Psalm 107:10-22

New International Version

¹⁰Some sat in darkness,^(A) in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering^(B) in iron chains,^(C)
¹¹because they rebelled^(D) against God’s commands
    and despised^(E) the plans^(F) of the Most High.
¹²So he subjected them to bitter labor;
    they stumbled, and there was no one to help.^(G)
¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them^(H) from their distress.
¹⁴He brought them out of darkness,^(I) the utter darkness,^(J)
    and broke away their chains.^(K)
¹⁵Let them give thanks^(L) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(M)
    and his wonderful deeds^(N) for mankind,
¹⁶for he breaks down gates of bronze
    and cuts through bars of iron.

¹⁷Some became fools^(O) through their rebellious ways^(P)
    and suffered affliction^(Q) because of their iniquities.
¹⁸They loathed all food^(R)
    and drew near the gates of death.^(S)
¹⁹Then they cried^(T) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them^(U) from their distress.
²⁰He sent out his word^(V) and healed them;^(W)
    he rescued^(X) them from the grave.^(Y)
²¹Let them give thanks^(Z) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(AA)
    and his wonderful deeds^(AB) for mankind.
²²Let them sacrifice thank offerings^(AC)
    and tell of his works^(AD) with songs of joy.^(AE)

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Proverbs 25:16-17

New International Version

¹⁶If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.^(A)
¹⁷Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

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2 Corinthians 8

New International Version

The Collection for the Lord’s People

8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian^(A) churches. ²In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.^(B) ³For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,^(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing^(D) in this service^(E) to the Lord’s people.^(F) ⁵And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶So we urged^(G) Titus,^(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(I) this act of grace on your part. ⁷But since you excel in everything^(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(K) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸I am not commanding you,^(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹For you know the grace^(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(P)

¹⁰And here is my judgment^(Q) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^(R) ¹¹Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹²For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,^(T) not according to what one does not have.

¹³Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,^(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”^[b]^(V)

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶Thanks be to God,^(W) who put into the heart^(X) of Titus^(Y) the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.^(Z) ¹⁸And we are sending along with him the brother^(AA) who is praised by all the churches^(AB) for his service to the gospel.^(AC) ¹⁹What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us^(AD) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.^(AE) ²⁰We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(AF)

²²In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. ²³As for Titus,^(AG) he is my partner^(AH) and co-worker^(AI) among you; as for our brothers,^(AJ) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. ²⁴Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,^(AK) so that the churches can see it.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 8:7 Some manuscripts and in your love for us
2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18

Isaiah 23-24

New International Version

A Prophecy Against Tyre

23 A prophecy against Tyre:^(A)

Wail,^(B) you ships^(C) of Tarshish!^(D)
    For Tyre is destroyed^(E)
    and left without house or harbor.
From the land of Cyprus
    word has come to them.

²Be silent,^(F) you people of the island
    and you merchants^(G) of Sidon,^(H)
    whom the seafarers have enriched.
³On the great waters
    came the grain of the Shihor;^(I)
the harvest of the Nile^[a]^(J) was the revenue of Tyre,^(K)
    and she became the marketplace of the nations.

⁴Be ashamed, Sidon,^(L) and you fortress of the sea,
    for the sea has spoken:
“I have neither been in labor nor given birth;^(M)
    I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.”
⁵When word comes to Egypt,
    they will be in anguish^(N) at the report from Tyre.^(O)

⁶Cross over to Tarshish;^(P)
    wail, you people of the island.
⁷Is this your city of revelry,^(Q)
    the old, old city,
whose feet have taken her
    to settle in far-off lands?
⁸Who planned this against Tyre,
    the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants^(R) are princes,
    whose traders^(S) are renowned in the earth?
⁹The Lord Almighty planned^(T) it,
    to bring down^(U) her pride in all her splendor
    and to humble^(V) all who are renowned^(W) on the earth.

¹⁰Till^[b] your land as they do along the Nile,
    Daughter Tarshish,
    for you no longer have a harbor.
¹¹The Lord has stretched out his hand^(X) over the sea
    and made its kingdoms tremble.^(Y)
He has given an order concerning Phoenicia
    that her fortresses be destroyed.^(Z)
¹²He said, “No more of your reveling,^(AA)
    Virgin Daughter^(AB) Sidon, now crushed!

