AME Zion Universal Reading October 29th, 2023

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 12

1And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.2And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing.3And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."4And Abram went, as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him, and Abram was seventy five years old when he left Haran.5And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had acquired, and the souls they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan.6And Abram passed through the land, until the place of Shechem, until the plain of Moreh, and the Canaanites were then in the land.7And the Lord appeared to Abram, and He said, "To your seed I will give this land," and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.8And he moved from there to the mountain, east of Beth el, and he pitched his tent; Beth el was to the west and Ai was to the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord, and he called in the name of the Lord.9And Abram traveled, continually traveling southward.10And there was a famine in the land, and Abram descended to Egypt to sojourn there because the famine was severe in the land.11Now it came to pass when he drew near to come to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Behold now I know that you are a woman of fair appearance.12And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife,' and they will slay me and let you live.13Please say [that] you are my sister, in order that it go well with me because of you, and that my soul may live because of you."

Galatians 3:23–4:7 (NLT): God’s Children through Faith

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Chapter 4

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Second Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 12

14And it came to pass when Abram came to Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very pretty.15And Pharaoh's princes saw her, and they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to the house of Pharaoh.16And he benefited Abram for her sake, and he had flocks and cattle and he donkeys and men servants and maid servants, and she donkeys and camels.17And the Lord plagued Pharaoh [with] great plagues as well as his household, on account of Sarai, Abram's wife.18And Pharaoh summoned Abram, and he said, "What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?19Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to myself for a wife? And now, here is your wife; take [her] and go."20And Pharaoh commanded men on his behalf, and they escorted him and his wife and all that was his.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 13

1And Abram came up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was his, and Lot with him, to the south.2And Abram was very heavy with cattle, with silver, and with gold.3And he went on his journeys, from the south and until Beth el, until the place where his tent had been previously, between Beth el and between Ai.4To the place of the altar that he had made at first, and Abram called there in the name of the Lord.

Monday

Genesis 12:1–9 (NLT): The Call of Abram

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. 9 Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 13

5And also Lot, who went with Abram, had flocks and cattle and tents.6And the land did not bear them to dwell together, for their possessions were many, and they could not dwell together.7And there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and between the herdsmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanites and the Perizzites were then dwelling in the land.8And Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no quarrel between me and between you and between my herdsmen and between your herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.9Is not all the land before you? Please part from me; if [you go] left, I will go right, and if [you go] right, I will go left."10And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.11And Lot chose for himself the entire plain of the Jordan, and Lot traveled from the east, and they parted from one another.12Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and he pitched his tents until Sodom.13And the people of Sodom were very evil and sinful against the Lord.14And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Please raise your eyes and see, from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward.15For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity.16And I will make your seed like the dust of the earth, so that if a man will be able to count the dust of the earth, so will your seed be counted.17Rise, walk in the land, to its length and to its breadth, for I will give it to you."18And Abram pitched his tents, and he came, and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Tuesday

1 Peter 1:1–12 (NLT): Greetings from Peter

This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

May God give you more and more grace and peace.

The Hope of Eternal Life

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 14

1Now it came to pass in the days of Amraphel the king of Shinar, Arioch the king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and Tidal the king of Goyim.2That they waged war with Bera the king of Sodom and with Birsha the king of Gomorrah, Shineab the king of Admah, and Shemeber the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.3All these joined in the valley of Siddim, which is the Dead Sea.4For twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and for thirteen years they rebelled.5And in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim.6And the Horites in their mountain Seir, until the plain of Paran, which is alongside the desert.7And they returned and came to Ein Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and they smote the entire field of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.8And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar, came forth, and they engaged them in battle in the valley of Siddim.9With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam and Tidal the king of Goyim and Amraphel the king of Shinar and Arioch the king of Ellasar, four kings against the five.10Now the valley of Siddim was [composed of] many clay pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and they fell there, and the survivors fled to a mountain.11And they took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they departed.12And they took Lot and his possessions, the son of Abram's brother, and they departed, and he was living in Sodom.13And the fugitive came and he told Abram the Hebrew, and he was living in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner, who were Abram's confederates.14And Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, and he armed his trained men, those born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and he pursued [them] until Dan.15And he divided himself against them at night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them until Hobah, which is to the left of Damascus.16And he restored all the possessions, and also Lot his brother and his possessions he restored, and also the women and the people.17And the king of Sodom came out toward him, after his return from smiting Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, to the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king.18And Malchizedek the king of Salem brought out bread and wine, and he was a priest to the Most High God.19And he blessed him, and he said, "Blessed be Abram to the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth.20And blessed be the Most High God, Who has delivered your adversaries into your hand," and he gave him a tithe from all.

