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Isaiah 57:14-59:21 (Contemporary English Version)
The LORD Helps the Helpless
14The LORD says,
"Clear the road!
Get it ready for my people."
15Our holy God lives forever
in the highest heavens,
and this is what he says:
Though I live high above
in the holy place,
I am here to help those
who are humble
and depend only on me.
16My people, I won't stay angry
and keep on accusing you.
After all, I am your Creator.
I don't want you to give up
in complete despair.
17Your greed made me furious.
That's why I punished you
and refused to be found,
while you kept returning
to your old sinful ways.
18I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
19start singing my praises. [a]
No matter where you are,
I, the LORD, will heal you [b]
and give you peace.
20The wicked are a restless sea
tossing up mud.
21But I, the LORD, have promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.
Isaiah 58
True Religion
1Shout the message!
Don't hold back.
Say to my people Israel:
You've sinned! You've turned
against the LORD.
2Day after day, you worship him
and seem eager to learn
his teachings.
You act like a nation
that wants to do right
by obeying his laws.
You ask him about justice,
and say you enjoy
worshiping the LORD.
3You wonder why the LORD
pays no attention
when you go without eating
and act humble.
But on those same days
that you give up eating,
you think only of yourselves [c]
and abuse your workers.
4You even get angry
and ready to fight.
No wonder God won't listen
to your prayers!
5Do you think the LORD
wants you to give up eating
and to act as humble
as a bent-over bush?
Or to dress in sackcloth
and sit in ashes?
Is this really what he wants
on a day of worship?
6I'll tell you
what it really means
to worship the LORD.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are chained unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
7Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't turn away your relatives.
8Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun,
and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty [d]
will protect you as you advance,
and the glory of the LORD
will defend you from behind.
9When you beg the LORD for help,
he will answer, "Here I am!"
Don't mistreat others
or falsely accuse them
or say something cruel.
10Give your food to the hungry
and care for the homeless.
Then your light will shine
in the dark;
your darkest hour will be
like the noonday sun.
11The LORD will always guide you
and provide good things to eat
when you are in the desert.
He will make you healthy.
You will be like a garden
that has plenty of water
or like a stream
that never runs dry.
12You will rebuild those houses
left in ruins for years;
you will be known
as a builder and repairer
of city walls and streets.
13But first, you must start
respecting the Sabbath
as a joyful day of worship.
You must stop doing and saying
whatever you please
on this special day.
14Then you will truly enjoy
knowing the LORD.
He will let you rule
from the highest mountains
and bless you with the land
of your ancestor Jacob.
The LORD has spoken!
Isaiah 59
Social Injustice Is Condemned
1The LORD hasn't lost
his powerful strength;
he can still hear
and answer prayers.
2Your sins are the roadblock
between you and your God.
That's why he doesn't answer
your prayers
or let you see his face.
3Your talk is filled with lies
and plans for violence;
every finger on your hands
is covered with blood.
4You falsely accuse others
and tell lies in court;
sin and trouble are the names
of your children.
5You eat the deadly eggs
of poisonous snakes,
and more snakes crawl out
from the eggs left to hatch.
You weave spider webs,
6but you can't make clothes
with those webs
or hide behind them.
You're sinful and brutal.
7You hurry off to do wrong
or murder innocent victims.
All you think about is sin;
you leave ruin and destruction
wherever you go.
8You don't know how
to live in peace
or to be fair with others.
The roads you make are crooked;
your followers cannot find peace.
The People Confess Their Sins
9No one has come to defend us
or to bring about justice.
We hoped for a day of sunshine,
but all we found
was a dark, gloomy night.
10We feel our way along,
as if we were blind;
we stumble at noon,
as if it were night.
We can see no better
than someone dead. [e]
11We growl like bears
and mourn like doves.
We hope for justice and victory,
but they escape us.
12How often have we sinned
and turned against you,
the LORD God?
Our sins condemn us!
We have done wrong.
13We have rebelled and refused
to follow you.
Our hearts were deceitful,
and so we lied;
we planned to abuse others
and turn our backs on you.
14Injustice is everywhere;
justice seems far away.
Truth is chased out of court;
honesty is shoved aside.
15Everyone tells lies;
those who turn from crime
end up ruined.
When the LORD noticed
that justice had disappeared,
he became very displeased.
The LORD Will Rescue His People
16It disgusted him even more
to learn
that no one
would do a thing about it.
So with his own powerful arm,
he won victories for truth.
17Justice was the LORD's armor;
saving power was his helmet;
anger and revenge
were his clothes.
