Old/New Testament
30 Eternal One: Oh, it will be so bad for you, My rebellious children,
who enact a plan but not as I would have you do,
Who form an alliance contrary to My Spirit,
compounding sin, one bad choice after another.
2 You look to Egypt for security and help without consulting Me.
You seem to think that Pharaoh is the answer,
That Egypt will protect you from harm.
3 But because you cling to the earthly power of great nations,
you will be disappointed and ashamed
In the very thing you grasped—Pharaoh and Egypt.
4 For even though Egypt’s princes and ambassadors are in the delta region,
in Zoan and Hanes,
5 They will be no help to you, no security or revenue for you.
You’ll be embarrassed that you ever thought they would be
And you will be shamed and disgraced for associating with them.
6 A message about the beasts of the Negev:
Nevertheless, the Judeans go down to Egypt,
Crossing through a land of trouble and anguish,
tracked by lionesses and lions, in danger of vipers and poisonous snakes,
All their precious valuables packed on the backs of donkeys and camels.
They look to a people who can offer them nothing.
7 Eternal One: Egypt’s help is no help at all.
Therefore I call Egypt “Rahab”—a storm that just sits there.
8 So, go on—write all this down on a tablet in their presence;
inscribe it on a scroll as a permanent record
So people will know about it forever.
9 After all, these people are rebellious and distrustful.
They won’t accept, don’t even pay attention
To what the Eternal has tried to tell them.
10 They say to those gifted with discernment and insight:
“Stop with your visions. We’ve had enough of them.”
They say to the prophets, “Tell us only what we’d like to hear;
save your truth-telling pessimism for someone else.
We want to hear flattery.
11 And for goodness’ sake, stop talking about the Holy One of Israel.
Get out of the gloomy rut you are in—
Your message is a bit stale—take a different path.”
12 But the Holy One of Israel says,
Eternal One: Because you refused to accept this truth, My word and purpose,
and trusted instead in deceit and manipulation, you will fall.
13 Your wrongdoing, your misplaced confidence and web of lies,
will be your undoing.
Like a breach in a wall that bulges out and suddenly gives way,
your façade will come crashing down in an instant.
14 Your destruction will be as complete
as when someone savagely smashes a piece of pottery.
There won’t be even a single piece big enough
to scoop an ember from the fire or skim a sip of water from a cistern.
15 Listen! The Lord, the Eternal, the Holy One of Israel says,
Eternal One: In returning and rest, you will be saved.
In quietness and trust you will find strength.
God invites His people to lean only on Him. If they will just stop their busyness and self-reliance, God will be able to take care of them.
But you refused. 16 You couldn’t sit still;
instead, you said, “No! We will ride out of here on horseback.
Fast horses will give us an edge in battle.”
But those who pursue you will be faster still.
17 When one person threatens, a thousand will panic and flee.
When five terrorize you, all will run pell-mell,
Until you are as conspicuous as a single flag standing high on a hill.
18 Meanwhile, the Eternal One yearns to give you grace and boundless compassion;
that’s why He waits.
For the Eternal is a God of justice.
Those inclined toward Him, waiting for His help, will find happiness.
19 Oh, people of Zion, citizens of Jerusalem, you will not cry anymore. God hears the sound of your weeping, and He will answer with grace. 20 Even though the Lord has fed you the bitter food of adversity and offered you the water of oppression, your great Teacher will reveal Himself to you; your eyes will see Him. 21 Your ears will hear sweet words behind you: “Go this way. There is your path; this is how you should go” whenever you must decide whether to turn to the right or the left. 22 Then you’ll get rid of all your worthless idols clad in silver and your despicable images plated with gold. You will destroy these idols and discard them as you do filthy rags, saying, “Get out of here.”
23 And then God will see to it that your efforts are fruitful—He’ll give you rain for your seedlings, bread from the earth, grain nourishing and plentiful. On that day your livestock will graze on acre after acre of green pastures. 24 Also if the oxen and donkeys that work that ground for you are well fed with good grain that is carefully winnowed with shovel and fork, then they will be content. 25 When the day arrives and your enemies are slaughtered and the towers come tumbling down, there will be rushing brooks of clear, sweet water running down every high mountain and steep hill. 26 When the time comes and the Eternal One binds up the brokenness of His people and heals what He had bruised, then the light of the moon will shine as brightly as the midday sun, and the sun will shine seven times brighter than normal, as if one day had seven days of sunlight.
27 See now, the name of the Eternal is echoing from far away.
God is coming with a fury inescapable to set things right again.
God is coming like fire and smoke;
His lips, indignation—His tongue, consuming fire.
28 God’s breath barrels down like hurricane rain,
rising right up to the neck to rattle the nations
And to subdue all peoples as a horse handler bridles a crazy mare for slaughter.
29 In your newfound freedom, you will sing as if it’s a festival night.
With lighthearted joy, you will dance your way toward Jerusalem,
To the Eternal’s mountain, the Rock Israel can trust.
30 Then the Eternal One will make unmistakable His absolute authority
when all hear His voice, and God’s power will be obvious
For all to see—God’s anger against the nations—that consuming fire
like a cloudburst, thunderstorm, and hailstorm all at once.
