special ministry of announcing his favor to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. 6 And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus. 7 By God's special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. 8 Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning. 10 God's purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. They will see this when Jews and Gentiles are joined together in his church. 11 This was his plan from all eternity, and it has now been carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome. 13 So please don't despair because of what they are doing to me here. It is for you that I am suffering, so you should feel honored and encouraged. 14 When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. 21 May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

PSALM 68:1-18

For the choir director: A psalm of David. A song.

1 Arise, O God, and scatter your enemies.

Let those who hate God run for their lives.

2 Drive them off like smoke blown by the wind.

Melt them like wax in fire.

Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

3 But let the godly rejoice.

Let them be glad in God's presence.

Let them be filled with joy.

4 Sing praises to God and to his name!

Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.

His name is the LORD--

rejoice in his presence!

5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows--

this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

6 God places the lonely in families;

he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

But for rebels, there is only famine and distress.

7 O God, when you led your people from Egypt,

when you marched through the wilderness,

Interlude8 the earth trembled, and the heavens poured rain

before you, the God of Sinai,

before God, the God of Israel.

9 You sent abundant rain, O God,

to refresh the weary Promised Land.

10 There your people finally settled,

and with a bountiful harvest, O God,

you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord announces victory,

and throngs of women shout the happy news.

12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,

while the women of Israel divide the plunder.

13 Though they lived among the sheepfolds,

now they are covered with silver and gold,

as a dove is covered by its wings.

14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings

like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The majestic mountains of Bashan

stretch high into the sky.

16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,

at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,

where the LORD himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,

the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.

18 When you ascended to the heights,

you led a crowd of captives.

You received gifts from the people,

even from those who rebelled against you.

Now the LORD God will live among us here.

PROVERBS 24:1-2

Don't envy evil people; don't desire their company. For they spend their days plotting violence, and their words are always stirring up trouble.

September 23 Reading through the Bible!

 ISAIAH 41:17-43:13

EPHESIANS 2:1-22

PSALM 67:1-7

PROVERBS 23:29-35

ISAIAH 41:17-43:13

" When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never forsake them. 18 I will open up rivers for them on high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. In the deserts they will find pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the dry, parched ground. 19 I will plant trees--cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine--on barren land. 20 Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, who did it. 21 " Can your idols make such claims as these? Let them come and show what they can do!" says the LORD, the King of Israel. 22 " Let them try to tell us what happened long ago or what the future holds. 23 Yes, that's it! If you are gods, tell what will occur in the days ahead. Or perform a mighty miracle that will fill us with amazement and fear. Do something, whether good or bad! 24 But no! You are less than nothing and can do nothing at all. Anyone who chooses you becomes filthy, just like you! 25 " But I have stirred up a leader from the north and east. He will come against the nations and call on my name, and I will give him victory over kings and princes. He will trample them as a potter treads on clay. 26 " Who but I have told you this would happen? Who else predicted this, making you admit that he was right? No one else said a word! 27 I was the first to tell Jerusalem, ` Look! Help is on the way!' 28 Not one of your idols told you this. Not one gave any answer when I asked. 29 See, they are all foolish, worthless things. Your idols are all as empty as the wind.42:1 " LOOK at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will reveal justice to the nations. 2 He will be gentle--he will not shout or raise his voice in public. 3 He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. 4 He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction." 5 God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath and life to everyone in all the world. And it is he who says, 6 " I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will guard and support you, for I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide all nations to me. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison. You will release those who sit in dark dungeons. 8 " I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else. I will not share my praise with carved idols. 9 Everything I prophesied has come true, and now I will prophesy again. I will tell you the future before it happens."10 Sing a new song to the LORD!

Sing his praises from the ends of the earth!

Sing, all you who sail the seas,

all you who live in distant coastlands.

11 Join in the chorus, you desert towns;

let the villages of Kedar rejoice!

Let the people of Sela sing for joy;

shout praises from the mountaintops!

12 Let the coastlands glorify the LORD;

let them sing his praise.

