October 1 Reading through the Bible

 

ISAIAH 62:6-65:25

PHILIPPIANS 2:19-3:3

PSALM 73:1-28

PROVERBS 24:13-14

ISAIAH 62:6-65:25

O Jerusalem, I [Isaiah] have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the LORD day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. 7 Give the LORD no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: " I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and wine. 9 You raised it, and you will keep it, praising the LORD. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine that you have pressed." 10 Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. 11 The LORD has sent this message to every land: " Tell the people of Israel, ` Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.' " 12 They will be called the Holy People and the People Redeemed by the LORD. And Jerusalem will be known as the Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken. 63:1 WHO is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in the greatness of his strength? " It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" 2 Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes? 3 " I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes. 4 For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. 5 I looked, but no one came to help my people. I was amazed and appalled at what I saw. So I executed vengeance alone; unaided, I passed down judgment. 6 I crushed the nations in my anger and made them stagger and fall to the ground." 7 I will tell of the LORD's unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. 8 He said, " They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again." And he became their Savior. 9 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years.10 But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. That is why he became their enemy and fought against them. 11 Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, " Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people? 12 Where is the one whose power divided the sea before them, when Moses lifted up his hand, establishing his reputation forever? 13 Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. 14 As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led your people, LORD, and gained a magnificent reputation." 15 LORD, look down from heaven and see us from your holy, glorious home. Where is the passion and the might you used to show on our behalf? Where are your mercy and compassion now? 16 Surely you are still our Father! Even if Abraham and Jacob would disown us, LORD, you would still be our Father. You are our Redeemer from ages past. 17 LORD, why have you allowed us to turn from your path? Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you? Return and help us, for we are your servants and your special possession. 18 How briefly your holy people possessed the holy place, and now our enemies have destroyed it. 19 LORD, why do you treat us as though we never belonged to you? Why do you act as though we had never been known as your people?64:1 OH, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! 2 As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame! 3 When you came down long ago, you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! 4 For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! 5 You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways. But we are not godly. We are constant sinners, so your anger is heavy on us. How can people like us be saved? 6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. 7 Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. 8 And yet, LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand. 9 Oh, don't be so angry with us, LORD. Please don't remember our sins forever. Look at us, we pray, and see that we are all your people. 10 Your holy cities are destroyed; even Jerusalem is a desolate wilderness. 11 The holy, beautiful Temple where our ancestors praised you has been burned down, and all the things of beauty are destroyed. 12 After all this, LORD, must you still refuse to help us? Will you continue to be silent and punish us?65:1 THE LORD says, " People who never before inquired about me are now asking about me. I am being found by people who were not looking for me. To them I have said, ` I am here!' 2 " I opened my arms to my own people all day long, but they have rebelled. They follow their own evil paths and thoughts. 3 All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on the rooftops of their homes. 4 At night they go out among the graves and secret places to worship evil spirits. They also eat pork and other forbidden foods. 5 Yet they say to each other, ` Don't come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!' They are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away. 6 " Look, my decree is written out in front of me: I will not stand silent; I will repay them in full! Yes, I will repay them--7 both for their own sins and for those of their ancestors," says the LORD. " For they also burned incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. I will pay them back in full! 8 " But I will not destroy them all," says the LORD. " For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ` Don't throw them all away--there are some good grapes there!'), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. 9 I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it and serve me there. 10 For my people who have searched for me, the plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks, and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds. 11 " But because the rest of you have forsaken the LORD and his Temple and worship the gods of Fate and Destiny, 12 I will ` destine' you to the sword. All of you will bow before the executioner, for when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned--before my very eyes--and chose to do what you know I despise."13 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " You will starve, but my servants will eat. You will be thirsty, but they will drink. You will be sad and ashamed, but they will rejoice. 14 You will cry in sorrow and despair, while my servants sing for joy. 15 Your name will be a curse word among my people, for the Sovereign LORD will destroy you and call his true servants by another name. 16 All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth. For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days. 17 " Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth--so wonderful that no one will even think about the old ones anymore. 18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. 20 " No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only sinners will die that young! 21 In those days, people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. 22 It will not be like the past, when invaders took the houses and confiscated the vineyards. For my people will live as long as trees and will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. 23 They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the LORD, and their children, too, will be blessed. 24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! 25 The wolf and lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Poisonous snakes will strike no more. In those days, no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

