Isaiah 1; Isaiah 2; Galatians 5

1 The vision about Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah, Amoz's son, saw in the days of Judah's kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

2 Hear you heavens, and listen earth, for the LORD has spoken: I reared children; I raised them, and they turned against me!

3 An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's feeding trough. But Israel doesn't know; my people don't behave intelligently.

4 Doom! Sinful nation, people weighed down with crimes, evildoing offspring, corrupt children! They have abandoned the LORD, despised the holy one of Israel; they turned their backs on God.

5 Why do you invite further beatings? Why continue to rebel? Everyone's head throbs, and everyone's heart fails.

6 From head to toe, none are well— only bruises, cuts, and raw wounds, not treated, not bandaged, not soothed with oil.

7 Your country is deserted, your cities burned with fire; your land—strangers are devouring it in plain sight. It's a wasteland, as when foreigners raid.

8 Daughter Zion is left like a small shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city besieged.

9 If the LORD of heavenly forces had not spared a few of us, we would be like Sodom; we would resemble Gomorrah.

10 Hear the LORD's word, you leaders of Sodom. Listen to our God's teaching, people of Gomorrah!

11 What should I think about all your sacrifices? says the LORD. I'm fed up with entirely burned offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I don't want the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats.

12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from you, this trampling of my temple's courts?

13 Stop bringing worthless offerings. Your incense repulses me. New moon, sabbath, and the calling of an assembly— I can't stand wickedness with celebration!

14 I hate your new moons and your festivals. They've become a burden that I'm tired of bearing.

15 When you extend your hands, I'll hide my eyes from you. Even when you pray for a long time, I won't listen. Your hands are stained with blood.

16 Wash! Be clean! Remove your ugly deeds from my sight. Put an end to such evil;

17 learn to do good. Seek justice: help the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow.

18 Come now, and let's settle this, says the LORD. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. If they are red as crimson, they will become like wool.

19 If you agree and obey, you will eat the best food of the land.

20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. The LORD has said this.

21 This faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lived in her— but now murderers.

22 Your silver has become impure; your beer is diluted with water.

23 Your princes are rebels, companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and pursues gifts. They don't defend the orphan, and the widow's cause never reaches them.

24 Therefore, says the LORD God of heavenly forces, the mighty one of Israel: Doom! I will vent my anger against my foes; I will take it out on my enemies,

25 and I will turn my hand against you. I will refine your impurities as with lye, and remove all your cinders.

26 Then I will restore your judges as in earlier times, and your counselors as at the beginning. After this you will be called Righteous City, Faithful Town.

27 Zion will be redeemed by justice, and those who change their lives by righteousness.

28 But God will shatter rebels and sinners alike; those who abandon the LORD will be finished.

29 You will be ashamed of the oaks you once desired, and embarrassed by the gardens you once chose.

30 You will be like an oak with withering leaves, like a garden without water.

31 The strong will be like dry twigs, their deeds like sparks; the two will burn together, with no one to extinguish them.

1 This is what Isaiah, Amoz's son, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In the days to come the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of the mountains. It will be lifted above the hills; peoples will stream to it.

3 Many nations will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the LORD's mountain, to the house of Jacob's God so that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in God's paths." Instruction will come from Zion; the LORD's word from Jerusalem.

4 God will judge between the nations, and settle disputes of mighty nations. Then they will beat their swords into iron plows and their spears into pruning tools. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war.

5 Come, house of Jacob, let's walk by the LORD's light.

6 You have abandoned your people, house of Jacob. They are full of sorcerers from the east and fortune-tellers like the Philistines; they hold hands with foreigners' children.

7 Their land is full of silver and gold; they have countless treasures. Their land is filled with horses; they have countless chariots.

8 Their land is filled with idols; they worship their handiwork, what their own fingers have made.

9 Humanity will be brought down; each person laid low—don't lift them up!

10 Go into the rocks, and hide yourself in the dust from the terror of the LORD, from the splendor of God's majesty!

11 People's proud gazing will be stopped and humanity's arrogance brought down; the LORD alone will be exalted on that day.

12 The LORD of heavenly forces has planned a day: against all that is prideful and haughty; against all that is lofty, and it will be laid low;

13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, high and lofty; against all the oaks of Bashan;

14 against all the high mountains; against all the lofty hills;

15 against every tall tower; against every fortified wall;

16 against all the ships of Tarshish; against all the wonderful boats.

17 People's pride will be brought down and human arrogance humiliated. The LORD alone will be exalted on that day;

18 the idols will completely pass away.

19 Go into caves in the rocks and holes in the dust before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of God's majesty, when he arises to terrify the earth.

20 On that day, people will toss to the rodents and to the bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship.

21 They will hide in fissures of rocks and in crevices of cliffs before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of God's majesty when he arises to terrify the earth.

22 Quit admiring the human race, who breathe through their nostrils. Why should they be admired?

1 Christ has set us free for freedom. Therefore, stand firm and don't submit to the bondage of slavery again.

2 Look, I, Paul, am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, having Christ won't help you.

3 Again I swear to every man who has himself circumcised that he is required to do the whole Law.

4 You people who are trying to be made righteous by the Law have been estranged from Christ. You have fallen away from grace!

5 We eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith.

6 Being circumcised or not being circumcised doesn't matter in Christ Jesus, but faith working through love does matter.

7 You were running well—who stopped you from obeying the truth?

8 This line of reasoning doesn't come from the one who calls you.

9 A little yeast works through the whole lump of dough.

10 I'm convinced about you in the Lord that you won't think any other way. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever that may be.

11 Brothers and sisters, if I'm still preaching circumcision, why am I still being harassed? In that case, the offense of the cross would be canceled.

12 I wish that the ones who are upsetting you would castrate themselves!

13 You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don't let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love.

14 All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

15 But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don't get eaten up by each other!

16 I say be guided by the Spirit and you won't carry out your selfish desires.

17 A person's selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one's selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn't do whatever you want to do.

18 But if you are being led by the Spirit, you aren't under the Law.

19 The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good,

20 idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry,

21 jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won't inherit God's kingdom.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with its passions and its desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let's follow the Spirit.

26 Let's not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.