Isaiah 3-5:30 (Contemporary English Version)
Isaiah 3
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah
1The mighty LORD All-Powerful is going to take awayfrom Jerusalem and Judah
everything you need--
your bread and water,
2soldiers and heroes,
judges and prophets,
leaders and army officers,
3officials and advisors,
fortunetellers
and others
who tell the future.
4He will let children and babies [a] become your rulers.
5You will each be cruel
to friends and neighbors.
Young people will insult
their elders;
no one will show respect
to those who deserve it.
6Some of you will grab hold
of a relative and say,
"You still have a coat.
Be our leader
and rule
this pile of ruins."
7But the answer will be,
"I can't do you any good.
Don't make me your leader.
There's no food or clothing
left in my house."
8Jerusalem and Judah,
you rebelled against
your glorious LORD--
your words and your actions,
made you stumble and fall.
9The look on your faces shows
that you are sinful as Sodom,
and you don't try to hide it.
You are in for trouble,
and you have brought it all
on yourselves.
The Wrong Kind of Leaders
10Tell those who obey God, "You're very fortunate--you will be rewarded
for what you have done."
11Tell those who disobey,
"You're in big trouble--
what you did to others
will come back to you."
12Though you are God's people,
you are ruled and abused
by women and children.
You are confused by leaders
who guide you
down the wrong path.
13The LORD is ready to accuse
and judge all nations.
14He will even judge
you rulers and leaders
of his own nation.
You destroyed his vineyard [b] and filled your houses
by robbing the poor.
15The LORD All-Powerful says,
"You have crushed my people
and rubbed in the dirt
the faces of the poor."
The Women of Jerusalem
16The LORD says: The women of Jerusalemare proud
and strut around,
winking shamelessly.
They wear anklets that jingle
and call attention
to the way they walk.
17But I, the LORD, will cover
their heads with sores,
and I will uncover
their private parts.
18-23When that day comes, I will take away from those women all the fine jewelry they wear on their ankles, heads, necks, ears, arms, noses, fingers, and on their clothes. I will remove their veils, their belts, their perfume, their magic charms, their royal robes, and all their fancy dresses, hats, and purses.
24In place of perfume,
there will be a stink;
in place of belts,
there will be ropes;
in place of fancy hairdos,
they will have bald heads.
Instead of expensive clothes,
they will wear sackcloth;
instead of beauty,
they will have ugly scars.
25The fighting men of Jerusalem
will be killed in battle.
26The city will mourn
and sit in the dirt,
emptied of its people.
Isaiah 4
The LORD Will Bless His People Who Survive
2The time is coming when the LORD will make his land fruitful and glorious again, and the people of Israel who survive will take great pride in what the land produces. 3Everyone who is left alive in Jerusalem will be called special, 4after the LORD sends a fiery judgment to clean the city and its people of their violent deeds. 5Then the LORD will cover the whole city and its meeting places with a thick cloud each day and with a flaming fire [d] each night. God's own glory will be like a huge tent that covers everything. 6It will provide shade from the heat of the sun and a place of shelter and protection from storms and rain.Isaiah 5
A Song about a Vineyard
The LORD said:
1I will sing a song about my friend's vineyardthat was on the side
of a fertile hill.
2My friend dug the ground,
removed the stones,
and planted the best vines.
He built a watchtower
and dug a pit in rocky ground
for pressing the grapes.
He hoped they would be sweet,
but bitter grapes
were all it produced.
3Listen, people of Jerusalem
and of Judah!
You be the judge of me
and my vineyard.
4What more could I have done
for my vineyard?
I hoped for sweet grapes,
but bitter grapes
were all that grew.
5Now I will let you know
what I am going to do.
I will cut down the hedge
and tear down the wall.
My vineyard will be trampled
and left in ruins.
6It will turn into a desert,
neither pruned nor hoed;
it will be covered
with thorns and briars.
I will command the clouds
not to send rain.
7I am the LORD All-Powerful!
Israel is the vineyard,
and Judah is the garden
I tended with care.
I had hoped for honesty
and for justice,
but dishonesty
and cries for mercy
were all I found.
Isaiah Condemns Social Injustice
8You are in for trouble! You take over house after house and field after field, until there is no room left for anyone else in all the land. 9But the LORD All-Powerful has made this promise to me: Those large and beautiful homes will be left empty, with no one to take care of them. 10Ten acres of grapevines will produce only six gallons of juice, and five bushels of seed will produce merely a half-bushel of grain.11You are in for trouble! You get up early to start drinking, and you keep it up late into the night. 12At your drinking parties you have the music of stringed instruments, tambourines, and flutes. But you never even think about all the LORD has done, 13and so his people know nothing about him. That's why many of you will be dragged off to foreign lands. Your leaders will starve to death, and everyone else will suffer from thirst.
14The world of the dead has opened its mouth wide and is eagerly waiting for the leaders of Jerusalem and for its noisy crowds, especially for those who take pride in that city. 15Its citizens have been put down, and its proud people have been brought to shame. 16But the holy LORD God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. 17His people will be like sheep grazing in their own pasture, and they will take off what was left by others. [e] 18You are in for trouble! The lies you tell are like ropes by which you drag along sin and evil. 19And you say, "Let the holy God of Israel hurry up and do what he has promised, so we can see it for ourselves." 20You are headed for trouble! You say wrong is right, darkness is light, and bitter is sweet.
