Isaiah 49:4 - Easy To Read Version I said,\par “I worked hard for nothing.\par I wore myself out,\par but I did nothing useful.\par I used all my power,\par but I did not really do anything.\par So, the Lord must decide\par what to do with me.\par God must decide my reward.\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in empty futility; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense is with my God. American Standard Version (1901) But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God. Common English Bible But I said, “I have wearied myself in vain. I have used up my strength for nothing.” Nevertheless, the LORD will grant me justice; my reward is with my God. Catholic Public Domain Version And I said: "I have labored toward emptiness. I have consumed my strength without purpose and in vain. Therefore, my judgment is with the Lord, and my work is with my God." Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And I said: I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength without cause and in vain. Therefore my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. |
Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I have always served you the best I can. But the people of Israel have broken their agreement with you. They destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets. I am the only prophet that is still living. And now they are trying to kill me!”
Many people want to be the friends of a ruler. But the Lord is the One that judges people fairly.
Lord, you are my God.\par I honor you and praise your name.\par You have done amazing things.\par The words you said long ago\par are completely true.\par Everything has happened\par exactly as you said it would.\par
People are afraid and confused. Say to those people, “Be strong! Don’t be afraid!” Look, your God will come and punish your enemies. He will come and give you your reward. The Lord will save you.
The Lord my Master\par is coming with power.\par He will use his power to rule all the people.\par The Lord will bring rewards for his people.\par He will have their payment with him.\par
People of Jacob, this is true!\par Israel, you should believe this!\par So why do you say:\par “The Lord can’t see the way I live.\par God will not find me and punish me.”\par
The Lord is angry at his enemies.\par So the Lord will give them\par the punishment they deserve.\par The Lord is angry with his enemies.\par So the Lord will punish the people\par in all the faraway places.\par The Lord will give them\par the punishment they deserve.\par
“The Lord makes me very, very happy.\par My whole self is happy in my God.\par The Lord put the clothes of salvation on me.\par These clothes are like the nice clothes\par a man wears at his wedding.\par The Lord put the coat of goodness on me.\par This coat is like the beautiful clothes\par a woman wears at her wedding.\par
Listen, the Lord is speaking to all the faraway lands:\par “Tell the people of Zion: {\cf2\super [456]} \par Look, your Savior is coming.\par He is bringing your reward to you.\par He is bringing that reward with him.”\par
“I stood ready to accept people that turned against me. I was waiting for those people to come to me. But they continued living a way that is not good. They did anything their hearts wanted to do.
Women will never again suffer childbirth\par \{only to have the baby die\}.\par Women will never again be afraid\par of what might happen during childbirth.\par All my people and their children\par will be blessed by the Lord.\par
“Maybe you will warn a person and tell him to change his life and stop doing bad things. If that person refuses to listen to you, then that person will die. He will die because he sinned. But you warned him, so you saved your own life.
You will work hard, but it will not help. Your land will not give any crops, and your trees will not grow their fruit.
Jesus answered, “You people have no faith. Your lives are all wrong. How long must I stay with you? How long must I continue to be patient with you? Bring the boy here.”
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. {\cf2\super [361]} You kill with rocks those men that God sent to you. Many, many times I wanted to help your people. I wanted to gather your people together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you did not let me.
The prophets said that the Christ {\cf2\super [392]} must suffer these things before he enters his glory.”
He came to the world that was his own. But his own people did not accept him.
\{God said this through Isaiah about the non-Jewish people.\} But about the Jewish people God says, “All day long I have waited for those people, but they refuse to obey and refuse to follow me.” {\cf2\super [113]}
So I am happy to give everything I have for you. I will even give myself for you. If I love you more, will you love me less?
Our offering to God is this: We are the sweet smell of Christ among people who are being saved and among people who are being lost.
You offer those people the teaching that gives life. So I can be happy when Christ comes again. I can be happy because my work was not wasted. I ran in the race and won.
We should always follow the example of Jesus. Jesus is the leader in our faith. And he makes our faith perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But Jesus accepted the shame of the cross like it was nothing. He did this because of the joy that God put before him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne.