Isaiah 9; Isaiah 10; Ephesians 3

1 Nonetheless, those who were in distress won't be exhausted. At an earlier time, God cursed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but later he glorified the way of the sea, the far side of the Jordan, and the Galilee of the nations.

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.

3 You have made the nation great; you have increased its joy. They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest, as those who divide plunder rejoice.

4 As on the day of Midian, you've shattered the yoke that burdened them, the staff on their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

5 Because every boot of the thundering warriors, and every garment rolled in blood will be burned, fuel for the fire.

6 A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be vast authority and endless peace for David's throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of heavenly forces will do this.

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob; it fell upon Israel;

9 the people all knew it— Ephraim and the one who rules in Samaria. But with a proud and arrogant heart they said,

10 "Bricks have fallen, but let's rebuild with stones. Sycamores were cut down, but let's replace them with cedars."

11 So the LORD raised up their foes against them, and stirred up their enemies—

12 Aram from the east and the Philistines from the west— and they devoured Israel with an open mouth. Even then God's anger didn't turn away; God's hand was still extended.

13 But the people didn't turn to the one who struck them. They didn't seek the LORD of heavenly forces.

14 So the LORD cut off head and tail, palm branch and reed from Israel in one day.

15 (Elders and celebrities are the head; prophets who teach lies are the tail.)

16 But this people's leaders were misleading, and those being led were confused.

17 So the Lord showed their youth no pity, and showed their orphans and widows no mercy; for everyone was godless and evil; every mouth spoke nonsense. Even then God's anger didn't turn away; God's hand was still extended.

18 Wickedness burned like fire, devouring thorn and thistle. It kindled the thickets of the forest; they swirled in rising smoke.

19 The land was scorched by the rage of the LORD of heavenly forces; the people were like fuel for the fire. Not one person pitied another:

20 they consumed on the right, but remained hungry; devoured on the left, and weren't satisfied. They devoured the flesh of their own children.

21 Manasseh devoured Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh; together they turned against Judah. Even then God's anger didn't turn away; God's hand was still extended.

1 Doom to those who pronounce wicked decrees, and keep writing harmful laws

2 to deprive the needy of their rights and to rob the poor among my people of justice; to make widows their loot; to steal from orphans! when disaster comes from far away? To whom will you flee for help; where will you stash your wealth?

3 What will you do on the day of punishment

4 How will you avoid crouching among the prisoners and falling among the slain? Even so, God's anger hasn't turned away; God's hand is still extended.

5 Doom to Assyria, rod of my anger, in whose hand is the staff of my fury!

6 Against a godless nation I send him; against an infuriating people I direct him to seize spoil, to steal plunder, and to trample them like mud in the streets.

7 But he has other plans; he schemes in secret; destruction is on his mind, extermination of nation after nation.

8 He says: Aren't my commanders all kings?

9 Isn't Calno like Carchemish? Isn't Hamath like Arpad? Isn't Samaria like Damascus?

10 Just as I took control of idolatrous kingdoms with more images than Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 just as I did to Samaria and her false gods, won't I also do this to Jerusalem and her idols?

12 But when the Lord has finished all this work on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, he will punish the Assyrian king's arrogant actions and the boasting of his haughty eyes.

13 He said, "By my own strength I have achieved it, and by my wisdom, since I'm so clever. I disregarded national boundaries; I raided their treasures; I knocked down their rulers like a bull.

14 My hand found the wealth of the peoples as if it were in a nest. Just as one gathers abandoned eggs, I have gathered the entire earth; no creature fluttered a wing or opened a mouth to chirp."

15 Will the ax glorify itself over the one who chops with it? Or will the saw magnify itself over its user? As if a rod could wave the one who lifts it! As if a staff could lift up the one not made of wood!

16 Therefore, the LORD God of heavenly forces will make the well-fed people waste away; and among his officials, a blaze will burn like scorching fire.

17 The light of Israel will become a fire, its holy one a flame, which will burn and devour its thorns and thistles in a single day.

18 Its abundant forest and farmland will be finished completely, as when a sick person wastes away;

19 its forest's remaining trees will be no more than a child can count.

20 On that day, what's left of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on the one who beat them. Instead, they will faithfully depend on the LORD, the holy one of Israel.

21 A few will return, what's left of Jacob, to the mighty God.

22 Although your people, Israel, were like the sand of the sea, only a few survivors will return. The end is announced, overflowing with justice.

23 Yes, destruction has been announced; the LORD God of heavenly forces will carry it out against the entire land.

24 Therefore, the LORD God of heavenly forces says: My people who live in Zion, don't fear Assyria, which strikes you with the rod and raises its staff against you as Egypt did.

25 In a very short time my fury will end, and my anger at the world will be finished.

26 Therefore, the LORD of heavenly forces will crack a whip against Assyria, as when he struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. He will raise a rod over the sea, as he did in Egypt.

27 On that day, God will remove the burden from your shoulder and destroy the yoke on your neck. He has gone up from Samaria,

28 come against Aiath, passed to Migron. At Michmash he stored his equipment.

29 They crossed at the pass: "We'll camp at Geba!" Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled.

30 Cry aloud, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Answer her, Anathoth!

31 Madmenah has flown. Gebim's inhabitants sought refuge.

32 This very day he will stand at Nob and shake his fist at Daughter Zion's mountain, the hill of Jerusalem!

33 Look! The LORD God of heavenly forces is chopping off the branches with terrible power. The loftiest ones are about to be cut down and the exalted laid low.

34 He will strike down the forest thickets with an ax, and mighty Lebanon will fall.

1 This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles.

2 You've heard, of course, about the responsibility to distribute God's grace, which God gave to me for you, right?

3 God showed me his secret plan in a revelation, as I mentioned briefly before (

4 when you read this, you'll understand my insight into the secret plan about Christ).

5 Earlier generations didn't know this hidden plan that God has now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit.

6 This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7 I became a servant of the gospel because of the grace that God showed me through the exercise of his power.

8 God gave his grace to me, the least of all God's people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles.

9 God sent me to reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything.

10 God's purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church.

11 This was consistent with the plan he had from the beginning of time that he accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him.

13 So then, I ask you not to become discouraged by what I'm suffering for you, which is your glory.

14 This is why I kneel before the Father.

15 Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by him.

16 I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit.

17 I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love,

18 I ask that you'll have the power to grasp love's width and length, height and depth, together with all believers.

19 I ask that you'll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.

20 Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us;

21 glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen.