Day 278 of 365

Isa 66:1–24

1 Thus says the Lord, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me? And what place shall be my rest?

2 For all these things has my hand made, and so all these things came to be," says the Lord: "but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.

3 He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an offering, as he who offers pig's blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations:

4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not listen; but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight."

5 Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name's sake, have said, 'Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy;' but it is those who shall be disappointed.

6 A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that renders recompense to his enemies.

7 "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she delivered a son.

8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?" says the Lord: "Shall I who cause to bring forth shut the womb?" says your God.

10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;

11 that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory."

12 For thus says the Lord, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you will nurse. You will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14 You will see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.

15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and his chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire will the Lord execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

17 "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating pig's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together," says the Lord.

18 "For I know their works and their thoughts: the time comes, that I will gather all nations and languages; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.

19 "I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the islands afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.

20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to the Lord, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.

21 Of them also will I take for priests and for Levites," says the Lord.

22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me," says the Lord, "so your seed and your name shall remain.

23 It shall happen, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me," says the Lord.

24 "They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

Jer 1:1–19

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak; for I am a child."

7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am a child;' for to whoever I shall send you, you shall go, and whatever I shall command you, you shall speak.

8 Do not be afraid because of them; for I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord.

9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10 Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree."

12 Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it."

13 The word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" I said, "I see a boiling caldron; and it is tipping away from the north."

14 Then the Lord said to me, "Out of the north evil will break out on all the inhabitants of the land.

15 For, behold, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the Lord; "and they shall come, and they shall each set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.

16 I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

17 "You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.

18 For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

19 They will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you," says the Lord, "to deliver you."

2 Cor 3:1–18

1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? We do not need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you, do we?

2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

3 being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;

5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

6 who also made us sufficient as servants of a New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:

8 won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

10 For truly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel would not look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

16 But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Job 19:14–29

14 My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight.

16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.

18 Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

19 All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.

20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 "Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.

22 Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 "Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

24 That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.

26 After my skin is destroyed, then in my flesh shall I see God,

27 Whom I, even I, shall see on my side. My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger. "My heart is consumed within me.

28 If you say, 'How we will persecute him!' because the root of the matter is found in me,

29 be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment."