The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday September 15, 2022 (NIV)

Isaiah 19-21

A Prophecy Against Egypt

19 A prophecy(A) against Egypt:(B)

See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud(C)
and is coming to Egypt.
The idols of Egypt tremble before him,
and the hearts of the Egyptians melt(D) with fear.

“I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian—
brother will fight against brother,(E)
neighbor against neighbor,
city against city,
kingdom against kingdom.(F)
The Egyptians will lose heart,(G)
and I will bring their plans(H) to nothing;(I)
they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
the mediums and the spiritists.(J)
I will hand the Egyptians over
to the power of a cruel master,
and a fierce king(K) will rule over them,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The waters of the river will dry up,(L)
and the riverbed will be parched and dry.(M)
The canals will stink;(N)
the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up.(O)
The reeds(P) and rushes will wither,(Q)
also the plants(R) along the Nile,
at the mouth of the river.
Every sown field(S) along the Nile
will become parched, will blow away and be no more.(T)
The fishermen(U) will groan and lament,
all who cast hooks(V) into the Nile;
those who throw nets on the water
will pine away.
Those who work with combed flax(W) will despair,
the weavers of fine linen(X) will lose hope.
10 The workers in cloth will be dejected,
and all the wage earners will be sick at heart.

11 The officials of Zoan(Y) are nothing but fools;
the wise counselors(Z) of Pharaoh give senseless advice.(AA)
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am one of the wise men,(AB)
a disciple of the ancient kings”?

12 Where are your wise men(AC) now?
Let them show you and make known
what the Lord Almighty
has planned(AD) against Egypt.
13 The officials of Zoan(AE) have become fools,
the leaders of Memphis(AF) are deceived;
the cornerstones(AG) of her peoples
have led Egypt astray.
14 The Lord has poured into them
a spirit of dizziness;(AH)
they make Egypt stagger in all that she does,
as a drunkard staggers(AI) around in his vomit.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do—
head or tail, palm branch or reed.(AJ)

16 In that day(AK) the Egyptians will become weaklings.(AL) They will shudder with fear(AM) at the uplifted hand(AN) that the Lord Almighty raises against them. 17 And the land of Judah will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified,(AO) because of what the Lord Almighty is planning(AP) against them.

18 In that day(AQ) five cities(AR) in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance(AS) to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.[a](AT)

19 In that day(AU) there will be an altar(AV) to the Lord in the heart of Egypt,(AW) and a monument(AX) to the Lord at its border. 20 It will be a sign and witness(AY) to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior(AZ) and defender, and he will rescue(BA) them. 21 So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge(BB) the Lord. They will worship(BC) with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.(BD) 22 The Lord will strike(BE) Egypt with a plague;(BF) he will strike them and heal them. They will turn(BG) to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal(BH) them.

23 In that day(BI) there will be a highway(BJ) from Egypt to Assyria.(BK) The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship(BL) together. 24 In that day(BM) Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria,(BN) a blessing[b](BO) on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will bless(BP) them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people,(BQ) Assyria my handiwork,(BR) and Israel my inheritance.(BS)

A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush

20 In the year that the supreme commander,(BT) sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod(BU) and attacked and captured it— at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz.(BV) He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth(BW) from your body and the sandals(BX) from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped(BY) and barefoot.(BZ)

Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant(CA) Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years,(CB) as a sign(CC) and portent(CD) against Egypt(CE) and Cush,[c](CF) so the king(CG) of Assyria will lead away stripped(CH) and barefoot the Egyptian captives(CI) and Cushite(CJ) exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared(CK)—to Egypt’s shame.(CL) Those who trusted(CM) in Cush(CN) and boasted in Egypt(CO) will be dismayed and put to shame.(CP) In that day(CQ) the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened(CR) to those we relied on,(CS) those we fled to for help(CT) and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?(CU)’”

A Prophecy Against Babylon

21 A prophecy(CV) against the Desert(CW) by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds(CX) sweeping through the southland,(CY)
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.

A dire(CZ) vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays,(DA) the looter takes loot.
Elam,(DB) attack! Media,(DC) lay siege!
I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused.

At this my body is racked with pain,(DD)
pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor;(DE)
I am staggered by what I hear,
I am bewildered(DF) by what I see.
My heart(DG) falters,
fear makes me tremble;(DH)
the twilight I longed for
has become a horror(DI) to me.

They set the tables,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!(DJ)
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!(DK)

This is what the Lord says to me:

“Go, post a lookout(DL)
and have him report what he sees.
When he sees chariots(DM)
with teams of horses,
riders on donkeys
or riders on camels,(DN)
let him be alert,
fully alert.”

