A Prayer for Help

64 Oh, that You would [a]rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your (A)presence—
As fire burns brushwood,
As fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
When (B)You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence.
For since the beginning of the world
(C)Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
(D)In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all (E)our righteousnesses are like [b]filthy rags;
We all (F)fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have [c]consumed us because of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our (G)potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Do not be furious, O Lord,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 tear open
  2. Isaiah 64:6 Lit. a filthy garment
  3. Isaiah 64:7 Lit. caused us to melt

64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(A) and come down,(B)
    that the mountains(C) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(D) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(E) before you!
For when you did awesome(F) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(G) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(H)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(I)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(J)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(K)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(L)
    and all our righteous(M) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(N)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(O)
No one(P) calls on your name(Q)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(R) your face from us
    and have given us over(S) to[b] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(T)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(U)
    we are all the work of your hand.(V)
Do not be angry(W) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(X) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(Y)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  2. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. (A)Set to [a]“The Lilies.” A [b]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

80 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
(B)You who lead Joseph (C)like a flock;
You who dwell between the cherubim, (D)shine forth!
Before (E)Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
Stir up Your strength,
And come and save us!

(F)Restore us, O God;
(G)Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

O Lord God of hosts,
(H)How long will You be angry
Against the prayer of Your people?
(I)You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And given them tears to drink in great measure.
You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 Heb. Shoshannim
  2. Psalm 80:1 Heb. Eduth

Psalm 80[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.(A)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(B)
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(C)
Awaken(D) your might;
    come and save us.(E)

Restore(F) us,(G) O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(H)

How long,(I) Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder(J)
    against the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;(K)
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(L)
You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.(M)

Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
  2. Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention

17 (A)Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
18 Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

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17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man(A) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive(B) us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

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(A)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Gifts at Corinth

(B)I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him (C)in all [a]utterance and all knowledge, even as (D)the testimony of Christ was confirmed [b]in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly (E)waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (F)who will also confirm you to the end, (G)that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (H)God is faithful, by whom you were called into (I)the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 1:5 speech
  2. 1 Corinthians 1:6 Or among

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(A)

Thanksgiving

I always thank my God for you(B) because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched(C) in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge(D) God thus confirming our testimony(E) about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift(F) as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.(G) He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless(H) on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.(I) God is faithful,(J) who has called you(K) into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(L)

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The Coming of the Son of Man(A)

24 (B)“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be (C)shaken. 26 (D)Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His [a]elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree(E)

28 (F)“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that [b]it is near—at the doors! 30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but (G)My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour(H)

32 “But of that day and hour (I)no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the (J)Father. 33 (K)Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 (L)It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave (M)authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 (N)Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:27 chosen ones
  2. Mark 13:29 Or He

24 “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[a](A)

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds(B) with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.(C)

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[b] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation(D) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(E) 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(F)

The Day and Hour Unknown

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.(G) 33 Be on guard! Be alert[c]!(H) You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants(I) in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
  2. Mark 13:29 Or he
  3. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray