Isaiah 30; Isaiah 31; Philippians 4

Isaiah 30

1 Woe to the rebellious children! [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. They carry out a plan, but not Mine, They make an alliance, but against My will, piling sin on top of sin.

2 They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, in order to seek shelter under Pharaoh's protection and take refuge in Egypt's shadow.

3 But Pharaoh's protection will become your shame, and refuge in Egypt's shadow your disgrace.

4 For though his princes are at Zoan and his messengers reach as far as Hanes,

5 everyone will be ashamed because of a people who can't help. They are of no benefit, they are no help; they are good for nothing but shame and reproach.

6 An oracle about the animals of the Negev: Through a land of trouble and distress, of lioness and lion, of viper and flying serpent, they carry their wealth on the backs of donkeys and their treasures on the humps of camels, to a people who will not help them.

7 Egypt's help is completely worthless; therefore, I call her: Rahab Who Just Sits.

8 Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the future, forever and ever.

9 They are a rebellious people, deceptive children, children who do not obey the Lord's instruction.

10 They say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy the truth to us. Tell us flattering things. Prophesy illusions.

11 Get out of the way! Leave the pathway. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel."

12 Therefore the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message and have trusted in oppression and deceit, and have depended on them,

13 this iniquity of yours will be like a spreading breach, a bulge in a high wall whose collapse will come very suddenly.

14 Its collapse will be like the shattering of a potter's jar, crushed to pieces, so that not even a fragment of pottery will be found among its shattered remains- no fragment large enough to take fire from a hearth or scoop water from a cistern."

15 For the Lord God , the Holy One of Israel, has said: "You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing."

16 You say, "No! We will escape on horses"- therefore you will escape!- and, "We will ride on fast horses"- but those who pursue you will be faster.

17 One thousand [will flee] at the threat of one, at the threat of five you will flee, until you alone remain like a [solitary] pole on a mountaintop or a banner on a hill.

18 Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. Happy are all who wait patiently for Him.

19 For you people will live on Zion in Jerusalem and will never cry again. He will show favor to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears, He will answer you.

20 The Lord will give you meager bread and water during oppression, but your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher,

21 and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: "This is the way. Walk in it."

22 Then you will defile your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, and call them filth.

23 Then He will send rain for your seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food, the produce of the ground, will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.

24 The oxen and donkeys that work the ground will eat salted fodder scattered with winnowing shovel and fork.

25 Streams and watercourses will be on every high mountain and every raised hill on the day of great slaughter when the towers fall.

26 The moonlight will be as bright as the sunlight, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter-like the light of seven days-on the day that the Lord bandages His people's injuries and heals the wounds He inflicted.

27 Look, Yahweh comes from far away, His anger burning and heavy with smoke. His lips are full of fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire.

28 His breath is like an overflowing torrent that rises to the neck. [He comes] to sift the nations in a sieve of destruction and to put a bridle on the jaws of the peoples to lead [them] astray.

29 Your singing will be like that on the night of a holy festival, And [your] heart will rejoice like one who walks [to the music] of a flute, going up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.

30 And the Lord will make the splendor of His voice heard and reveal His arm striking in angry wrath and a flame of consuming fire, in driving rain, a torrent, and hailstones.

31 Assyria will be shattered by the voice of the Lord. He will strike with a rod.

32 And every stroke of the appointed staff that the Lord brings down on him will be [to the sound] of tambourines and lyres; He will fight against him with brandished weapons.

33 Indeed! Topheth has been ready for the king for a long time now. His funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the Lord, like a torrent of brimstone, kindles it.

Isaiah 31

1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses! They trust in the number of chariots and in the great strength of charioteers. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel and they do not seek the Lord's help.

2 But He also is wise and brings disaster. He does not go back on what He says; He will rise up against the house of wicked men and against the allies of evildoers.

3 Egyptians are men, not God; their horses are flesh, not spirit. When the Lord raises His hand [to strike], the helper will stumble and the helped will fall; both will perish together.

4 For this is what the Lord said to me: As a lion or young lion growls over its prey when a band of shepherds is called out against it, and is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their noise, so the Lord of Hosts will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.

5 Like hovering birds, so the Lord of Hosts will protect Jerusalem- by protecting [it], He will rescue [it], by sparing [it], He will deliver [it].

6 Return to the One the Israelites have greatly rebelled against.

7 For on that day, each one will reject the silver and gold idols that your own hands have sinfully made.

8 Then Assyria will fall, but not by human sword; a sword will devour him, but not one made by man. He will flee from the sword, his young men will be put to forced labor.

9 His rock will pass away because of fear, and his officers will be afraid because of the signal flag. [This is] the Lord's declaration-whose fire is in Zion and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

Philippians 4

1 So then, in this way, my dearly loved brothers, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

6 Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-dwell on these things.

9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me, but lacked the opportunity [to show it].

11 I don't say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

12 I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret [of being content]-whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.

13 I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

14 Still, you did well by sharing with me in my hardship.

15 And you, Philippians, know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone.

16 For even in Thessalonica you sent [gifts] for my need several times.

17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that is increasing to your account.

18 But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided-a fragrant offering, a welcome sacrifice, pleasing to God.

19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. Those brothers who are with me greet you.

22 All the saints greet you, but especially those from Caesar's household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.