Wednesday, September 24

9All the nations are gathered together, and the rulers shall be assembled from among them. Who will declare these things or tell us things from the beginning? Let them bring forth their witnesses, and be proven right; and let them speak the truth.

10'You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,' says the Lord God, 'and My Servant whom I chose, that you may know and believe, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no other God, nor shall there be after Me.

11I am God, and besides Me there is no one who saves.

12I proclaimed, and I saved. I denounced foreign gods so there were none among you. You are My witnesses, and I am a witness,' says the Lord God.

13'Even from the beginning, there is no one who can deliver out of My hands; I will work, and who will reverse it?'

14Thus says the Lord God who redeems you, the Holy One of Israel: 'For your sake I will send to Babylon and arouse all who flee, and the Chaldeans shall be bound in ships.

1But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, And no torture will ever touch them.

2In the eyes of the undiscerning they seemed to have died, And their departure was considered to be misfortune,

3And their passage from us to be their destruction; But they are at peace.

4For though in man's view they were punished, Their hope is full of immortality.

5Though chastened in a few things, Great kindness will be shown them, For God tested them and found them worthy of Himself.

6He tested them like gold in a furnace And accepted them as a whole burnt offering.

7In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, And they will run about like sparks through straw.

8They will judge nations and rule over peoples, And the Lord shall reign over them unto the ages.

9Those who trust in Him will understand truth, And the faithful shall continue with Him in love, Because grace and mercy are upon His elect.

15But the righteous live forever, And their reward is with the Lord; And their care is by the Most High.

16Therefore they shall receive a kingly dwelling of dignity And a crown of beauty from the hand of the Lord, Because He will shelter them with His right hand And protect them with His arm.

17He will take His zeal as His full armor And will turn His creation into weapons against His enemies.

18He will wear righteousness as a breastplate And put on impartial judgment as a helmet.

19He will take holiness as an unconquerable shield

20And sharpen His relentless wrath for a sword; And creation will fight with Him against the senseless.

21Well-aimed flashes of lightning will strike And leap to their object as from a well-drawn bow of clouds;

22And hailstones full of anger will be hurled As from an engine of war. The water of the sea will be vexed with them, And the rivers will wash over them severely.

23A powerful wind will oppose them, And like a storm it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste all the earth, And wrongdoing will overturn the thrones of rulers.

1Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; Learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.

2Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, And take pride in yourself over a multitude of nations.

3For power was given to you from the Lord, And your lordship from the Most High, Who will make a careful search of your works And examine closely your plans.

2For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.

3Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

4'And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

6'Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

8'Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.

9But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

10'And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

11'Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.

12For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.'

2Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

3For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

4But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

5For each one shall bear his own load.

6Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

8For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

29For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

33Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'

37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

3And the devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.'

4But Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' '

5Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6And the devil said to Him, 'All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

7Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.'

8And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.' '

9Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.

10For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,'

11and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'

12And Jesus answered and said to him, 'It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' '

13Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

14Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

15And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

12But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.

13But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

14Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;

15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.

17And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.

18But not a hair of your head shall be lost.

19By your patience possess your souls.