Thursday, September 27, 2007

September 27th - Day 270

Isaiah 51-53:12



Isaiah 51
Everlasting Salvation for Zion

1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness

and who seek the LORD :

Look to the rock from which you were cut

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

2 look to Abraham, your father,

and to Sarah, who gave you birth.

When I called him he was but one,

and I blessed him and made him many.

3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion

and will look with compassion on all her ruins;

he will make her deserts like Eden,

her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.

Joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

4 "Listen to me, my people;

hear me, my nation:

The law will go out from me;

my justice will become a light to the nations.

5 My righteousness draws near speedily,

my salvation is on the way,

and my arm will bring justice to the nations.

The islands will look to me

and wait in hope for my arm.

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

look at the earth beneath;

the heavens will vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment

and its inhabitants die like flies.

But my salvation will last forever,

my righteousness will never fail.

7 "Hear me, you who know what is right,

you people who have my law in your hearts:

Do not fear the reproach of men

or be terrified by their insults.

8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;

the worm will devour them like wool.

But my righteousness will last forever,

my salvation through all generations."

9 Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength,

O arm of the LORD;

awake, as in days gone by,

as in generations of old.

Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,

who pierced that monster through?

10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,

the waters of the great deep,

who made a road in the depths of the sea

so that the redeemed might cross over?

11 The ransomed of the LORD will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you.

Who are you that you fear mortal men,

the sons of men, who are but grass,

13 that you forget the LORD your Maker,

who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of the earth,

that you live in constant terror every day

because of the wrath of the oppressor,

who is bent on destruction?

For where is the wrath of the oppressor?

14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;

they will not die in their dungeon,

nor will they lack bread.

15 For I am the LORD your God,

who churns up the sea so that its waves roar—

the LORD Almighty is his name.

16 I have put my words in your mouth

and covered you with the shadow of my hand—

I who set the heavens in place,

who laid the foundations of the earth,

and who say to Zion, 'You are my people.' "

The Cup of the LORD's Wrath

17 Awake, awake!

Rise up, O Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD

the cup of his wrath,

you who have drained to its dregs

the goblet that makes men stagger.

18 Of all the sons she bore

there was none to guide her;

of all the sons she reared

there was none to take her by the hand.

19 These double calamities have come upon you—

who can comfort you?—

ruin and destruction, famine and sword—

who can [
a] console you?

20 Your sons have fainted;

they lie at the head of every street,

like antelope caught in a net.

They are filled with the wrath of the LORD

and the rebuke of your God.

21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,

made drunk, but not with wine.

22 This is what your Sovereign LORD says,

your God, who defends his people:

"See, I have taken out of your hand

the cup that made you stagger;

from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,

you will never drink again.

23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,

who said to you,

'Fall prostrate that we may walk over you.'

And you made your back like the ground,

like a street to be walked over."

Isaiah 52


1 Awake, awake, O Zion,

clothe yourself with strength.

Put on your garments of splendor,

O Jerusalem, the holy city.

The uncircumcised and defiled

will not enter you again.

2 Shake off your dust;

rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,

O captive Daughter of Zion.

3 For this is what the LORD says:

"You were sold for nothing,

and without money you will be redeemed."

4 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

"At first my people went down to Egypt to live;

lately, Assyria has oppressed them.

5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD.

"For my people have been taken away for nothing,

and those who rule them mock, [
b] "

declares the LORD.

"And all day long

my name is constantly blasphemed.

6 Therefore my people will know my name;

therefore in that day they will know

that it is I who foretold it.

Yes, it is I."

7 How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;

together they shout for joy.

When the LORD returns to Zion,

they will see it with their own eyes.

9 Burst into songs of joy together,

you ruins of Jerusalem,

for the LORD has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth will see

the salvation of our God.

11 Depart, depart, go out from there!

Touch no unclean thing!

Come out from it and be pure,

you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

12 But you will not leave in haste

or go in flight;

for the LORD will go before you,

the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

13 See, my servant will act wisely [c] ;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him [d]—

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man

and his form marred beyond human likeness—

15 so will he sprinkle many nations, [e]

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Isaiah 53


1 Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression [f] and judgment he was taken away.

And who can speak of his descendants?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [
g]

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the LORD makes [
h] his life a guilt offering,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul,

he will see the light of life [
i] and be satisfied [j] ;

by his knowledge [
k] my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [l]

and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [
m]

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.


Footnotes:


  1. Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can
  2. Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
  3. Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
  4. Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
  5. Isaiah 52:15 Hebrew; Septuagint so will many nations marvel at him
  6. Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
  7. Isaiah 53:8 Or away. / Yet who of his generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living / for the transgression of my people, / to whom the blow was due?
  8. Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
  9. Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint Masoretic Text does not have the light of life .
  10. Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the result of the suffering of his soul / and be satisfied
  11. Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
  12. Isaiah 53:12 Or many
  13. Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous


Ephesians 5:1-33



Ephesians 5


1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.

8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you."

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.


Footnotes:


  1. Ephesians 5:5 Or kingdom of the Christ and God
  2. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  3. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24


Psalm 69:19-36



19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.


20 Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters, but I found none.

21 They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

22 May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution and [
a] a trap.

23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.

24 Pour out your wrath on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

25 May their place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

27 Charge them with crime upon crime;

do not let them share in your salvation.

28 May they be blotted out of the book of life

and not be listed with the righteous.

29 I am in pain and distress;

may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30 I will praise God's name in song

and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the LORD more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32 The poor will see and be glad—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33 The LORD hears the needy

and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,

35 for God will save Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah.

Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,

and those who love his name will dwell there.


Footnotes:


  1. Psalm 69:22 Or snare / and their fellowship become


Proverbs 24:7



7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;

in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.

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