Wednesday

James 2:1–7 (NLT): A Warning against Prejudice

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 14

21And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the souls, and the possessions take for yourself."22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Who possesses heaven and earth.23Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever is yours, that you should not say, 'I have made Abram wealthy.'24Exclusive of what the lads ate, and the share of the men who went with me; Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre they shall take their share."

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 15

1After these incidents, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram; I am your Shield; your reward is exceedingly great."2And Abram said, "O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?"3And Abram said, "Behold, You have given me no seed, and behold, one of my household will inherit me."4And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "This one will not inherit you, but the one who will spring from your innards-he will inherit you."5And He took him outside, and He said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your seed."6And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness.

Thursday

Psalm 16:1–11 (NLT):

1 Keep me safe, O God,

for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!

Every good thing I have comes from you.”

3 The godly people in the land

are my true heroes!

I take pleasure in them!

4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.

I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood

or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.

You guard all that is mine.

6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.

What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.

My body rests in safety.

10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead

or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.

11 You will show me the way of life,

granting me the joy of your presence

and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 15

7And He said to him, "I am the Lord, Who brought you forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it."8And he said, "O Lord God, how will I know that I will inherit it?"9And He said to him, "Take for Me three heifers and three goats and three rams, and a turtle dove and a young bird."10And he took for Him all these, and he divided them in the middle, and he placed each part opposite its mate, but he did not divide the birds.11And the birds of prey descended upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.12Now the sun was ready to set, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and behold, a fright, a great darkness was falling upon him.13And He said to Abram, "You shall surely know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and oppress them, for four hundred years.14And also the nation that they will serve will I judge, and afterwards they will go forth with great possessions.15But you will come to your forefathers in peace; you will be buried in a good old age.16And the fourth generation will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites will not be complete until then."17Now it came to pass that the sun had set, and it was dark, and behold, a smoking furnace and a fire brand, which passed between these parts.18On that day, the Lord formed a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt until the great river, the Euphrates river.19The Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,20And the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,21And the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 16

1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not borne to him, and she had an Egyptian handmaid named Hagar.2And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing; please come to my handmaid; perhaps I will be built up from her." And Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice.3So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife.4And he came to Hagar, and she conceived, and she saw that she was pregnant, and her mistress became unimportant in her eyes.5And Sarai said to Abram, "May my injustice be upon you! I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and she saw that she had become pregnant, and I became unimportant in her eyes. May the Lord judge between me and you!"6And Abram said to Sarai, "Here is your handmaid in your hand; do to her that which is proper in your eyes." And Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from before her.7And an angel of the Lord found her by a water fountain in the desert, by the fountain on the road to Shur.8And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where are you coming from, and where are you going to?" And she said, "From before Sarai my mistress, I am fleeing."9And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and allow yourself to be afflicted under her hands."10And the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, and it will not be counted for abundance."11And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction.12And he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be upon all, and everyone's hand upon him, and before all his brothers he will dwell."13And she called the name of the Lord, Who had spoken to her, "You are the God of seeing," because she said, "Have I seen [him] here also after I have seen?"14Therefore the well was called Be'er Lachai Ro'i; behold it is between Kadesh and between Bered.15And Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar had borne, Ishmael.16And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

1And Abram was ninety-nine years old, and God appeared to Abram, and He said to him, "I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be perfect.2And I will place My covenant between Me and between you, and I will multiply you very greatly."3And Abram fell upon his face, and God spoke with him, saying,4"As for Me, behold My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations.5And your name shall no longer be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.6And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings will emerge from you.

Friday

Deuteronomy 32:1–14 (NLT):

1 “Listen, O heavens, and I will speak!

Hear, O earth, the words that I say!

2 Let my teaching fall on you like rain;

let my speech settle like dew.

Let my words fall like rain on tender grass,

like gentle showers on young plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord;

how glorious is our God!

4 He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.

Everything he does is just and fair.

He is a faithful God who does no wrong;

how just and upright he is!

5 “But they have acted corruptly toward him;

when they act so perversely,

are they really his children?

They are a deceitful and twisted generation.

6 Is this the way you repay the Lord,

you foolish and senseless people?

Isn’t he your Father who created you?

Has he not made you and established you?

7 Remember the days of long ago;

think about the generations past.

