Through the Bible – Day 289

₁The LORD said:

Be honest and fair!

Soon I will come to save you;

my saving power will be seen

everywhere on earth.

₂I will bless everyone

who respects the Sabbath

and refuses to do wrong.

₃Foreigners who worship me

must not say,

“The LORD won't let us

be part of his people.”

Men who are unable

to become fathers

must no longer say,

“We are dried up trees.”

₄To them, I, the LORD, say:

Respect the Sabbath,

obey me completely,

and keep our agreement.

₅Then I will set up monuments

in my temple with your names

written on them.

This will be much better

than having children,

because these monuments

will stand there for ever.

₆Foreigners will follow me.

They will love me and worship

in my name;

they will respect the Sabbath

and keep our agreement.

₇I will bring them

to my holy mountain,

where they will celebrate

in my house of worship.

Their sacrifices and offerings

will always be welcome

on my altar.

Then my house will be known

as a house of worship

for all nations.

₈I, the LORD, promise

to bring together my people

who were taken away,

and let them join the others.

₉Come from the forest,

you wild animals!

Attack and gobble up

your victims.

₁₀You leaders of Israel

should be watchdogs,

protecting my people.

But you can't see a thing,

and you never warn them.

Dozing and daydreaming

are all you ever do.

₁₁You stupid leaders are a pack

of hungry and greedy dogs

that never get enough.

You are shepherds

who ill-treat your own sheep

for selfish gain.

₁₂You say to each other,

“Let's drink till we're drunk!

Tomorrow we'll do it again.

We'll really enjoy ourselves.”

₁God's faithful people

are dragged off and killed,

and no one even cares.

Evil sweeps them away,

₂but in death they find peace

for obeying God.

₃You people are unfaithful!

You go to fortune-tellers,

and you worship idols.

Now pay close attention!

₄Who are you making fun of?

Who are you sneering at?

Look how your sins

have made fools of you.

₅All you think about is sex

under those green trees

where idols are worshipped.

You sacrifice your children

on altars built in valleys

under rocky slopes.

₆You have chosen to worship

idols made of stone;

you have given them offerings

of wine and grain.

Should I be pleased?

₇You have spread out your beds

on the tops of high mountains,

where you sacrifice to idols.

₈Even in your homes

you have placed pagan symbols

all around your huge beds.

Yes, you have rejected me,

sold yourselves to your lovers,

and gone to bed with them.

₉You smear on olive oil

and all kinds of perfume

to worship the god Molech.

You even seek advice

from spirits of the dead.

₁₀Though you tired yourself out

by running after idols,

you refused to stop.

Your desires were so strong

that they kept you going.

₁₁Did you forget about me

and become unfaithful

because you were more afraid

of someone else?

Have I been silent so long

that you no longer fear me?

₁₂You think you're so good,

but I'll point out the truth.

₁₃Ask your idols to save you

when you are in trouble.

Be careful though—

it takes only a faint breath

to blow them over.

But if you come to me

for protection,

this land and my holy mountain

will always belong to you.

₁₄The LORD says,

“Clear the road!

Get it ready for my people.”

₁₅Our holy God lives for ever

in the highest heavens,

and this is what he says:

Though I live high above

in the holy place,

I am here to help those

who are humble

and depend only on me.

₁₆My people, I won't stay angry

and keep on accusing you.

After all, I am your Creator.

I don't want you to give up

in complete despair.

₁₇Your greed made me furious.

That's why I punished you

and refused to be found,

while you kept returning

to your old sinful ways.

₁₈I know what you are like!

But I will heal you, lead you,

and give you comfort,

until those who are mourning

₁₉start singing my praises.

No matter where you are,

I, the LORD, will heal you

and give you peace.

₂₀The wicked are a restless sea

tossing up mud.

₂₁But I, the LORD, have promised

that none who are evil

will live in peace.

₁Shout the message!

Don't hold back.

Say to my people Israel:

You've sinned! You've turned

against the LORD.

₂Day after day, you worship him

and seem eager to learn

his teachings.

You act like a nation

that wants to do right

by obeying his laws.

You ask him about justice,

and say you enjoy

worshipping the LORD.

₃You wonder why the LORD

pays no attention

when you go without eating

and act humble.

But on those same days

that you give up eating,

you think only of yourselves

and abuse your workers.

₄You even get angry

and ready to fight.

No wonder God won't listen

to your prayers!

₅Do you think the LORD

wants you to give up eating

and to act as humble

as a bent over bush?

Or to dress in sackcloth

and sit in ashes?

Is this really what he wants

on a day of worship?

₆I'll tell you

what it really means

to worship the LORD.

Remove the chains of prisoners

who are chained unjustly.

Free those who are abused!

₇Share your food with everyone

who is hungry;

share your home

with the poor and homeless.

Give clothes to those in need;

don't turn away your relatives.

₈Then your light will shine

like the dawning sun, and you

will quickly be healed.

Your honesty will protect you

as you advance,

and the glory of the LORD

will defend you from behind.

₉When you beg the LORD for help,

he will answer, “Here I am!”

Don't ill-treat others

or falsely accuse them

or say something cruel.

₁₀Give your food to the hungry

and care for the homeless.

Then your light will shine

in the dark;

your darkest hour will be

like the noonday sun.

₁₁The LORD will always guide you

and provide good things to eat

when you are in the desert.

He will make you healthy.

You will be like a garden

that has plenty of water

or like a stream

that never runs dry.

₁₂You will rebuild those houses

left in ruins for years;

you will be known

as a builder and repairer

of city walls and streets.

₁₃But first, you must start

respecting the Sabbath

as a joyful day of worship.

You must stop doing and saying

whatever you please

on this special day.

₁₄Then you will truly enjoy

knowing the LORD.

He will let you rule

from the highest mountains

and bless you with the land

of your ancestor Jacob.

The LORD has spoken!

₅There is only one God,

and Christ Jesus

is the only one

who can bring us

to God.

Jesus was truly human,

and he gave himself

to rescue all of us.

₆God showed us this

at the right time.