PHILIPPIANS 2:19-3:3

If the Lord Jesus is willing, I [Paul] hope to send Timothy to you [Philippians] soon. Then when he comes back, he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has helped me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. 25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, a faithful worker, and a courageous soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 Now I am sending him home again, for he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27 And he surely was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him--and also on me, so that I would not have such unbearable sorrow. 28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and that will lighten all my cares. 29 Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and be sure to honor people like him. 30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while trying to do for me the things you couldn't do because you were far away. 3:1 WHATEVER happens, dear brothers and sisters,* may the Lord give you joy. I never get tired of telling you this. I am doing this for your own good. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those wicked men and their evil deeds, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship God in the Spirit are the only ones who are truly circumcised. We put no confidence in human effort. Instead, we boast about what Christ Jesus has done for us.

PSALM 73:1-28

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.

2 But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff!

My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

3 For I envied the proud

when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

4 They seem to live such a painless life;

their bodies are so healthy and strong.

5 They aren't troubled like other people

or plagued with problems like everyone else.

6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace,

and their clothing is woven of cruelty.

7 These fat cats have everything

their hearts could ever wish for!

8 They scoff and speak only evil;

in their pride they seek to crush others.

9 They boast against the very heavens,

and their words strut throughout the earth.

10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,

drinking in all their words.

11 " Does God realize what is going on?" they ask.

" Is the Most High even aware of what is happening?"

12 Look at these arrogant people--

enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

13 Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure

and kept myself from doing wrong?

14 All I get is trouble all day long;

every morning brings me pain.

15 If I had really spoken this way,

I would have been a traitor to your people.

16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.

But what a difficult task it is!

17 Then one day I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I thought about the destiny of the wicked.

18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

19 In an instant they are destroyed,

swept away by terrors.

20 Their present life is only a dream

that is gone when they awake.

When you arise, O Lord,

you will make them vanish from this life.

21 Then I realized how bitter I had become,

how pained I had been by all I had seen.

22 I was so foolish and ignorant--

I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

23 Yet I still belong to you;

you are holding my right hand.

24 You will keep on guiding me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

27 But those who desert him will perish,

for you destroy those who abandon you.

28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

PROVERBS 24:13-14

My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to the taste. In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short. 

September 30 Reading through the Bible

 

ISAIAH 60:1-62:5

PHILIPPIANS 1:27-2:18

PSALM 72:1-20

PROVERBS 24:11-12

ISAIAH 60:1-62:5

" Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all the nations to see! For the glory of the LORD is shining upon you. 2 Darkness as black as night will cover all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD will shine over you. 3 All nations will come to your light. Mighty kings will come to see your radiance. 4 " Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. 5 Your eyes will shine, and your hearts will thrill with joy, for merchants from around the world will come to you. They will bring you the wealth of many lands. 6 Vast caravans of camels will converge on you, the camels of Midian and Ephah. From Sheba they will bring gold and incense for the worship of the LORD. 7 The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. In that day I will make my Temple glorious. 8 " And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel, like doves to their nests? 9 They are the ships of Tarshish, reserved to bring the people of Israel home. They will bring their wealth with them, and it will bring great honor to the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he will fill you with splendor. 10 " Foreigners will come to rebuild your cities. Kings and rulers will send you aid. For though I have destroyed you in my anger, I will have mercy on you through my grace. 11 Your gates will stay open around the clock to receive the wealth of many lands. The kings of the world will be led as captives in a victory procession. 12 For the nations that refuse to be your allies will be destroyed. 13 The glory of Lebanon will be yours--the forests of cypress, fir, and pine--to beautify my sanctuary. My Temple will be glorious! 14 " The children of your tormentors will come and bow before you. Those who despised you will kiss your feet. They will call you the City of the LORD, and Zion of the Holy One of Israel.15 " Though you were once despised and hated and rebuffed by all, you will be beautiful forever. You will be a joy to all generations, for I will make you so. 16 Powerful kings and mighty nations will bring the best of their goods to satisfy your every need. You will know at last that I, the LORD, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. 17 I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. Peace and righteousness will be your leaders! 18 Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there. 19 " No longer will you need the sun or moon to give you light, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and he will be your glory. 20 The sun will never set; the moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end. 21 All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory. 22 The smallest family will multiply into a large clan. The tiniest group will become a mighty nation. I, the LORD, will bring it all to pass at the right time."61:1 THE Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. 3 To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities long ago destroyed. They will revive them, though they have been empty for many generations. 5 Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. 6 You will be called priests of the LORD, ministers of our God. You will be fed with the treasures of the nations and will boast in their riches. 7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you will inherit a double portion of prosperity and everlasting joy. 8 " For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed."10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. 11 The Sovereign LORD will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, filled with young plants springing up everywhere. 62:1 BECAUSE I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. 2 The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the LORD will give you a new name. 3 The LORD will hold you in his hands for all to see--a splendid crown in the hands of God. 4 Never again will you be called the Godforsaken City or the Desolate Land. Your new name will be the City of God's Delight and the Bride of God, for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his own. 5 Your children will care for you with joy, O Jerusalem, just as a young man cares for his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