Ask your father, and he will inform you.

Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you.

8 When the Most High assigned lands to the nations,

when he divided up the human race,

he established the boundaries of the peoples

according to the number in his heavenly court.

9 “For the people of Israel belong to the Lord;

Jacob is his special possession.

10 He found them in a desert land,

in an empty, howling wasteland.

He surrounded them and watched over them;

he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes.

11 Like an eagle that rouses her chicks

and hovers over her young,

so he spread his wings to take them up

and carried them safely on his pinions.

12 The Lord alone guided them;

they followed no foreign gods.

13 He let them ride over the highlands

and feast on the crops of the fields.

He nourished them with honey from the rock

and olive oil from the stony ground.

14 He fed them yogurt from the herd

and milk from the flock,

together with the fat of lambs.

He gave them choice rams from Bashan, and goats,

together with the choicest wheat.

You drank the finest wine,

made from the juice of grapes.

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

7And I will establish My covenant between Me and between you and between your seed after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be to you for a God and to your seed after you.8And I will give you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, the entire land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, and I will be to them for a God."9And God said to Abraham, "And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.10This is My covenant, which you shall observe between Me and between you and between your seed after you, that every male among you be circumcised.11And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be as the sign of a covenant between Me and between you.12And at the age of eight days, every male shall be circumcised to you throughout your generations, one that is born in the house, or one that is purchased with money, from any foreigner, who is not of your seed.13Those born in the house and those purchased for money shall be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant.14And an uncircumcised male, who will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin-that soul will be cut off from its people; he has broken My covenant."15And God said to Abraham, "Your wife Sarai-you shall not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.16And I will bless her, and I will give you a son from her, and I will bless her, and she will become [a mother of] nations; kings of nations will be from her. "17And Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and he said to himself, "Will [a child] be born to one who is a hundred years old, and will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"18And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael will live before You!"19And God said, "Indeed, your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac, and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.20And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you; behold I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly; he will beget twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.21But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."22And He finished speaking with him, and God went up from above Abraham.23And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house and all those purchased with his money, every male of the people of Abraham's household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him.24And Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.26On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and [so was] Ishmael his son.27And all the people of his household, those born in his house and those bought with money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

Saturday

Hebrews 11:8–19 (NLT):

8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. 10 Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12 And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Maftir Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 17

24And Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised of the flesh of his foreskin.26On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and [so was] Ishmael his son.27And all the people of his household, those born in his house and those bought with money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

Haftarah

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 40

27Why should you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way has been hidden from the Lord, and from my God, my judgment passes"?28Do you not know-if you have not heard-an everlasting God is the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He neither tires nor wearies; there is no fathoming His understanding.29Who gives the tired strength, and to him who has no strength, He increases strength.30Now youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble.31But those who put their hope in the Lord shall renew [their] vigor, they shall raise wings as eagles; they shall run and not weary, they shall walk and not tire.

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 41

1Be silent to Me, you islands, and kingdoms shall renew [their] strength; they shall approach, then they shall speak, together to judgment let us draw near.2Who aroused from the East, [the one] whom righteousness accompanied? He placed nations before him and over kings He gave him dominion; He made his sword like dust, his bow like wind-blown stubble.3He pursued them and passed on safely, on a path upon which he had not come with his feet.4Who worked and did, Who calls the generations from the beginning; I, the Lord, am first, and with the last ones I am He.5The islands shall see and fear; the ends of the earth shall quake; they have approached and come.6Each one shall aid his fellow, and to his brother he shall say, "Strengthen yourself."7And the craftsman strengthened the smith, the one who smooths with the hammer [strengthened] the one who wields the sledge hammer; he says of the cement, "It is good," and he strengthened it with nails that it should not move.8But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me,9Whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you.10Do not fear for I am with you; be not discouraged for I am your God: I encouraged you, I also helped you, I also supported you with My righteous hand.11Behold all those incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded; those who quarreled with you shall be as nought and be lost.12You may seek them but not find them, those who quarrel with you; those who war with you shall be as nought and as nothing.13For I, the Lord your God, grasp your right hand; Who says to you, "Fear not, I help you."14Fear not, O worm of Jacob, the number of Israel; "I have helped you," says the Lord, and your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.15Behold I have made you a new grooved threshing-sledge, with sharp points; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them fine, and you shall make hills like chaff.16You shall winnow them, and a wind shall carry them off, and a tempest shall scatter them, and you shall rejoice with the Lord, with the Holy One of Israel shall you praise yourself.