13 The LORD will march forth like a mighty man;

he will come out like a warrior, full of fury.

He will shout his thundering battle cry,

and he will crush all his enemies.

14 He will say, " I have long been silent;

yes, I have restrained myself.

But now I will give full vent to my fury;

I will gasp and pant like a woman giving birth.

15 I will level the mountains and hills

and bring a blight on all their greenery.

I will turn the rivers into dry land

and will dry up all the pools.

16 I will lead blind Israel down a new path,

guiding them along an unfamiliar way.

I will make the darkness bright before them

and smooth out the road ahead of them.

Yes, I will indeed do these things;

I will not forsake them.

17 But those who trust in idols,

calling them their gods--

they will be turned away in shame.

18 " Oh, how deaf and blind you are toward me! Why won't you listen? Why do you refuse to see? 19 Who in all the world is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messengers? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? 20 You see and understand what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear, but you don't really listen." 21 The LORD has magnified his law and made it truly glorious. Through it he had planned to show the world that he is righteous. 22 But what a sight his people are, for they have been robbed, enslaved, imprisoned, and trapped. They are fair game for all and have no one to protect them. 23 Will not even one of you apply these lessons from the past and see the ruin that awaits you? 24 Who allowed Israel to be robbed and hurt? Was it not the LORD? It was the LORD whom we sinned against, for the people would not go where he sent them, nor would they obey his law. 25 That is why he poured out such fury on them and destroyed them in battle. They were set on fire and burned, but they still refused to understand. 43:1 BUT now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: " Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba as a ransom for your freedom. 4 Others died that you might live. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. 5 " Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west 6 and from north and south. I will bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth. 7 All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them." 8 Bring out the people who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. 9 Gather the nations together! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Can any of them predict something even a single day in advance? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth? 10 " But you are my witnesses, O Israel!" says the LORD. " And you are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God; there never has been and never will be. 11 I am the LORD, and there is no other Savior. 12 First I predicted your deliverance; I declared what I would do, and then I did it--I saved you. No foreign god has ever done this before. You are witnesses that I am the only God," says the LORD. 13 " From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse my actions."

EPHESIANS 2:1-22

Once you [believers] were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, 5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms--all because we are one with Christ Jesus. 7 And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus.8 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 11 Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders by birth. You were called " the uncircumcised ones" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from God's people, Israel, and you did not know the promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13 But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has made peace between us Jews and you Gentiles by making us all one people. He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us. 15 By his death he ended the whole system of Jewish law that excluded the Gentiles. His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He has brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and to us Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us, both Jews and Gentiles, may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. 20 We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

PSALM 67:1-7

For the choir director: A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments. A song.

1 May God be merciful and bless us.

May his face shine with favor upon us.

Interlude2 May your ways be known throughout the earth,

your saving power among people everywhere.

3 May the nations praise you, O God.

Yes, may all the nations praise you.

4 How glad the nations will be, singing for joy,

because you govern them with justice

and direct the actions of the whole world.

Interlude5 May the nations praise you, O God.

Yes, may all the nations praise you.

6 Then the earth will yield its harvests,

and God, our God, will richly bless us.

7 Yes, God will bless us,

and people all over the world will fear him.

PROVERBS 23:29-35

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. Don't let the sparkle and smooth taste of wine deceive you. For in the end it bites like a poisonous serpent; it stings like a viper. You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. And you will say, " They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can have another drink?"

September 22 Reading through the Bible

 