31 And Assyria
will cover its ears, terrified at the sound of God’s voice
When He comes to strike them with His punishing rod.
32 And every wave of the Eternal’s attacks against Assyria
will be accompanied by a song with tambourines and harps.
In battle after battle, He lifts his arm and fights against them.
33 After all, long ago, God prepared the place of vindication,
a funeral pyre for Assyria’s king laid deep and high,
A large stack of wood just waiting for God’s breath like brimstone to ignite it.
31 O how bad it will be for you who look to the south
to Egypt for help and depend on her horses,
Who trust in its many chariots and fix your hopes on its strong drivers.
Yet you do not look to the Holy One of Israel for relief
or even bother to consult Him.
2 God is both wise and willing to wreak disaster;
He does not second guess Himself or backtrack on what He says.
God will amass all divine power against those who do evil
and against whoever aids and abets them.
3 As for Egypt, why do you rely on them?
They are great, yes,
but merely human, not God—their steeds just creatures, not spirits.
But when the Eternal reaches out and makes His power felt,
those who lent their help will stumble; those who looked for help will fall.
Together they will be routed and killed.
4 Eternal One (to Isaiah): Just as a lion or a young lion fiercely growls over his prey,
even while shepherds band together to fight him off,
A lion won’t be scared off by their shouts
or deterred by their noise and threatening gestures.
So, too, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will descend
to defend Mount Zion and its hill without fail.
In Scripture God is often described as having the strength of a lion. The power and skill of the lion are legendary. Here the picture Isaiah paints is of a hungry lion fixated on his prey, refusing to be distracted by the threats of its victim’s would-be protectors. The prophet uses this picture to inspire and encourage the faithful. Zion and the people of His holy mountain are God’s great prize; they are His possession, and He is not about to give them up. He will defend His prize and not share it with the predator-nations that surround Judah. Isaiah is clear in declaring that God will use these predators for His purposes, but He will not be frustrated by their schemes.
5 As birds hover protectively over their nests
so the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will guard Jerusalem from all harm.
Not only that, but God will protect and save it,
rescue and keep it.
6 So give up, children of Israel. Return, people of promise, to God against whom you so blatantly rebelled. 7 For in that day you’ll see the worthlessness of the idols you so wickedly made, and everyone will throw away their gods of silver and gold.
8 Eternal One: And then, the one you fear, Assyria, will fall and be defeated,
not by the sword of man but by the sword of God.
It will try to escape the edge of the blade,
but its young men will be captured and put to forced labor.
9 The very thing the Assyrians thought was permanent
will disappear into thin air, fleeing in fear;
And the discipline of their military will come to nothing.
They’ll panic and run.
This is what the Eternal, whose fire burns in Zion, whose furnace blazes in Jerusalem, has said.
4 For this reason, brothers and sisters, my joy and crown whom I dearly love, I cannot wait to see you again. Continue to stand firm in the Lord, and follow my instructions in this letter, beloved. 2 Euodia and Syntyche, I urge you to put aside your differences, agree, and work together in the Lord. 3 Yes, Syzygus, loyal friend, I enlist you to please help these women. They, along with brother Clement and many others, have worked by my side to spread the good news of the gospel. They have their names recorded in the book of life.
4 Most of all, friends, always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice! 5 Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps. The Lord is ever present with us. 6 Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. 7 And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy. 9 Keep to the script: whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me—do it—and the God of peace will walk with you.
10 I could hardly contain my joy in the Lord when I realized you have started to show your care for me once again. Since you have not had the opportunity to show how much you cared until now, I want you to know how it touched me. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances. 12 I know how to survive in tight situations, and I know how to enjoy having plenty. In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances: fed or hungry, with or without. 13 I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength. 14 Nevertheless, it was admirable of you to participate in my affliction.
True contentment is the result of a heart committed to the risen Lord. Think of all the sins, pain, and brokenness that come from coveting. Adultery, murder, stealing, and lying can all be traced directly to a prior condition when hearts and minds are frustrated and discontent.
Notice what Paul says doesn’t come naturally; it is learned. The normal, natural state of humanity is discontent and quiet desperation. It takes a powerful, spiritual presence to transform anxiety into joyous satisfaction. Ironically, it may be the shackles more than his freedom that schools Paul in the art of contentment. Despite the chains, Paul discovers this beautiful state of inner peace through the power of Jesus residing in him.
15 You remember, Philippians, at the beginning of my gospel journey after I left Macedonia, no church offered me the financial assistance I needed to do the Lord’s work, except you alone. 16 Even when I took the message to Thessalonica, you sent provisions to me. Twice even! 17 Not that I am looking for a gift—I am just looking toward your reward that comes from your gift. 18 With what Epaphroditus delivered to me from your generous pockets, I have even been blessed in excess. I am fully satisfied. I know God is pleased with your dedication and accepts this gift as a fragrant offering, a holy sacrifice, on His behalf. 19 Know this: my God will also fill every need you have according to His glorious riches in Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King. 20 So may our God and Father be glorified forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet every saint there in Jesus the Anointed One, for my brothers and sisters and I send our greetings to you. 22 All of the saints, especially those serving in Caesar’s household, also send salutations to you. 23 May you all continue the journey with your spirits strengthened by the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. [Amen.][a]
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.