And the lookout[d](DO) shouted,

“Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower;
every night I stay at my post.
Look, here comes a man in a chariot(DP)
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon(DQ) has fallen,(DR) has fallen!
All the images of its gods(DS)
lie shattered(DT) on the ground!’”

10 My people who are crushed on the threshing floor,(DU)
I tell you what I have heard
from the Lord Almighty,
from the God of Israel.

A Prophecy Against Edom

11 A prophecy against Dumah[e]:(DV)

Someone calls to me from Seir,(DW)
“Watchman, what is left of the night?
Watchman, what is left of the night?”
12 The watchman replies,
“Morning is coming, but also the night.
If you would ask, then ask;
and come back yet again.”

A Prophecy Against Arabia

13 A prophecy(DX) against Arabia:(DY)

You caravans of Dedanites,(DZ)
who camp in the thickets of Arabia,
14 bring water for the thirsty;
you who live in Tema,(EA)
bring food for the fugitives.
15 They flee(EB) from the sword,(EC)
from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow
and from the heat of battle.

16 This is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a servant bound by contract(ED) would count it, all the splendor(EE) of Kedar(EF) will come to an end. 17 The survivors of the archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.(EG)” The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken.(EH)

Footnotes:

  1. Isaiah 19:18 Some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Symmachus and Vulgate; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text City of Destruction
  2. Isaiah 19:24 Or Assyria, whose names will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or Assyria, who will be seen by others as blessed
  3. Isaiah 20:3 That is, the upper Nile region; also in verse 5
  4. Isaiah 21:8 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac; Masoretic Text A lion
  5. Isaiah 21:11 Dumah, a wordplay on Edom, means silence or stillness.

Cross references:

  1. Isaiah 19:1 : Isa 13:1
  2. Isaiah 19:1 : S Ex 12:12; Isa 20:3; S Jer 44:3; Joel 3:19
  3. Isaiah 19:1 : S Dt 10:14; S 2Sa 22:10; S Rev 1:7
  4. Isaiah 19:1 : S Jos 2:11
  5. Isaiah 19:2 : S Jdg 7:22; S 12:4; Mt 10:21, 36
  6. Isaiah 19:2 : S 2Ch 15:6; 20:23; Mt 24:7; Mk 13:8; Lk 21:10
  7. Isaiah 19:3 : Ps 18:45
  8. Isaiah 19:3 : ver 11; S Job 5:12
  9. Isaiah 19:3 : 1Ch 10:13
  10. Isaiah 19:3 : S Lev 19:31; Isa 47:13; Da 2:2, 10; 3:8; 5:7
  11. Isaiah 19:4 : Isa 20:4; Jer 46:26; Eze 29:19; 32:11
  12. Isaiah 19:5 : Isa 44:27; 50:2; Jer 50:38; 51:36
  13. Isaiah 19:5 : S 2Sa 14:14
  14. Isaiah 19:6 : Ex 7:18
  15. Isaiah 19:6 : Isa 37:25; Eze 30:12
  16. Isaiah 19:6 : S Ge 41:2; S Job 8:11
  17. Isaiah 19:6 : Isa 15:6
  18. Isaiah 19:7 : Nu 11:5
  19. Isaiah 19:7 : Dt 29:23; Isa 23:3
  20. Isaiah 19:7 : Zec 10:11
  21. Isaiah 19:8 : Nu 11:5; Eze 47:10
  22. Isaiah 19:8 : Am 4:2; Hab 1:15
  23. Isaiah 19:9 : S Jos 2:6
  24. Isaiah 19:9 : Pr 7:16; Eze 16:10; 27:7
  25. Isaiah 19:11 : S Nu 13:22
  26. Isaiah 19:11 : S Ge 41:37
  27. Isaiah 19:11 : S ver 3
  28. Isaiah 19:11 : S 1Ki 4:30; Ac 7:22
  29. Isaiah 19:12 : 1Co 1:20
  30. Isaiah 19:12 : S Isa 14:24; Ro 9:17
  31. Isaiah 19:13 : S Nu 13:22
  32. Isaiah 19:13 : Jer 2:16; 44:1; 46:14, 19; Eze 30:13, 16; Hos 9:6
  33. Isaiah 19:13 : S Ps 118:22
  34. Isaiah 19:14 : S Pr 12:8; Mt 17:17
  35. Isaiah 19:14 : S Ps 107:27
  36. Isaiah 19:15 : S Isa 9:14
  37. Isaiah 19:16 : Isa 2:17; 11:10
  38. Isaiah 19:16 : Jer 50:37; 51:30; Na 3:13
  39. Isaiah 19:16 : S Dt 2:25; Heb 10:31
  40. Isaiah 19:16 : S Isa 11:15
  41. Isaiah 19:17 : S Ge 35:5
  42. Isaiah 19:17 : S Isa 14:24
  43. Isaiah 19:18 : S Isa 10:20
  44. Isaiah 19:18 : Jer 44:1
  45. Isaiah 19:18 : Ps 22:27; S 63:11; Isa 48:1; Jer 4:2; Zep 3:9
  46. Isaiah 19:18 : Isa 17:1; 24:12; 32:19; fn Jer 43:13
  47. Isaiah 19:19 : S Isa 10:20
  48. Isaiah 19:19 : S Jos 22:10
  49. Isaiah 19:19 : S Ps 68:31
  50. Isaiah 19:19 : S Ge 28:18
  51. Isaiah 19:20 : S Ge 21:30
  52. Isaiah 19:20 : S Dt 28:29; S Jdg 2:18; S Isa 25:9
  53. Isaiah 19:20 : Isa 49:24-26
  54. Isaiah 19:21 : S Isa 11:9; S 43:10
  55. Isaiah 19:21 : ver 19; S Ge 27:29; S Ps 86:9; Isa 56:7; 60:7; Mal 1:11
  56. Isaiah 19:21 : S Nu 30:2; S Dt 23:21
  57. Isaiah 19:22 : Ex 12:23; Heb 12:11
  58. Isaiah 19:22 : Ex 11:10
  59. Isaiah 19:22 : Isa 45:14; Eze 33:11; Hos 6:1; 10:12; 12:6; 14:1; Joel 2:13
  60. Isaiah 19:22 : S Dt 32:39
  61. Isaiah 19:23 : S ver 16, 24; Isa 20:6
  62. Isaiah 19:23 : S Isa 11:16
  63. Isaiah 19:23 : Mic 7:12
  64. Isaiah 19:23 : S Ge 27:29; Isa 2:3; 27:13; 66:23
  65. Isaiah 19:24 : S ver 23
  66. Isaiah 19:24 : S Isa 11:11
  67. Isaiah 19:24 : S Ge 12:2
  68. Isaiah 19:25 : S Ge 12:3; Eph 2:11-14
  69. Isaiah 19:25 : Ps 87:4; S 100:3
  70. Isaiah 19:25 : Isa 29:23; 43:7; 45:11; 60:21; 64:8; Eph 2:10
  71. Isaiah 19:25 : S Ex 34:9; Jer 30:22; Hos 2:23
  72. Isaiah 20:1 : 2Ki 18:17
  73. Isaiah 20:1 : S Jos 11:22; S 13:3
  74. Isaiah 20:2 : S Isa 13:1
  75. Isaiah 20:2 : 2Ki 1:8; S Isa 3:24; Zec 13:4; Mt 3:4
  76. Isaiah 20:2 : Eze 24:17, 23
  77. Isaiah 20:2 : S 1Sa 19:24
  78. Isaiah 20:2 : Eze 4:1-12; Mic 1:8
  79. Isaiah 20:3 : Isa 22:20; 41:8-9; 42:1; 43:10; 49:3, 5-7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11; Jer 7:25; Hag 2:23; Zec 4:14
  80. Isaiah 20:3 : S Isa 16:14
  81. Isaiah 20:3 : S Ex 3:12; S Isa 8:18; 37:30; 38:7; Ac 21:11
  82. Isaiah 20:3 : S Dt 28:46
  83. Isaiah 20:3 : S Isa 19:1
  84. Isaiah 20:3 : ver 5; S Ge 10:6; Isa 37:9; 43:3
  85. Isaiah 20:4 : S Isa 19:4
  86. Isaiah 20:4 : S Job 12:17
  87. Isaiah 20:4 : Jer 46:19; Na 3:10
  88. Isaiah 20:4 : Isa 18:1; Zep 2:12
  89. Isaiah 20:4 : S Isa 3:24
  90. Isaiah 20:4 : Isa 47:3; Jer 13:22, 26; Na 3:5
  91. Isaiah 20:5 : S Isa 8:12
  92. Isaiah 20:5 : S ver 3
  93. Isaiah 20:5 : S 2Ki 18:21; S Isa 30:5
  94. Isaiah 20:5 : Eze 29:16
  95. Isaiah 20:6 : Isa 2:11; S 19:23
  96. Isaiah 20:6 : S 2Ki 18:21
  97. Isaiah 20:6 : Jer 46:25
  98. Isaiah 20:6 : S Isa 10:3
  99. Isaiah 20:6 : Jer 30:15-17; 31:2; Mt 23:33; 1Th 5:3; Heb 2:3
  100. Isaiah 21:1 : S Isa 13:1
  101. Isaiah 21:1 : Isa 13:21; Jer 50:12; 51:43
  102. Isaiah 21:1 : S Job 1:19
  103. Isaiah 21:1 : Da 11:40; Zec 9:14
  104. Isaiah 21:2 : Ps 60:3
  105. Isaiah 21:2 : Isa 24:16; 33:1
  106. Isaiah 21:2 : S Ge 10:22; Isa 22:6
  107. Isaiah 21:2 : S Isa 13:3; Jer 25:25; 51:28
  108. Isaiah 21:3 : S Job 14:22
  109. Isaiah 21:3 : S Ge 3:16; Ps 48:6; Isa 26:17; 37:3; Jer 30:6; 48:41; 49:22; Jn 16:21
  110. Isaiah 21:3 : Da 7:28; 8:27; 10:16
  111. Isaiah 21:4 : Isa 7:4; 35:4
  112. Isaiah 21:4 : S Isa 13:8; Da 5:9
  113. Isaiah 21:4 : S Ps 55:5
  114. Isaiah 21:5 : Isa 5:12; 22:2, 13; 23:7; 24:8; 32:13; Jer 25:16, 27; 51:39, 57; Da 5:2
  115. Isaiah 21:5 : 2Sa 1:21; 1Ki 10:16-17; Jer 46:3; 51:11
  116. Isaiah 21:6 : S 2Ki 9:17
  117. Isaiah 21:7 : ver 9
  118. Isaiah 21:7 : S Jdg 6:5
  119. Isaiah 21:8 : Mic 7:7; Hab 2:1
  120. Isaiah 21:9 : ver 7
  121. Isaiah 21:9 : S Isa 13:1; 47:1, 5; S Rev 14:8
  122. Isaiah 21:9 : Isa 47:11; Jer 51:8; Da 5:30
  123. Isaiah 21:9 : S Lev 26:30; Isa 46:1; Jer 50:2; 51:44
  124. Isaiah 21:9 : S Isa 2:18
  125. Isaiah 21:10 : Isa 27:12; 28:27, 28; 41:15; Jer 51:33; Mic 4:13; Hab 3:12; Mt 3:12
  126. Isaiah 21:11 : S Ge 25:14; S Isa 34:11
  127. Isaiah 21:11 : Ge 32:3
  128. Isaiah 21:13 : Isa 13:1
  129. Isaiah 21:13 : S 2Ch 9:14
  130. Isaiah 21:13 : S Ge 10:7; S 25:3
  131. Isaiah 21:14 : S Ge 25:15
  132. Isaiah 21:15 : S Isa 13:14
  133. Isaiah 21:15 : Isa 31:8
  134. Isaiah 21:16 : S Lev 25:50
  135. Isaiah 21:16 : S Isa 17:3
  136. Isaiah 21:16 : S Ge 25:13
  137. Isaiah 21:17 : S Dt 4:27; S Isa 10:19
  138. Isaiah 21:17 : S Isa 1:20; 16:14
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Galatians 2:1-16