EPHESIANS 1:1-23

PSALM 66:1-20

PROVERBS 23:25-28

ISAIAH 39:1-41:16

Soon after this, Merodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent Hezekiah his best wishes and a gift. He had heard that Hezekiah had been very sick and that he had recovered. 2 Hezekiah welcomed the Babylonian envoys and showed them everything in his treasure-houses--the silver, the gold, the spices, and the aromatic oils. He also took them to see his armory and showed them all his other treasures--everything! There was nothing in his palace or kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them. 3 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked him, " What did those men want? Where were they from?" Hezekiah replied, " They came from the distant land of Babylon." 4 " What did they see in your palace?" asked Isaiah. " They saw everything," Hezekiah replied. " I showed them everything I own--all my treasures."5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, " Listen to this message from the LORD Almighty: 6 The time is coming when everything you have--all the treasures stored up by your ancestors--will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 7 Some of your own descendants will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon's king." 8 Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, " This message you have given me from the LORD is good." But the king was thinking, " At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime." 40:1 " COMFORT, comfort my people," says your God. 2 " Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her in full for all her sins." 3 Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, " Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. 4 Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!" 6 A voice said, " Shout!" I asked, " What should I shout?"" Shout that people are like the grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever." 9 Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem--do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, " Your God is coming!" 10 Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all his glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. 16 All Lebanon's forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon's sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes they are less than nothing--mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom, then, can we compare God? What image might we find to resemble him? 19 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 20 Or is a poor person's wooden idol better? Can God be compared to an idol that must be placed on a stand so it won't fall down? 21 Have you never heard or understood? Are you deaf to the words of God--the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 22 It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 23 He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing. 24 They hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and their work withers. The wind carries them off like straw. 25 " To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" asks the Holy One.26 Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away. 27 O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 41:1 " LISTEN in silence before me, you lands beyond the sea. Bring your strongest arguments. Come now and speak. The court is ready for your case. 2 " Who has stirred up this king from the east, who meets victory at every step? Who, indeed, but the LORD? He gives him victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot. He puts entire armies to the sword. He scatters them in the wind with his bow. 3 He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar ground. 4 Who has done such mighty deeds, directing the affairs of the human race as each new generation marches by? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he." 5 The lands beyond the sea watch in fear. Remote lands tremble and mobilize for war. 6 They encourage one another with the words, " Be strong!" 7 The craftsmen rush to make new idols. The carver hurries the goldsmith, and the molder helps at the anvil. " Good," they say. " It's coming along fine." Carefully they join the parts together, then fasten the thing in place so it won't fall over.8 " But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from my friend Abraham, 9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth so you can serve me. For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. 10 Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. 11 " See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and ashamed. Anyone who opposes you will die. 12 You will look for them in vain. They will all be gone! 13 I am holding you by your right hand--I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ` Do not be afraid. I am here to help you. 14 Despised though you are, O Israel, don't be afraid, for I will help you. I am the LORD, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.' 15 You will be a new threshing instrument with many sharp teeth. You will tear all your enemies apart, making chaff of mountains. 16 You will toss them in the air, and the wind will blow them all away; a whirlwind will scatter them. And the joy of the LORD will fill you to overflowing. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel."

EPHESIANS 1:1-23

This letter is from Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. It is written to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. 2 May grace and peace be yours, sent to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. 4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. 10 And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us from the beginning, and all things happen just as he decided long ago. 12 God's purpose was that we who were the first to trust in Christ should praise our glorious God. 13 And now you also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God. 15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for Christians everywhere, 16 I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. 19 I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. 22 And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence.

PSALM 66:1-20

For the choir director: A psalm. A song.

1 Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!

2 Sing about the glory of his name!

Tell the world how glorious he is.

3 Say to God, " How awesome are your deeds!

Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.

4 Everything on earth will worship you;

they will sing your praises,

shouting your name in glorious songs."

Interlude5 Come and see what our God has done,

what awesome miracles he does for his people!

6 He made a dry path through the Red Sea,

and his people went across on foot.

Come, let us rejoice in who he is.

7 For by his great power he rules forever.

He watches every movement of the nations;

let no rebel rise in defiance.

Interlude8 Let the whole world bless our God

and sing aloud his praises.

9 Our lives are in his hands,

and he keeps our feet from stumbling.

10 You have tested us, O God;

you have purified us like silver melted in a crucible.

11 You captured us in your net

and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.

12 You sent troops to ride across our broken bodies.

We went through fire and flood.

But you brought us to a place of great abundance.

13 Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings

to fulfill the vows I made to you--

14 yes, the sacred vows you heard me make

when I was in deep trouble.

15 That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you--

the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma.

