Day 270 of 365

Isa 44:1–45:25

44:1 Yet listen now, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

44:2 This is what the Lord who made you, and formed you from the womb, who will help you says: "Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

44:3 For I will pour water upon the thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your seed, and my blessing on your offspring:

44:4 and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.

44:5 One will say, 'I am the Lord's;' and another will be called by the name of Jacob; and another will write with his hand 'to the Lord,' and honor the name of Israel."

44:6 This is what the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, says: "I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God.

44:7 Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen.

44:8 Do not fear, neither be afraid. Haven't I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I do not know any other Rock."

44:9 Everyone who makes an engraved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit. Their own witnesses do not see, nor know, that they may be disappointed.

44:10 Who has fashioned a god, or molds an image that is profitable for nothing?

44:11 Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed; and the workmen are mere men. Let them all be gathered together. Let them stand up. They will fear. They will be put to shame together.

44:12 The blacksmith takes an axe, works in the coals, fashions it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He is hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water, and is faint.

44:13 The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.

44:14 He cuts down cedars for himself, and takes the cypress and the oak, and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir tree, and the rain nourishes it.

44:15 Then it will be for a man to burn; and he takes some of it, and warms himself. Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread. Yes, he makes a god, and worships it; he makes it an engraved image, and falls down to it.

44:16 He burns part of it in the fire. With part of it, he eats meat. He roasts a roast, and is satisfied. Yes, he warms himself, and says, "Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire."

44:17 The rest of it he makes into a god, even his engraved image. He bows down to it and worships, and prays to it, and says, "Deliver me; for you are my god!"

44:18 They do not know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can't see; and their hearts, that they can't understand.

44:19 No one thinks, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned part of it in the fire. Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals. I have roasted meat and eaten it. Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination? Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?"

44:20 He feeds on ashes. A deceived heart has turned him aside; and he can't deliver his soul, nor say, "Isn't there a lie in my right hand?"

44:21 Remember these things, Jacob and Israel; for you are my servant. I have formed you. You are my servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.

44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, as a cloud, your sins. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

44:23 Sing, you heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth! Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel.

44:24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb: "I am the Lord, who makes all things; who alone stretches out the heavens; who spreads out the earth by myself;

44:25 who foils the omens of the empty talkers, and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

44:26 who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, 'She will be inhabited;' and of the cities of Judah, 'They will be built,' and 'I will raise up its waste places;'

44:27 who says to the deep, 'Be dry,' and 'I will dry up your rivers;'

44:28 Who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,' even saying of Jerusalem, 'She will be built;' and of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"

45:1 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

45:2 "I will go before you, and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of brass in pieces, and cut apart the bars of iron.

45:3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel.

45:4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.

45:5 I am the Lord, and there is none else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;

45:6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no one else.

45:7 I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am the Lord, who does all these things.

45:8 Distil, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.

45:9 Woe to him who strives with his Maker- a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, 'What are you making?' or your work, 'He has no hands?'

45:10 Woe to him who says to a father, 'What have you become the father of?' or to a mother, 'To what have you given birth?'"

45:11 Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!

45:12 I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and I have commanded all their army.

45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward," says the Lord of hosts.

45:14 Thus says the Lord: "The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you, and they shall be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains; and they will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: 'Surely God is in you; and there is none else. There is no other god.

45:15 Most certainly you are a God who hid yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.'"

45:16 They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.

45:17 Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.

45:18 For thus says the Lord who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and did not create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord; and there is no other.

45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.

45:20 Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can't save.

45:21 Declare and bring it forth. Yes, let them take counsel together: who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven't I, the Lord? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides me.

45:22 Look to me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.

45:23 By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

45:24 Only in the Lord, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed.

45:25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.

1 Cor 12:21–13:13

12:21 The eye cannot tell the hand, "I have no need for you," or again the head to the feet, "I have no need for you."

12:22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

12:23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety;

12:24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,

12:25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

12:26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

12:28 God has set some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.

12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers?

12:30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret?

12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.

13:1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

13:3 If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love does not envy. Love does not brag, is not proud,

13:5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, does not seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;

13:6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

13:8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part;

13:10 but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.

13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

13:13 But now faith, hope, and love remain-these three. The greatest of these is love.

Ps 116:1–9

1 I love the Lord, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy.

2 Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, I beg you, deliver my soul."

5 The Lord is Gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful.

6 The Lord preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

9 I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.