Isaiah 23; Isaiah 24; Isaiah 25; Philippians 1

1 Here is a message the LORD gave me about Tyre. Men in the ships of Tarshish, cry out! The city of Tyre is destroyed. Its houses and harbor are gone. That's the message you have received from the island of Cyprus.

2 People on the island of Tyre, be silent. Traders from the city of Sidon, be quiet. Those who sail on the Mediterranean Sea have made you rich.

3 Grain from Egypt came across the mighty waters. The harvest of the Nile River brought wealth to Tyre. It became the market place of the nations.

4 Sidon, be ashamed. Mighty Tyre out in the sea, be ashamed. The sea has spoken. It has said, "It's as if I had never felt labor pains or had children. It's as if I had never brought up sons or daughters. It's as if the city of Tyre had never existed.

5 The Egyptians will hear about what has happened to Tyre. They'll be very sad and troubled.

6 People of the island of Tyre, cry out! Go across the sea to Tarshish.

7 Just look at Tyre. It's no longer the old, old city that was known for its wild parties. It no longer sends its people out to settle in lands far away.

8 Tyre was a city that produced kings. Its traders were princes. They were honored all over the earth. So who planned to destroy such a city?

9 The LORD who rules over all planned to do it. He wanted to bring down all of its pride and glory. He wanted to put to shame those who were honored all over the earth.

10 People of Tarshish, spread out over your land like the waters of the Nile. There isn't anything to hold you back anymore.

11 The LORD has reached his powerful hand out over the sea. He has made its kingdoms tremble with fear. He has given a command concerning Phoenicia. He has ordered that its forts be destroyed.

12 He said, "No more wild parties for you! People of Sidon, you are now destroyed! "Leave your city. Go across the sea to Cyprus. Even there you will not find any rest."

13 Look at the land of the Babylonians. No one lives there anymore. The Assyrians have turned it into a place for desert creatures. They built their towers in order to attack it. They took everything out of its forts. They knocked all of its buildings down.

14 Men in the ships of Tarshish, cry out! Mighty Tyre is destroyed

15 A time is coming when people will forget about Tyre for 70 years. That's the length of a king's life. But at the end of those 70 years, Tyre will be like the prostitute that people sing about. They say,

16 "Forgotten prostitute, pick up a harp. Walk through the city. Play the harp well. Sing many songs. Then you will be remembered."

17 At the end of the 70 years, the LORD will punish Tyre. He will let it return to its way of life as a prostitute. It will earn its living with all of the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

18 But the money it earns will be set apart for the Lord. The money won't be stored up or kept for Tyre. Instead, it will go to those who live the way the LORD wants them to. It will pay for plenty of food and fine clothes for them.

1 The LORD is going to completely destroy everything on earth. He will twist its surface. He'll scatter those who live on it.

2 Priests and people alike will suffer. So will masters and their servants. And so will women and their female servants. Sellers and buyers alike will suffer. So will those who borrow and those who lend. And so will those who owe money and those who lend it.

3 The earth will be completely destroyed. Everything of value will be taken out of it. That's what the LORD has said.

4 The earth will dry up completely. The world will dry up and waste away. The most important people on earth will fade away.

5 The earth is polluted by its people. They haven't obeyed the laws of the Lord. They haven't done what he told them to do. They've broken the covenant that will last forever.

6 So the LORD will send a curse on the earth. Its people will pay for what they've done. They will be burned up. Very few of them will be left.

7 The vines and fresh wine will dry up completely. Those who used to have a good time will groan.

8 The happy sounds of tambourines will be gone. The noise of those who enjoy wild parties will stop. The joyful music of harps will become silent.

9 People will no longer sing as they drink wine. Beer will taste bitter to those who drink it.

10 Destroyed cities will lie empty. People will lock themselves inside their houses.

11 In the streets people will cry out for wine. All joy will turn into sadness. All happiness will be driven out of the earth.

12 All of the buildings will be knocked down. Every city gate will be smashed to pieces.

13 That's how it will be on the earth. And that's how it will be among the nations. It will be as when workers knock all but a few olives off the trees. It will be like a vine that has only a few grapes left after the harvest.

14 Those who are left alive will shout with joy. People from the west will praise the LORD because he is the King.

15 So give glory to him, you who live in the east. Honor the name of the Lord, you who are in the islands of the sea. He is the God of Israel.

16 From one end of the earth to the other we hear singing. People are saying, "Give glory to the One who always does what is right." But I said, "I feel very bad. I'm getting weaker and weaker. How terrible it is for me! People turn against one another. They can't be trusted. So they turn against each other."

17 People of the earth, terror, a pit and a trap are waiting for you.

18 Anyone who runs away from the terror will fall into the pit. Anyone who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the trap. The LORD will open the windows of the skies. He will flood the land. The foundations of the earth will shake.