And I will sacrifice bulls and goats.

Interlude16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,

and I will tell you what he did for me.

17 For I cried out to him for help,

praising him as I spoke.

18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,

my Lord would not have listened.

19 But God did listen!

He paid attention to my prayer.

20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer

and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.

PROVERBS 23:25-28

So give your parents joy! May she who gave you birth be happy. O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in my ways of wisdom. A prostitute is a deep pit; an adulterous woman is treacherous. She hides and waits like a robber, looking for another victim who will be unfaithful to his wife.

September 21 Reading through the Bible!

ISAIAH 37:1-38:22

GALATIANS 6:1-18

PSALM 65:1-13

PROVERBS 23:24

ISAIAH 37:1-38:22

When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the Temple of the LORD to pray. 2 And he sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the court secretary, and the leading priests, all dressed in sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 3 They told him, " This is what King Hezekiah says: This is a day of trouble, insult, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver it. 4 But perhaps the LORD your God has heard the Assyrian representative defying the living God and will punish him for his words. Oh, pray for those of us who are left!" 5 After King Hezekiah's officials delivered the king's message to Isaiah, 6 the prophet replied, " Say to your master, ` This is what the LORD says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king's messengers. 7 Listen! I myself will make sure that the king will receive a report from Assyria telling him that he is needed at home. Then I will make him want to return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.' " 8 Meanwhile, the Assyrian representative left Jerusalem and went to consult his king, who had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah. 9 Soon afterward King Sennacherib received word that King Tirhakah of Ethiopia was leading an army to fight against him. Before leaving to meet the attack, he sent this message back to Hezekiah in Jerusalem: 10 " This message is for King Hezekiah of Judah. Don't let this God you trust deceive you with promises that Jerusalem will not be captured by the king of Assyria. 11 You know perfectly well what the kings of Assyria have done wherever they have gone. They have crushed everyone who stood in their way! Why should you be any different? 12 Have the gods of other nations rescued them--such nations as Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Tel-assar? The former kings of Assyria destroyed them all! 13 What happened to the king of Hamath and the king of Arpad? What happened to the kings of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?"14 After Hezekiah received the letter and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the LORD: 16 " O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. 17 Listen to me, O LORD, and hear! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God. 18 " It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations, just as the message says. 19 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all--only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 20 Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God." 21 Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: " This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: This is my answer to your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria. 22 This is the message that the LORD has spoken against him: ` The virgin daughter of Zion

despises you and laughs at you.

The daughter of Jerusalem

scoffs and shakes her head as you flee.

23 ` Whom do you think you have been insulting and ridiculing?

Against whom did you raise your voice?

At whom did you look in such proud condescension?

It was the Holy One of Israel!

24 By your messengers you have mocked the Lord.

You have said, " With my many chariots

I have conquered the highest mountains--

yes, the remotest peaks of Lebanon.

I have cut down its tallest cedars

and its choicest cypress trees.

I have reached its farthest corners

and explored its deepest forests.

25 I have dug wells in many a foreign land

and refreshed myself with their water.

I even stopped up the rivers of Egypt

so that my armies could go across!"

26 ` But have you not heard?

It was I, the LORD, who decided this long ago.

Long ago I planned what I am now causing to happen,

that you should crush fortified cities into heaps of rubble.

27 That is why their people have so little power

and are such easy prey for you.

They are as helpless as the grass,

as easily trampled as tender green shoots.

They are like grass sprouting on a housetop,

easily scorched by the sun.

28 ` But I know you well--

your comings and goings and all you do.

I know the way you have raged against me.

29 And because of your arrogance against me,

which I have heard for myself,

I will put my hook in your nose

and my bridle in your mouth.

