Isaiah 1 11 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, heavens, and listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.” 4 Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken Yahweh. They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They are estranged and backward. 5 Why should you be beaten more, that you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil. 7 Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a besieged city. 9 Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear Yahweh’s word, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says Yahweh. “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats. 12 When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? 13 Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can’t stand evil assemblies. 14 My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. 17 Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.” 18 “Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.” 21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice. Righteousness lodged in her, but now there are murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. 23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards. They don’t defend the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come to them. 24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says: “Ah, I will get relief from my adversaries, and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin. 26 I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness, a faithful town.’ 27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness. 28 But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed. 29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. 30 For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water. 31 The strong will be like tinder, and his work like a spark. They will both burn together, and no one will quench them.”

Proverbs 18:1-12 181 A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment. 2 A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion. 3 When wickedness comes, contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace. 4 The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters. The fountain of wisdom is like a flowing brook. 5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice. 6 A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul. 8 The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. 9 One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction. 10 Yahweh’s name is a strong tower: the righteous run to him, and are safe. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. 12 Before destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility.

Luke 21:1-7 211 He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, 4 for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.” 5 As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said, 6 “As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down.” 7 They asked him, “Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?”

Hebrews 1:1-9 11 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. 3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?” 6 When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.