you love what is right and hate what is evil. That is why God, your God, has chosen you and has poured out more happiness on you than on any other king.

The spirit of the LORD will give him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule his people. He will know the LORD's will and honor him,

he will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At his command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die.

The LORD says, "Here is my servant, whom I strengthen--- the one I have chosen, with whom I am pleased. I have filled him with my Spirit, and he will bring justice to every nation.

He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all.

The Sovereign LORD has taught me what to say, so that I can strengthen the weary. Every morning he makes me eager to hear what he is going to teach me.

And I make a covenant with you: I have given you my power and my teachings to be yours forever, and from now on you are to obey me and teach your children and your descendants to obey me for all time to come."

Their kings revolt, their rulers plot together against the LORD and against the king he chose.

"On Zion, my sacred hill," he says, "I have installed my king."

"Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated.

At once he found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah." (This word means "Christ.")

For indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Jesus, your holy Servant, whom you made Messiah.

You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on him the Holy Spirit and power. He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, for God was with him.

Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!

He answered John's messengers, "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

Poor and humble people will once again find the happiness which the LORD, the holy God of Israel, gives.

I will leave there a humble and lowly people, who will come to me for help.

So the covenant was canceled on that day. Those who bought and sold the sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking through what I did.

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer,

The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.

My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.

He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds.

"I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

I myself created the whole universe! I am pleased with those who are humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me.

"Go through the whole city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city."

He heard the groans of prisoners and set free those who were condemned to die.

Some were living in gloom and darkness, prisoners suffering in chains,

They were worn out from hard work; they would fall down, and no one would help.

He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains in pieces.

He breaks down doors of bronze and smashes iron bars.

he judges in favor of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free

You will open the eyes of the blind and set free those who sit in dark prisons.

I myself have stirred Cyrus to action to fulfill my purpose and put things right. I will straighten out every road that he travels. He will rebuild my city, Jerusalem, and set my captive people free. No one has hired him or bribed him to do this." The LORD Almighty has spoken.

I will say to the prisoners, 'Go free!' and to those who are in darkness, 'Come out to the light!' They will be like sheep that graze on the hills;

Can you take away a soldier's loot? Can you rescue the prisoners of a tyrant?

The LORD replies, "That is just what is going to happen. The soldier's prisoners will be taken away, and the tyrant's loot will be seized. I will fight against whoever fights you, and I will rescue your children.

Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Rise from the dust and sit on your throne! Undo the chains that bind you, captive people of Zion!

The Sovereign LORD says to his people, "When you became slaves, no money was paid for you; in the same way nothing will be paid to set you free.

The LORD says, "Because of my covenant with you that was sealed by the blood of sacrifices, I will set your people free--- free from the waterless pit of exile.

Return, you exiles who now have hope; return to your place of safety. Now I tell you that I will repay you twice over with blessing for all you have suffered.

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,

and gives sight to the blind. He lifts those who have fallen; he loves his righteous people.

When that day comes, the deaf will be able to hear a book being read aloud, and the blind, who have been living in darkness, will open their eyes and see.

Poor and humble people will once again find the happiness which the LORD, the holy God of Israel, gives.

Their eyes and ears will be open to the needs of the people.

The blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear.

"I will lead my blind people by roads they have never traveled. I will turn their darkness into light and make rough country smooth before them. These are my promises, and I will keep them without fail.

The LORD says, "Listen, you deaf people! Look closely, you that are blind!

Arise, Jerusalem, and shine like the sun; The glory of the LORD is shining on you!

Other nations will be covered by darkness, But on you the light of the LORD will shine; The brightness of his presence will be with you.

But for you who obey me, my saving power will rise on you like the sun and bring healing like the sun's rays. You will be as free and happy as calves let out of a stall.

The people who live in darkness will see a great light. On those who live in the dark land of death the light will shine."

Jesus left that place, and as he walked along, two blind men started following him. "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" they shouted.

Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, "Let it happen, then, just as you believe!"---

the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

Jesus said, "I came to this world to judge, so that the blind should see and those who see should become blind."

Jesus answered, "If you were blind, then you would not be guilty; but since you claim that you can see, this means that you are still guilty."

I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.

You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.'

You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light,

Try to learn what pleases the Lord.

(It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.)

for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you."

All of you are people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober.

But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.

If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin.

I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite her offspring's heel."

He will not break off a bent reed nor put out a flickering lamp. He will bring lasting justice to all.

He will not break off a bent reed, nor put out a flickering lamp. He will persist until he causes justice to triumph,