the Fifth Week after Easter
Click here to join the effort!
Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 8 - Old & New Testament
nas
Isaiah 3,4
God Will Remove the Leaders
1 For behold, the Lord (F1)GOD of armies (C1)is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah
Both supply and support, the entire supply of bread
And the entire supply of water;
2 (C1)The mighty man and the warrior,
The judge and the prophet,
The diviner and the elder,
3 The captain of fifty and the esteemed person,
The counselor and the expert artisan,
And the skillful enchanter.
4 And I will make mere (C1)boys their leaders,
And (F1)mischievous children will rule over them,
5 And the people will be (C1)oppressed,
Each one by another, and each one by his (C2)neighbor;
The youth will assault the elder,
And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.
6 When a man (C1)lays hold of his brother in his father's house, saying,
"You have a cloak, you shall be our ruler!
And these ruins will be under your (F1)authority,"
7 He will (F1)protest on that day, saying,
"I will not be your (F2)(C1)healer,
For in my house there is neither bread nor cloak;
You should not appoint me ruler of the people."
8 For (C1)Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their (F1)(C2)speech and their actions are against the LORD,
To (C3)rebel against (F2)His glorious presence.
9 (F1)The expression of their faces testifies against them,
And they (F2)display their sin like (C1)Sodom;
They do not even conceal it.
Woe to (F3)them!
For they have (C2)done evil to themselves.
10 Say to the (C1)righteous that it will go well for them,
For they will eat the fruit of their actions.
11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly for him,
For (F1)(C1)what he deserves will be done to him.
12 My people! Their oppressors (C1)treat them violently,
And women rule over them.
My people! (C2)Those who guide you lead you astray
And confuse the direction of your paths.
God Will Judge
13 (C1)The LORD arises to contend,
And stands to judge the people.
14 The LORD (C1)enters into judgment with the elders and leaders of His people,
"It is you who have (F1)(C2)devoured the vineyard;
The (C3)goods stolen from the poor are in your houses.
15 "What do you mean by (C1)crushing My people
And (F1)oppressing the face of the poor?"
Declares the Lord (F2)GOD of armies.
Judah's Women Denounced
16 Moreover, the LORD said, "Because the (C1)daughters of Zion are haughty
And walk with (F1)heads held high and seductive eyes,
And go along with mincing steps
And jingle the anklets on their feet,
17 The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
And the LORD will make their foreheads bare."
24 Now it will come about that instead of (C1)balsam oil there will be a stench;
Instead of a belt, a rope;
Instead of (C2)well-set hair, a (C3)plucked-out scalp;
Instead of fine clothes, a (C4)robe of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
25 Your men will (C1)fall by the sword
And your (F1)mighty ones in battle.
26 And her (F1)(C1)gates will lament and mourn,
And she will (C2)sit deserted on the ground.
A Remnant Prepared
1 For seven women will take hold of (C1)one man on that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; (C2)take away our disgrace!"
2 On that day the (C1)Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the (C2)fruit of the earth will be the pride and the beauty of the (C3)survivors of Israel.3 And it will come about that the one who is (C1)left in Zion and remains behind in Jerusalem will be called (C2)holy—everyone who is (C3)recorded for life in Jerusalem.4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the (C1)daughters of Zion and (F1)purged the (C2)bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the (C3)spirit of judgment and the (C4)spirit of (F2)burning,5 then the LORD will create over the entire area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies (C1)a cloud by day, and smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the (C2)glory will be a canopy.6 And there will be a (C1)shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and (F1)protection from the storm and the rain.
2 Corinthians 12
Chapter 12
Paul's Vision
1 (C1)Boasting is necessary, though it is not beneficial; but I will go on to visions and (C2)revelations (F1)of the Lord.2 I know a man (C1)in Christ, who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, (C2)God knows—such a man was (C3)caught up to the (C4)third heaven.3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, (C1)God knows—4 was (C1)caught up into (C2)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.5 (C1)In behalf of such a man I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except regarding my (C2)weaknesses.6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be (C1)foolish, (C2)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.
A Thorn in the Flesh
7 Because of the extraordinary greatness of the (C1)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a (C2)thorn in the flesh, a (C3)messenger of Satan to (F1)torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord (C1)three times that it might leave me.9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for (C1)power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather (C2)boast (F1)about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.10 Therefore (C1)I delight in weaknesses, in (F1)insults, in (C2)distresses, in (C3)persecutions, in (C2)difficulties, (C4)in behalf of Christ; for (C5)when I am weak, then I am strong.11 I have become (C1)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was (C2)in no respect inferior to the (F1)most eminent apostles, even though (C3)I am a nobody.12 The (C1)distinguishing marks (F1)of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by (F2)signs, wonders, and (F3)miracles.13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that (C1)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me (C2)this wrong!
14 Here (C1)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I (C2)will not be a burden to you; for I (C3)do not seek what is yours, but (C4)you; for (C5)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but (C6)parents for their children.15 I will (C1)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If (C2)I love you more, am I to be loved less?16 But be that as it may, I (C1)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, devious person that I am, I (C2)took you in by deceit.17 (C1)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I?18 I (C1)urged (C2)Titus to go, and I sent (C3)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not (F1)conduct ourselves (F2)in the same (C4)spirit and walk (C5)in the same steps?
19 All this time (F1)you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, (C1)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and (C2)all for building you up, (C3)beloved.20 For I am afraid that perhaps (C1)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be (C2)strife, jealousy, (C3)angry tempers, (C4)selfishness, (C5)slanders, (C6)gossip, (C7)arrogance, (C8)disturbances;21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have (C1)sinned in the past and not repented of the (C2)impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995,2020 by The Lockman Foundation
