Through the Bible – Day 290

₁The LORD hasn't lost

his powerful strength;

he can still hear

and answer prayers.

₂Your sins are the roadblock

between you and your God.

That's why he doesn't answer

your prayers

or let you see his face.

₃Your talk is filled with lies

and plans for violence;

every finger on your hands

is covered with blood.

₄You falsely accuse others

and tell lies in court;

sin and trouble are the names

of your children.

₅You eat the deadly eggs

of poisonous snakes,

and more snakes crawl out

from the eggs left to hatch.

You weave spider's webs,

₆but you can't make clothes

with those webs

or hide behind them.

You're sinful and brutal.

₇You hurry off to do wrong

or murder innocent victims.

All you think about is sin;

you leave ruin and destruction

wherever you go.

₈You don't know how

to live in peace

or to be fair with others.

The roads you make are crooked;

your followers cannot find peace.

₉No one has come to defend us

or to bring about justice.

We hoped for a day of sunshine,

but all we found

was a dark, gloomy night.

₁₀We feel our way along,

as if we were blind;

we stumble at midday,

as if it were night.

We can see no better

than someone dead.

₁₁We growl like bears

and mourn like doves.

We hope for justice and victory,

but they escape us.

₁₂How often have we sinned

and turned against you,

the LORD God?

Our sins condemn us!

We have done wrong.

₁₃We have rebelled and refused

to follow you.

Our hearts were deceitful,

and so we lied;

we planned to abuse others

and turn our backs on you.

₁₄Injustice is everywhere;

justice seems far away.

Truth is chased out of court;

honesty is shoved aside.

₁₅Everyone tells lies;

those who turn from crime

end up ruined.

When the LORD noticed

that justice had disappeared,

he became very displeased.

₁₆It disgusted him even more

to learn that no one

would do a thing about it.

So with his own powerful arm,

he won victories for truth.

₁₇Justice was the LORD's armour;

saving power was his helmet;

anger and revenge

were his clothes.

₁₈Now the LORD will get furious

and do to his enemies,

both near and far,

what they did to his people.

₁₉He will attack like a flood

in a mighty storm.

Nations in the west and the east

will then honour and praise

his wonderful name.

₂₀The LORD has promised to rescue

the city of Zion

and Jacob's descendants

who turn from sin.

₂₁The LORD says: “My people,

I promise to give you my Spirit

and my message.

These will be my gifts to you

and your families for ever.

I, the LORD, have spoken.”

₁Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!

Your new day is dawning.

The glory of the LORD

shines brightly on you.

₂The earth and its people

are covered with darkness,

but the glory of the LORD

is shining upon you.

₃Nations and kings

will come to the light

of your dawning day.

₄Open your eyes! Look around!

Crowds are coming.

Your sons are on their way

from distant lands;

your daughters are being carried

like little children.

₅When you see this,

your faces will glow;

your hearts will pound

and swell with pride.

Treasures from across the sea

and the wealth of nations

will be brought to you.

₆Your country will be covered

with caravans of young camels

from Midian and Ephah.

The people of Sheba

will bring gold and spices

in praise of me, the LORD.

₇Every sheep of Kedar

will come to you;

rams from Nebaioth

will be yours as well.

I will accept them as offerings

and bring honour to my temple.

₈What is that sailing by

like clouds

or like doves flying home?

₉On those distant islands

your people are waiting

for me, the LORD.

Seagoing ships lead the way

to bring them home

with their silver and gold.

I, the holy LORD God of Israel,

do this to honour your people,

so they will honour me.

₁₀Jerusalem, your city walls

will be rebuilt by foreigners;

their rulers will become

your slaves.

I punished you in my anger;

now I will be kind

and treat you with mercy.

₁₁Your gates will be open

day and night

to let the rulers of nations

lead their people to you

with all their treasures.

₁₂Any nation or kingdom

that refuses to serve you

will be wiped out.

₁₃Wood from Lebanon's best trees

will be brought to you—

the pines, the firs,

and the cypress trees.

It will be used in my temple

to make beautiful the place

where I rest my feet.

₁₄The descendants of enemies

who hated and ill-treated you

will kneel at your feet.