I will make you return

by the road on which you came.' "

30 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, " Here is the proof that the LORD will protect this city from Assyria's king. This year you will eat only what grows up by itself, and next year you will eat what springs up from that. But in the third year you will plant crops and harvest them; you will tend vineyards and eat their fruit. 31 And you who are left in Judah, who have escaped the ravages of the siege, will take root again in your own soil, and you will flourish and multiply. 32 For a remnant of my people will spread out from Jerusalem, a group of survivors from Mount Zion. The passion of the LORD Almighty will make this happen! 33 " And this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: His armies will not enter Jerusalem to shoot their arrows. They will not march outside its gates with their shields and build banks of earth against its walls. 34 The king will return to his own country by the road on which he came. He will not enter this city, says the LORD. 35 For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend it." 36 That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. 37 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there. 38 One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.38:1 ABOUT that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: " This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness." 2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 " Remember, O LORD, how I have always tried to be faithful to you and do what is pleasing in your sight." Then he broke down and wept bitterly. 4 Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD: 5 " Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ` This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life, 6 and I will rescue you and this city from the king of Assyria. Yes, I will defend this city. 7 " ` And this is the sign that the LORD will give you to prove he will do as he promised: 8 I will cause the sun's shadow to move ten steps backward on the sundial of Ahaz!' " So the shadow on the sundial moved backward ten steps. 9 When King Hezekiah was well again, he wrote this poem about his experience:10 I said, " In the prime of my life,

must I now enter the place of the dead?

Am I to be robbed of my normal years?"

11 I said, " Never again will I see the LORD GOD

while still in the land of the living.

Never again will I see my friends

or laugh with those who live in this world.

12 My life has been blown away

like a shepherd's tent in a storm.

It has been cut short,

as when a weaver cuts cloth from a loom.

Suddenly, my life was over.

13 I waited patiently all night,

but I was torn apart as though by lions.

Suddenly, my life was over.

14 Delirious, I chattered like a swallow or a crane,

and then I moaned like a mourning dove.

My eyes grew tired of looking to heaven for help.

I am in trouble, Lord. Help me!"

15 But what could I say?

For he himself had sent this sickness.

Now I will walk humbly throughout my years

because of this anguish I have felt.

16 Lord, your discipline is good,

for it leads to life and health.

You have restored my health

and have allowed me to live!

17 Yes, it was good for me to suffer this anguish,

for you have rescued me from death

and have forgiven all my sins.

18 For the dead cannot praise you;

they cannot raise their voices in praise.

Those who go down to destruction

can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

19 Only the living can praise you as I do today.

Each generation can make known your faithfulness to the next.

20 Think of it--the LORD has healed me!

I will sing his praises with instruments

every day of my life

in the Temple of the LORD.

21 Isaiah had said to Hezekiah's servants, " Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover." 22 And Hezekiah had asked, " What sign will prove that I will go to the Temple of the LORD three days from now?"

GALATIANS 6:1-18

Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody. 4 Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 6 Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them. 7 Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. 10 Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters. 11 Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting. 12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don't really keep the whole law. They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.14 As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead. 15 It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. 16 May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God. 17 From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus. 18 My dear brothers and sisters,* may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

PSALM 65:1-13

For the choir director: A psalm of David. A song.

1 What mighty praise, O God,

belongs to you in Zion.

We will fulfill our vows to you,

2 for you answer our prayers,

and to you all people will come.

3 Though our hearts are filled with sins,

you forgive them all.

4 What joy for those you choose to bring near,

those who live in your holy courts.

What joys await us

inside your holy Temple.

5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,

O God our savior.

You are the hope of everyone on earth,

even those who sail on distant seas.

6 You formed the mountains by your power

and armed yourself with mighty strength.

7 You quieted the raging oceans

with their pounding waves

and silenced the shouting of the nations.

8 Those who live at the ends of the earth

stand in awe of your wonders.

From where the sun rises to where it sets,

you inspire shouts of joy.

9 You take care of the earth and water it,

making it rich and fertile.

The rivers of God will not run dry;

they provide a bountiful harvest of grain,

for you have ordered it so.

10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,

melting the clods and leveling the ridges.

You soften the earth with showers

and bless its abundant crops.

11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

12 The wilderness becomes a lush pasture,

and the hillsides blossom with joy.

13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,

and the valleys are carpeted with grain.

They all shout and sing for joy!

PROVERBS 23:24

The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure it is to have wise children.