19 The earth will be broken up. It will split open. It will be shaken to pieces.

20 The earth will be unsteady like someone who is drunk. It will sway like a tent in the wind. Its sin will weigh so heavily on it that it will fall. It will never get up again.

21 At that time the LORD will punish the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens above. He will also punish the kings on the earth below.

22 They will be brought together like prisoners in chains. They'll be locked up in prison. After many days the LORD will punish them.

23 The LORD who rules over all will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The elders of the city will be there. They will see his glory. His rule will be so glorious that the sun and moon will be too ashamed to shine.

1 LORD, you are my God. I will honor you. I will praise your name. You have been perfectly faithful. You have done wonderful things. You had planned them long ago.

2 You have turned cities into piles of trash. You have pulled down the high walls that were around them. You have destroyed our enemies' forts. They will never be rebuilt.

3 Powerful nations will honor you. Even sinful people from their cities will have respect for you.

4 Poor people have come to you for safety. You have kept needy people safe when they were in trouble. You have been a place to hide when storms came. You have been a shade from the heat of the sun. Evil people attack us. They are like a storm beating against a wall.

5 They are like the heat of the desert. You stopped the noisy shouts of our enemies. You kept them from winning the battle over us and singing about it. You are like the shadow of a cloud that cools the earth.

6 On Mount Zion the LORD who rules over all will prepare a feast for all of the nations. The best and richest foods and the finest aged wines will be served.

7 On that mountain the LORD will destroy the veil of sadness that covers all of the nations. He will destroy the gloom that is spread over everyone.

8 He will swallow up death forever. The LORD and King will wipe away the tears from everyone's face. He will remove the shame of his people from the whole earth. The LORD has spoken.

9 At that time they will say, "He is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. He is the Lord. We trusted in him. Let us be filled with joy because he saved us."

10 The LORD's powerful hand will keep Mount Zion safe. But he will walk all over Moab. Its people will be crushed, just as straw is crushed in animal waste.

11 They will try to swim their way out of it. They will spread their hands out in it, just as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim. But God will bring down Moab's pride. None of their skill will help them.

12 He will pull down their high, strong walls. He will bring them down to the ground. He'll bring them right down to the dust.

1 We, Paul and Timothy, are writing this letter. We serve Christ Jesus. We are sending this letter to you, all of God's people in Philippi. You belong to Christ Jesus. We are also sending this letter to your leaders and deacons.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you.

4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

5 I am happy because you have joined me in spreading the good news. You have done so from the first day until now.

6 I am sure that the One who began a good work in you will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God's grace together with me.

8 God can give witness that I long for all of you. I love you with the love that Christ Jesus gives.

9 I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding.

10 Then you will be able to know what is best. You will be pure and without blame until the day Christ returns.

11 You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All of those things bring glory and praise to God.

12 Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has really helped to spread the good news.

13 One thing has become clear. I am being held by chains because of my stand for Christ. All of the palace guards and everyone else know it.

14 Because I am being held by chains, most of the believers in the Lord have become bolder. They now speak God's word more boldly and without fear.

15 It's true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous. But others preach about Christ to help me in my work.

16 The last group acts out of love. They know I have been put here to stand up for the good news.

17 But the others preach about Christ only to get ahead. They are not honest and true. They think they can stir up trouble for me while I am being held by chains.

18 But what does it matter? Here is the important thing. Whether for reasons that are right or wrong, Christ is being preached about. That makes me very glad. And I will continue to be glad.

19 I know that you are praying for me. I also know that the Spirit of Jesus Christ will help me. So no matter what happens, I'm sure I will still be saved.

20 I completely expect and hope that I won't be ashamed in any way. I'm sure I will be brave enough. Now as always Christ will be lifted high through my body. He will be lifted up whether I live or die.

21 For me, life finds all of its meaning in Christ. Death also has its benefits.

22 Suppose I go on living in my body. Then I will be able to carry on my work. It will bear a lot of fruit. But what should I choose? I don't know.

23 I can't decide between the two. I long to leave this world and be with Christ. That is better by far.

24 But it is more important for you that I stay alive.

25 I'm sure of that. So I know I will remain with you. And I will continue with all of you to help you grow and be joyful in what you have been taught.

26 I'm sure I will be with you again. Then your joy in Christ Jesus will be greater than ever because of me.

27 No matter what happens, live in a way that brings honor to the good news about Christ. Then I will know that you stand firm with one purpose. I may come and see you or only hear about you. But I will know that you work together as one person. And I will know that you work to spread the teachings of the good news.

28 So don't be afraid in any way of those who oppose you. That will show them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. That's what God will do.

29 Here is what he has given you to do for Christ. You must not only believe in him. You must also suffer for him.

30 You are going through the same struggle you saw me go through. As you have heard, I am still struggling.