18Now the LORD will get furious
and do to his enemies,
both near and far,
what they did to his people.
19He will attack like a flood
in a mighty windstorm.
Nations in the west and the east
will then honor and praise
his wonderful name.
20The LORD has promised to rescue
the city of Zion
and Jacob's descendants
who turn from sin.
21The LORD says: "My people,
I promise to give you my Spirit
and my message.
These will be my gifts to you
and your families forever.
I, the LORD, have spoken."
Footnotes:
Isaiah 57:19 until. . . praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 57:19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 58:3 you think. . . yourselves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 58:8 honesty: Or "honest leader."
Isaiah 59:10 We can. . . dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Philippians 1:1-26 (Contemporary English Version)
Philippians 1
1From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.
To all of God's people who belong to Christ Jesus at Philippi and to all of your church officials and officers. [a] 2I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
Paul's Prayer for the Church in Philippi
3Every time I think of you, I thank my God. 4And whenever I mention you in my prayers, it makes me happy. 5This is because you have taken part with me in spreading the good news from the first day you heard about it. 6God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
7You have a special place in my heart. So it is only natural for me to feel the way I do. All of you have helped in the work that God has given me, as I defend the good news and tell about it here in jail. 8God himself knows how much I want to see you. He knows that I care for you in the same way that Christ Jesus does.
9I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand 10how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.
What Life Means to Paul
12My dear friends, I want you to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the good news. 13The Roman guards and all the others know that I am here in jail because I serve Christ. 14Now most of the Lord's followers have become brave and are fearlessly telling the message. [b] 15Some are preaching about Christ because they are jealous and envious of us. Others are preaching because they want to help. 16They love Christ and know that I am here to defend the good news about him. 17But the ones who are jealous of us are not sincere. They just want to cause trouble for me while I am in jail. 18But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that people are telling about Christ, whether they are sincere or not. That is what makes me glad.
I will keep on being glad, 19because I know that your prayers and the help that comes from the Spirit of Christ Jesus will keep me safe. 20I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.
21If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. 22I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. 23It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. 24-25But I know that all of you still need me. That's why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. 26Then, when I visit you again, you will have good reason to take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me. [c]
Footnotes:
Philippians 1:1 church officials and officers: Or "bishops and deacons."
Philippians 1:14 the message: Some manuscripts have "the Lord's message," and others have "God's message."
Philippians 1:26 take great pride in Christ Jesus because of me: Or "take great pride in me because of Christ Jesus."
Psalm 71:1-24 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 71
A Prayer for God's Protection
1I run to you, LORD,
for protection.
Don't disappoint me.
2You do what is right,
so come to my rescue.
Listen to my prayer
and keep me safe.
3Be my mighty rock, [a] the place
where I can always run
for protection.
Save me by your command!
You are my mighty rock
and my fortress.
4Come and save me, LORD God,
from vicious and cruel
and brutal enemies!
5I depend on you,
and I have trusted you
since I was young.
6I have relied on you [b]
from the day I was born.
You brought me safely
through birth,
and I always praise you.
7Many people think of me
as something evil.
But you are my mighty protector,
8and I praise and honor you
all day long.
9Don't throw me aside
when I am old;
don't desert me
when my strength is gone.
10My enemies are plotting
because they want me dead.
11They say, "Now we'll catch you!
God has deserted you,
and no one can save you."
12Come closer, God!
Please hurry and help.
13Embarrass and destroy
all who want me dead;
disgrace and confuse
all who want to hurt me.
14I will never give up hope
or stop praising you.
15All day long I will tell
the wonderful things you do
to save your people.
But you have done much more
than I could possibly know.
16I will praise you, LORD God,
for your mighty deeds
and your power to save.
17You have taught me
since I was a child,
and I never stop telling about
your marvelous deeds.
18Don't leave me when I am old
and my hair turns gray.
Let me tell future generations
about your mighty power.
19Your deeds of kindness
are known in the heavens.
No one is like you!
20You made me suffer a lot,
but you will bring me
back from this deep pit
and give me new life.
21You will make me truly great
and take my sorrow away.
22I will praise you, God,
the Holy One of Israel.
You are faithful.
I will play the harp
and sing your praises.
23You have rescued me!
I will celebrate and shout,
singing praises to you
with all my heart.
24All day long I will announce
your power to save.
I will tell how you disgraced
and disappointed
those who wanted to hurt me.
Footnotes:
Psalm 71:3 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
Psalm 71:6 I. . . you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Proverbs 24:9-10 (Contemporary English Version)
9Everyone hates senseless fools
who think up ways to sin.
-24-
10 Don't give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
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