Isaiah 43
1 And now, thus says the Lord God who made you, O Jacob, and who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I redeemed you. I called you by your name, for you are Mine.†
2 If you pass through water, I am with you; and the rivers shall not overflow you. If you pass through fire, you shall not be burned up, nor shall the flame consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who saves you. I made Egypt and Ethiopia your ransom and gave Seba on your behalf.
4 Since you were precious in My sight, you became glorious, and I love you. I will give many men for you and rulers to lead you.
5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west.†
6 I will say to the north, ‘Bring them,’ and to the south, ‘Do not keep them back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone called by My name.’
7 For in my glory I prepared him, and formed and made him.
8 I brought forth the blind people, and their eyes are alike blind, and their ears deaf.”
9 All the nations are gathered together, and the rulers shall be assembled from among them. Who will declare these things or tell us things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be proven right; and let them speak the truth.
10 “You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,” says the Lord God, “and My Servant whom I chose, that you may know and believe, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no other God, nor shall there be after Me.
11 I am God, and besides Me there is no one who saves.
12 I proclaimed, and I saved. I denounced foreign gods so there were none among you. You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,” says the Lord God.
13 “Even from the beginning, there is no one who can deliver out of My hands; I will work, and who will reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord God who redeems you, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and arouse all who flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.
15 I am the Lord God, your Holy One, who made known your King, O Israel.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path in the mighty water,
17 who brings forth chariot and horse, and a mighty host. But they fell asleep, and shall not arise. They are extinguished, like a quenched lamp-wick:
18 “Do not remember the former things, nor reason about the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do new things, which shall now spring forth, and you shall know them; and l will make a road in the desert and rivers in the waterless places.
20 The wild animals of the field will bless Me, the sirens and the daughters of sparrows, because I gave water in the wilderness and rivers in the waterless place, to give drink to My race, My chosen,
21 My people whom I preserved to declare My virtues.
22 I have not called on you now, O Jacob, neither have I made you grow weary, O Israel.
23 You have not brought Me sheep for your whole burnt offerings, neither have you glorified Me with your sacrifices, nor have I wearied you with frankincense.
24 Neither have you purchased sweet incense for Me with money, nor have I desired the fat of your sacrifices; but I set before you your sins and wrongdoings.
25 I, even I, am He who blots out your lawlessness, and I will not remember them.
26 But remember, and let us judge; tell your lawless first, that you may be made righteous.
27 Your fathers first, and their rulers after them, acted lawlessly against Me.
28 Your rulers defiled My holy things; thus I gave Jacob to destruction and Israel for reproach.”
Psalms 88
1 Concerning understanding; for Ethan the Israelite. †
2 O Lord, I will sing of Your mercies forever; I will proclaim Your truth with my mouth from generation to generation;
3 For You said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your truth shall be prepared in the heavens.
4 I made a covenant with My chosen ones; I swore to David My servant,
5 I shall prepare your seed forever, And I shall build your throne from generation to generation.” (Pause)
6 The heavens shall confess Your wonders, O Lord, And Your truth in the church of the saints.
7 For who in the clouds shall be compared to the Lord, And who among the sons of God shall be compared to the Lord?
8 God is glorified in the counsel of saints; He is great and fearful toward all round about Him.
9 O Lord God of hosts, who is like You? You are powerful, O Lord, and Your truth is around You.
10 You are master of the sea’s strength, And You calm the surging of its waves.
11 You humbled the arrogant man as though he were wounded, And with the arm of Your power You scattered Your enemies.
12 The heavens belong to You, and the earth is Yours; You founded the world and all its fullness.
13 You created the north wind and the seas; Tabor and Hermon shall greatly rejoice in Your name.
14 Your arm rules with power; Let Your hand be strengthened; let Your right hand be exalted.
15 The foundation of Your throne is righteousness and judgment; Mercy and truth shall go before Your face.
16 Blessed are the people who know glad shouting; O Lord, they shall walk in the light of Your face,
17 And shall greatly rejoice in Your name the whole day long; And they shall be exalted in Your righteousness.
18 For You are the boast of their power, And in Your good pleasure our horn shall be exalted.
19 For our defense is from the Lord And from the Holy One of Israel, our King.
Proverbs of Solomon 18
18 An allotment of land ends controversies, And it determines the boundary between princes.
19 A brother aided by his brother is like a strong and fortified city, And he is strong like a well-founded palace.†
20 From the fruits of his mouth a man fills his stomach, And from the fruits of his lips he will fill himself to the full.
21 Life and death are in the hand of a tongue, And those who rule over it will eat the fruits thereof.†
22 He who finds a good wife finds benefits And receives cheerfulness from God.
23 He who casts out a good wife casts out good things, And he who keeps adulteresses is without discernment and is ungodly.
1 Thessalonians 1
Greeting and Thanksgiving
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. †
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,†
3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,†
4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,†
7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.†
8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.
9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,
10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.†