Isaiah 44:9-20
New Life Version
Following False Gods Is Sinful
9 All who make objects to worship are for nothing. The things they think are worth much are worth nothing. Those who speak for them do not see or know, so they will be put to shame. 10 Who has made a false god or an object of worship that is of no worth? 11 See, all his friends will be put to shame, for the workmen themselves are only men. Let them all gather, let them stand up, let them shake with fear, and let them together be put to shame.
12 The one who works with iron makes a sharp tool for cutting, working over a fire. He makes it by beating it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry and has no strength. He drinks no water and becomes tired. 13 One works with wood, he marks it, and draws on it with a red marker. He makes it smooth and makes it like a man, like the beauty of a man, so that it may sit in a house. 14 He cuts down cedar trees, and takes a cypress or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees. He plants a fir tree, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself. He makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it. He makes an object of worship and bows down in front of it. 16 He burns half of it in the fire. Over this half he eats meat as he makes it ready, and is filled. He also warms himself and says, “O, I am warm. I see the fire.” 17 But he makes the rest of it into a god, his object of worship. He bows down in front of it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Bring me out of my trouble, for you are my god.”
18 They do not know, and they do not understand. For the Lord has covered their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot understand. 19 And no one remembers about it, or knows or understands enough to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire, and have baked bread over the fire. I have cooked the meat over a fire and have eaten it. Should I make the rest of it into an object the Lord hates? Should I bow down in front of a block of wood?” 20 He eats ashes! A false idea in his heart has led him the wrong way. And he cannot save himself or say, “Is not what I have here in my right hand a lie?”
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Luke 18:18-30
New Life Version
Jesus Teaches about Keeping the Law (A)
18 A leader of the people asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? There is only One Who is good. That is God. 20 You know the Laws. You must not do any sex sins. You must not kill another person. You must not steal. You must not tell a lie about someone else. Respect your father and your mother.” 21 The leader said, “I have obeyed all these Laws since I was a boy.”
22 When Jesus heard this, He said to the leader of the people, “There is still one thing you need to do. Sell everything you have. Give the money to poor people. Then you will have riches in heaven. Come and follow Me.” 23 When the leader heard this, he was very sad because he had many riches. 24 When Jesus saw that he was very sad, He said, “It is hard for those with riches to go into the holy nation of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the holy nation of God.”
26 Those who heard this, said, “Then who can be saved from the punishment of sin?” 27 Jesus said, “God can do things men cannot do.” 28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left everything and have followed You.” 29 Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, anyone who has left his house or parents or brothers or wife or children because of the holy nation of God 30 will receive much more now. In the time to come he will have life that lasts forever.”
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