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,(A) this time with Barnabas.(B) I took Titus(C) along also. I went in response to a revelation(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race(F) in vain. Yet not even Titus,(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.(H) This matter arose because some false believers(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on(J) the freedom(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel(L) might be preserved for you.

As for those who were held in high esteem(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(N)—they added nothing to my message.(O) On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a](Q) just as Peter(R) had been to the circumcised.[b] For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle(T) to the Gentiles. James,(U) Cephas[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,(W) gave me and Barnabas(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,(Z) and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor,(AA) the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul Opposes Cephas

11 When Cephas(AB) came to Antioch,(AC) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James,(AD) he used to eat with the Gentiles.(AE) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.(AF) 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas(AG) was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,(AH) I said to Cephas(AI) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.(AJ) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?(AK)

15 “We who are Jews by birth(AL) and not sinful Gentiles(AM) 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,(AN) but by faith in Jesus Christ.(AO) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.(AP)

Footnotes:

  1. Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
  2. Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
  3. Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14
  4. Galatians 2:16 Or but through the faithfulness of … justified on the basis of the faithfulness of
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Psalm 59

Psalm 59[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
Deliver me from evildoers(D)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)

See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(F) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong,(G) yet they are ready to attack me.(H)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(I)
You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(J)
rouse yourself(K) to punish all the nations;(L)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c](M)

They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(N)
and prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their mouths(O)
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(P)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(Q)
But you laugh at them, Lord;(R)
you scoff at all those nations.(S)

You are my strength,(T) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(U)
10 my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[d](V)
or my people will forget.(W)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(X)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(Y)
for the words of their lips,(Z)
let them be caught in their pride.(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AC)

14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AD)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AE) of your strength,(AF)
in the morning(AG) I will sing of your love;(AH)
for you are my fortress,(AI)
my refuge in times of trouble.(AJ)

17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(AK)

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  2. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  4. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
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Proverbs 23:13-14

Saying 13

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod
and save them from death.(A)

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 23:14 : S Pr 13:24; S 19:18
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