PHILIPPIANS 1:27-2:18

But whatever happens to me [Paul], you [Philippians] must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as citizens of heaven. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing side by side, fighting together for the Good News. 28 Don't be intimidated by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of this great struggle. 2:1 IS there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. 3 Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. 5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. 14 In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. 16 Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless. 17 But even if my life is to be poured out like a drink offering to complete the sacrifice of your faithful service (that is, if I am to die for you), I will rejoice, and I want to share my joy with all of you. 18 And you should be happy about this and rejoice with me.

PSALM 72:1-20

A psalm of Solomon.

1 Give justice to the king, O God,

and righteousness to the king's son.

2 Help him judge your people in the right way;

let the poor always be treated fairly.

3 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,

and may the hills be fruitful,

because the king does what is right.

4 Help him to defend the poor,

to rescue the children of the needy,

and to crush their oppressors.

5 May he live as long as the sun shines,

as long as the moon continues in the skies.

Yes, forever!

6 May his reign be as refreshing as the springtime rains--

like the showers that water the earth.

7 May all the godly flourish during his reign.

May there be abundant prosperity until the end of time.

8 May he reign from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

9 Desert nomads will bow before him;

his enemies will fall before him in the dust.

10 The western kings of Tarshish and the islands

will bring him tribute.

The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba

will bring him gifts.

11 All kings will bow before him,

and all nations will serve him.

12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;

he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.

13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,

and he will rescue them.

14 He will save them from oppression and from violence,

for their lives are precious to him.

15 Long live the king!

May the gold of Sheba be given to him.

May the people always pray for him

and bless him all day long.

16 May there be abundant crops throughout the land,

flourishing even on the mountaintops.

May the fruit trees flourish as they do in Lebanon,

sprouting up like grass in a field.

17 May the king's name endure forever;

may it continue as long as the sun shines.

May all nations be blessed through him

and bring him praise.

18 Bless the LORD God, the God of Israel,

who alone does such wonderful things.

19 Bless his glorious name forever!

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and amen!

20 (This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse.)

PROVERBS 24:11-12

Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die. Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. For God knows all hearts, and he sees you. He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew! And he will judge all people according to what they have done. 

September 29 Reading through the Bible

 