21You think you are clever and smart. 22And you are great at drinking and mixing drinks. But you are in for trouble. 23You accept bribes to let the guilty go free, and you cheat the innocent out of a fair trial.
24You will go up in flames like straw and hay! You have rejected the teaching of the holy LORD God All-Powerful of Israel. Now your roots will rot, and your blossoms will turn to dust.
25You are the LORD's people, but you made him terribly angry, and he struck you with his mighty arm. Mountains shook, and dead bodies covered the streets like garbage. The LORD is still angry, and he is ready to strike you again. [f]
Foreign Nations Will Attack
26The LORD has signaled for the foreign nations to come and attack you. He has already whistled, and they are coming as fast as they can. 27None of them are tired. They don't sleep or get drowsy, and they run without stumbling. Their belts don't come loose; their sandal straps don't break. 28Their arrows are sharp, and their bows are ready. The hoofs of their horses are hard as flint; the wheels of their war chariots turn as fast as a whirlwind. 29They roar and growl like fierce young lions as they grab their victims and drag them off where no one can rescue them. 30On the day they attack, they will roar like the ocean. And across the land you will see nothing but darkness and trouble, because the light of day will be covered by thick clouds.
Footnotes:
- Isaiah 3:4 babies: Or "worthless nobodies."
- Isaiah 3:14 his vineyard: The nation Israel (see 5.1-7).
- Isaiah 4:1 take away my disgrace: If a woman did not have a husband or children, it was thought that God was punishing her.
- Isaiah 4:5 thick. . . fire: This is how the LORD led the people of Israel during the forty years they were in the desert (see Exodus 13.20-22; 40.36-38).
- Isaiah 5:17 and they. . . others: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 5:25 is ready. . . again: Or "hasn't given up on you yet."
2 Corinthians 11:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)
2 Corinthians 11
Paul and the False Apostles
1Please put up with a little of my foolishness. 2I am as concerned about you as God is. You were like a virgin bride I had chosen only for Christ. 3But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way. 4We told you about Jesus, and you received the Holy Spirit and accepted our message. But you let some people tell you about another Jesus. Now you are ready to receive another spirit and accept a different message. 5I think I am as good as any of those super apostles. 6I may not speak as well as they do, but I know as much. And this has already been made perfectly clear to you. 7Was it wrong for me to lower myself and honor you by preaching God's message free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by taking money from them to serve you. 9Even when I was in need, I still didn't bother you. In fact, some of the Lord's followers from Macedonia brought me what I needed. I have not been a burden to you in the past, and I will never be a burden. 10As surely as I speak the truth about Christ, no one in Achaia can stop me from bragging about this. 11And it isn't because I don't love you. God himself knows how much I do love you.12I plan to go on doing just what I have always done. Then those people won't be able to brag about doing the same things we are doing. 13Anyway, they are no more than false apostles and dishonest workers. They only pretend to be apostles of Christ. 14And it is no wonder. Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. 15So why does it seem strange for Satan's servants to pretend to do what is right? Someday they will get exactly what they deserve.
Psalm 53:1-6 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 53
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune "Mahalath." (Psalm 53 Mahalath: Or " For flutes," one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.) )
No One Can Ignore God
1Only a fool would say, "There is no God!"People like that are worthless!
They are heartless and cruel
and never do right.
2From heaven God
looks down to see
if anyone is wise enough
to search for him.
3But all of them
are crooked and corrupt.
Not one of them does right.
4Won't you lawbreakers learn?
You refuse to pray,
and you gobble down
the people of God.
5But you will be terrified
worse than ever before.
God will scatter the bones
of his enemies,
and you will be ashamed
when God rejects you.
6I long for someone from Zion
to come and save Israel!
Our God, when you bless
your people again,
Jacob's family will be glad,
and Israel will celebrate.
Proverbs 22:28-29 (Contemporary English Version)
-4-
28 Don't move a boundary marker [a] set up by your ancestors.-5-
29 If you do your job well, you will work for a rulerand never be a slave.
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 22:28 marker: In ancient Israel boundary lines were sacred because all property was a gift from the Lord (see Deuteronomy 19.14).
Verse of the Day
“Tell the older men to have self-control and to be serious and sensible. Their faith, love, and patience must never fail.” - Titus 2:2
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.
Thought for the Day
English diarist and influential theatre critic between the two world wars, James Agate wrote, “New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.”
After dating a young lady for some time a young man decides it is time to marry her. He proceeds with all the necessary plans and finally the day comes.
On the day of the wedding the young man has yet to pay the pastor for performing the ceremony. However the pastor has a plan.
The service proceeds as planned the vows are exchanged etc. Now it is time for the groom to kiss his bride. The pastor sees this as the perfect opportunity to ask to be paid. He pulls the young man aside and asks him. Can you please pay me?
Not wanting to create a seen the young man asked. How much do I owe you?
The pastor thinks quickly and replies, pay me according to your wife's beauty.
The young man discretely pulled out five dollars and gave it to the pastor.
Although annoyed by this, the pastor continues the ceremony and says; you may now kiss the bride. At this point the veil is lifted from the brides face to allow the groom to kiss her. As the groom is about to kiss his new bride the pastor interrupts and promptly hand the groom four dollars and fifty cents.
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