“Up, cross over to Cyprus;^(AC)
    even there you will find no rest.”
¹³Look at the land of the Babylonians,^[c]^(AD)
    this people that is now of no account!
The Assyrians^(AE) have made it
    a place for desert creatures;^(AF)
they raised up their siege towers,^(AG)
    they stripped its fortresses bare
    and turned it into a ruin.^(AH)

¹⁴Wail, you ships^(AI) of Tarshish;^(AJ)
your fortress is destroyed!^(AK)

¹⁵At that time Tyre^(AL) will be forgotten for seventy years,^(AM) the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute:

¹⁶“Take up a harp, walk through the city,
you forgotten prostitute;^(AN)
play the harp well, sing many a song,
so that you will be remembered.”

¹⁷At the end of seventy years,^(AO) the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution^(AP) and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.^(AQ) ¹⁸Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord;^(AR) they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord,^(AS) for abundant food and fine clothes.^(AT)

The Lord’s Devastation of the Earth

24 See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth^(AU)
    and devastate^(AV) it;
he will ruin its face
    and scatter^(AW) its inhabitants—
²it will be the same
    for priest as for people,^(AX)
    for the master as for his servant,
    for the mistress as for her servant,
    for seller as for buyer,^(AY)
    for borrower as for lender,
    for debtor as for creditor.^(AZ)
³The earth will be completely laid waste^(BA)
    and totally plundered.^(BB)
The Lord has spoken^(BC) this word.

⁴The earth dries up^(BD) and withers,^(BE)
    the world languishes and withers,
    the heavens^(BF) languish with the earth.^(BG)
⁵The earth is defiled^(BH) by its people;
    they have disobeyed^(BI) the laws,
violated the statutes
    and broken the everlasting covenant.^(BJ)
⁶Therefore a curse^(BK) consumes the earth;
    its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,^(BL)
    and very few are left.
⁷The new wine dries up^(BM) and the vine withers;^(BN)
    all the merrymakers groan.^(BO)
⁸The joyful timbrels^(BP) are stilled,
    the noise^(BQ) of the revelers^(BR) has stopped,
    the joyful harp^(BS) is silent.^(BT)
⁹No longer do they drink wine^(BU) with a song;
    the beer is bitter^(BV) to its drinkers.
¹⁰The ruined city^(BW) lies desolate;^(BX)
    the entrance to every house is barred.
¹¹In the streets they cry out^(BY) for wine;^(BZ)
    all joy turns to gloom,^(CA)
    all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
¹²The city is left in ruins,^(CB)
    its gate^(CC) is battered to pieces.
¹³So will it be on the earth
    and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,^(CD)
    or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.^(CE)

¹⁴They raise their voices, they shout for joy;^(CF)
    from the west^(CG) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
¹⁵Therefore in the east^(CH) give glory^(CI) to the Lord;
    exalt^(CJ) the name^(CK) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands^(CL) of the sea.
¹⁶From the ends of the earth^(CM) we hear singing:^(CN)
    “Glory^(CO) to the Righteous One.”^(CP)

But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!^(CQ)
    Woe^(CR) to me!
The treacherous^(CS) betray!
    With treachery the treacherous betray!^(CT)”
¹⁷Terror^(CU) and pit and snare^(CV) await you,
    people of the earth.^(CW)
¹⁸Whoever flees^(CX) at the sound of terror
    will fall into a pit;^(CY)
whoever climbs out of the pit
    will be caught in a snare.^(CZ)

The floodgates of the heavens^(DA) are opened,
    the foundations of the earth shake.^(DB)
¹⁹The earth is broken up,^(DC)
    the earth is split asunder,^(DD)
    the earth is violently shaken.
²⁰The earth reels like a drunkard,^(DE)
    it sways like a hut^(DF) in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion^(DG)
    that it falls^(DH)—never to rise again.^(DI)

²¹In that day^(DJ) the Lord will punish^(DK)
    the powers^(DL) in the heavens above
    and the kings^(DM) on the earth below.
²²They will be herded together
    like prisoners^(DN) bound in a dungeon;^(DO)
they will be shut up in prison
    and be punished^[d] after many days.^(DP)
²³The moon will be dismayed,
    the sun^(DQ) ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign^(DR)
    on Mount Zion^(DS) and in Jerusalem,
    and before its elders—with great glory.^(DT)

Footnotes

Isaiah 23:3 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls Sidon, / who cross over the sea; / your envoys ³are on the great waters. / The grain of the Shihor, / the harvest of the Nile,
Isaiah 23:10 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text Go through
Isaiah 23:13 Or Chaldeans
Isaiah 24:22 Or released