ISAIAH 57:15-59:21

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-26

PSALM 71:1-24

PROVERBS 24:9-10

ISAIAH 57:15-59:21

The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: " I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts. 16 For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always show my anger. If I did, all people would pass away--all the souls I have made. 17 I was angry and punished these greedy people. I withdrew myself from them, but they went right on sinning. 18 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them and comfort those who mourn. 19 Then words of praise will be on their lips. May they have peace, both near and far, for I will heal them all," says the LORD. 20 " But those who still reject me are like the restless sea. It is never still but continually churns up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace for the wicked," says my God. 58:1 " SHOUT with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins! 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf. 3 ` We have fasted before you!' they say. ` Why aren't you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don't even notice it!' " I will tell you why! It's because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting. You keep right on oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? 6 " No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. 8 " If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. 9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer. ` Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply." Stop oppressing the helpless and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors! 10 Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities. 13 " Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD's holy day. Honor the LORD in everything you do, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, 14 the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the LORD, have spoken!" 59:1 LISTEN! The LORD is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. 2 But there is a problem--your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. 3 Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your mouth is full of lies, and your lips are tainted with corruption. 4 No one cares about being fair and honest. Their lawsuits are based on lies. They spend their time plotting evil deeds and then doing them. 5 They spend their time and energy spinning evil plans that end up in deadly actions. 6 They cheat and shortchange everyone. Nothing they do is productive; all their activity is filled with sin. Violence is their trademark. 7 Their feet run to do evil, and they rush to commit murder. They think only about sinning. Wherever they go, misery and destruction follow them. 8 They do not know what true peace is or what it means to be just and good. They continually do wrong, and those who follow them cannot experience a moment's peace. 9 It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn't punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom. 10 No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men! 11 We growl like hungry bears; we moan like mournful doves. We look for justice, but it is nowhere to be found. We look to be rescued, but it is far away from us. 12 For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are. 13 We know that we have rebelled against the LORD. We have turned our backs on God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. 14 Our courts oppose people who are righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth falls dead in the streets, and fairness has been outlawed. 15 Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who tries to live a godly life is soon attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find that there was no justice. 16 He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So he himself stepped in to save them with his mighty power and justice. 17 He put on righteousness as his body armor and placed the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with the robes of vengeance and godly fury. 18 He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. His fury will fall on his foes in distant lands. 19 Then at last they will respect and glorify the name of the LORD throughout the world. For he will come like a flood tide driven by the breath of the LORD.20 " The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem," says the LORD, " to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins. 21 And this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. " My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children's children forever. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-26

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. It is written to all of God's people in Philippi, who believe in Christ Jesus, and to the elders and deacons. 2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy 5 because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. 7 It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God. 12 And I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters,* that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ.15 Some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But whether or not their motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about Christ is being preached, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance. 20 For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die. 21 For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 Yet if I live, that means fruitful service for Christ. I really don't know which is better. 23 I'm torn between two desires: Sometimes I want to live, and sometimes I long to go and be with Christ. That would be far better for me, 24 but it is better for you that I live. 25 I am convinced of this, so I will continue with you so that you will grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 Then when I return to you, you will have even more reason to boast about what Christ Jesus has done for me.

PSALM 71:1-24

O LORD, you are my refuge;

never let me be disgraced.

2 Rescue me! Save me from my enemies, for you are just.

Turn your ear to listen and set me free.

3 Be to me a protecting rock of safety,

where I am always welcome.

Give the order to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,

from the clutches of cruel oppressors.

5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.

I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.

6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;

from my mother's womb you have cared for me.

No wonder I am always praising you!

7 My life is an example to many,

because you have been my strength and protection.

8 That is why I can never stop praising you;

I declare your glory all day long.

9 And now, in my old age, don't set me aside.

Don't abandon me when my strength is failing.

10 For my enemies are whispering against me.

They are plotting together to kill me.

11 They say, " God has abandoned him.

Let's go and get him,

for there is no one to help him now."

12 O God, don't stay away.

My God, please hurry to help me.

13 Bring disgrace and destruction on those who accuse me.

May humiliation and shame cover

those who want to harm me.

14 But I will keep on hoping for you to help me;

I will praise you more and more.

15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.

All day long I will proclaim your saving power,

for I am overwhelmed by how much you have done for me.

16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD.

I will tell everyone that you alone are just and good.

17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,

and I have constantly told others about the wonderful things you do.

18 Now that I am old and gray,

do not abandon me, O God.

Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,

your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.

You have done such wonderful things.

Who can compare with you, O God?

20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,

but you will restore me to life again

and lift me up from the depths of the earth.

21 You will restore me to even greater honor

and comfort me once again.

22 Then I will praise you with music on the harp,

because you are faithful to your promises, O God.

I will sing for you with a lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.

23 I will shout for joy and sing your praises,

for you have redeemed me.

24 I will tell about your righteous deeds

all day long,

for everyone who tried to hurt me

has been shamed and humiliated.

PROVERBS 24:9-10

The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone despises a mocker. If you fail under pressure, your strength is not very great. 

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.