They will say, “You are Zion,

the city of the LORD,

the holy God of Israel.”

₁₅You were hated and deserted,

rejected by everyone.

But I will make you beautiful,

a city to be proud of

for all time to come.

₁₆You will drain the wealth

of kings and foreign nations.

You will know that I,

the mighty LORD God of Israel,

have saved and rescued you.

₁₇I will bring bronze and iron

in place of wood and stone;

in place of bronze and iron,

I will bring gold and silver.

I will appoint peace and justice

as your rulers and leaders.

₁₈Violence, destruction, and ruin

will never again be heard of

within your borders.

“Victory” will be the name

you give to your walls;

“Praise” will be the name

you give to your gates.

₁₉You won't need the light

of the sun or the moon.

I, the LORD your God,

will be your eternal light

and bring you honour.

₂₀Your sun will never set

or your moon go down.

I, the LORD, will be

your everlasting light,

and your days of sorrow

will come to an end.

₂₁Your people will live right

and always own the land;

they are the trees I planted

to bring praise to me.

₂₂Even the smallest family

will be a powerful nation.

I am the LORD,

and when the time comes,

I will quickly do all this.

₁The Spirit of the LORD God

has taken control of me!

The LORD has chosen and sent me

to tell the oppressed

the good news,

to heal the brokenhearted,

and to announce freedom

for prisoners and captives.

₂This is the year

when the LORD God

will show kindness to us

and punish our enemies.

The LORD has sent me

to comfort those who mourn,

₃especially in Jerusalem.

He sent me to give them flowers

in place of their sorrow,

olive oil in place of tears,

and joyous praise

in place of broken hearts.

They will be called

“Trees of Justice”,

planted by the LORD

to honour his name.

₄Then they will rebuild cities

that have been in ruins

for many generations.

₅They will hire foreigners

to take care of their sheep

and their vineyards.

₆But they themselves will be

priests and servants

of the LORD our God.

The treasures of the nations

will belong to them,

and they will be famous.

₇They were terribly insulted

and horribly ill-treated;

now they will be greatly blessed

and joyful for ever.

₈I, the LORD, love justice!

But I hate robbery

and injustice.

My people, I solemnly promise

to reward you

with an eternal agreement.

₉Your descendants will be known

in every nation.

All who see them will realize

that they have been blessed,

by me, the LORD.

₁₀I celebrate and shout

because of my LORD God.

His saving power and justice

are the very clothes I wear.

They are more beautiful

than the jewellery worn

by a bride or a groom.

₁₁The LORD will bring about

justice and praise

in every nation on earth,

like flowers blooming

in a garden.

₁Jerusalem, I will speak up

for your good.

I will never be silent

till you are safe and secure,

sparkling like a flame.

₂Your great victory will be seen

by every nation and king;

the LORD will even give you

a new name.

₃You will be a glorious crown,

a royal headband,

for the LORD your God.

₄Your name will no longer be

“Deserted and Childless”,

but “Happily Married”.

You will please the LORD;

your country

will be his bride.

₅Your people will take the land,

just as a young man

takes a bride.

The LORD will be pleased

because of you,

just as a husband is pleased

with his bride.

₆Jerusalem, on your walls

I have stationed guards,

whose duty it is

to speak out day and night,

without resting.

They must remind the LORD

₇and not let him rest

till he makes Jerusalem strong

and famous everywhere.

₈The LORD has given his word

and made this promise:

“Never again will I give

to your enemies

the grain and grapes

for which you struggled.

₉As surely as you harvest

your grain and grapes,

you will eat your bread

with thankful hearts,

and you will drink your wine

in my temple.”

₁₀People of Jerusalem,

open your gates!

Repair the road to the city

and clear it of stones;

raise a banner to help

the nations find their way.

₁₁Here is what the LORD has said

for all the earth to hear:

“Soon I will come to save

the city of Zion,

and to reward you.

₁₂Then you will be called,

‘The LORD's Own People,

The Ones He Rescued!’

Your city will be known

as a good place to live

and a city full of people.”

Christ came as a human.

The Spirit proved

that he pleased God,

and he was seen by angels.

Christ was preached

to the nations.

People in this world

put their faith in him,

and he was taken up to glory.