Isaiah 1; Isaiah 2; Galatians 5

Isaiah 1

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, for the Lord has spoken: "I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.

3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's feeding-trough, [but] Israel does not know; My people do not understand."

4 Oh-sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs [on Him].

5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep on rebelling? The whole head is hurt, and the whole heart is sick.

6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, no spot is uninjured- wounds, welts, and festering sores not cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.

7 Your land is desolate, your cities burned with fire; before your very eyes foreigners devour your fields- a desolation overthrown by foreigners.

8 Daughter Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.

9 If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would be like Sodom, we would resemble Gomorrah.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

11 "What are all your sacrifices to Me?" asks the Lord. "I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.

12 When you come to appear before Me, who requires this from you- [this] trampling of My courts?

13 Stop bringing useless offerings. I despise [your] incense. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies- I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.

14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to Me; I am tired of putting up with [them].

15 When you lift up your hands [in prayer], I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

16 "Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil.

17 Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow's cause.

18 "Come, let us discuss this," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.

20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

21 The faithful city- what an adulteress she has become! She was once full of justice. Righteousness once dwelt in her- but now, murderers!

22 Your silver has become dross, your beer is diluted with water.

23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow's case never comes before them."

24 Therefore the Lord God of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will gain satisfaction against My foes; I will take revenge against My enemies.

25 I will turn My hand against you and will burn away your dross completely; I will remove all your impurities.

26 I will restore your judges to what they once were, and your advisers to their former state. Afterwards you will be called the Righteous City, a Faithful City."

27 Zion will be redeemed by justice, her repentant ones by righteousness.

28 But both rebels and sinners will be destroyed, and those who abandon the Lord will perish.

29 Indeed, they will be ashamed of the sacred trees you desired, and you will be embarrassed because of the gardens you have chosen.

30 For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, and like a garden without water.

31 The strong one will become tinder, and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench [the flames].

Isaiah 2

1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord's house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it,

3 and many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about His ways so that we may walk in His paths." For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4 He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against [other] nations, and they will never again train for war.

5 House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the Lord's light.

6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of [divination] from the East and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines. They are in league with foreigners.

7 Their land is full of silver and gold, and there is no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, and there is no limit to their chariots.

8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

9 So humanity is brought low, and man is humbled. Do not forgive them!

10 Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord and from His majestic splendor.

11 Human pride will be humbled, and the loftiness of men will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

12 For a day belonging to the Lord of Hosts is [coming] against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up-it will be humbled-

13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan,

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

15 against every high tower, against every fortified wall,

16 against every ship of Tarshish, and against every splendid sea vessel.

17 So human pride will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.

18 The idols will vanish completely.

19 People will go into caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the Lord and from His majestic splendor, when He rises to terrify the earth.

20 On that day people will throw their silver and gold idols, which they made to worship, to the moles and the bats.

21 They will go into the caves of the rocks and the crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the Lord and from His majestic splendor, when He rises to terrify the earth.

22 Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. What is he really worth?

Galatians 5

1 Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand firm and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.

3 Again I testify to every man who gets circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law.

4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace!

5 For by the Spirit we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness from faith.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

7 You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?

8 This persuasion did not come from Him who called you.

9 A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough.

10 In the Lord I have confidence in you that you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is who is troubling you will pay the penalty.

11 Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!

13 For you are called to freedom, brothers; only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

14 For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,

21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance-as I told you before-that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.

26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.