Welcome to Shema

1. Welcome to Shema Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord who is worthy to be praised for all eternity!

2. Shema Israel, AdonaiEloheinu, AdonaiEchad. Baruch shemk’vodmalchutol’olamva’ed. Shema

3. Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One! Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever. Amein. Shema

4. The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed. • Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.  He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Genesis 9:18-10:32 ESV

5. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.  Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

6. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, • “Cursed be Canaan; • a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” • He also said, • “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; • and let Canaan be his servant. • May God enlarge Japheth, • and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, • and let Canaan be his servant.”

7. After the flood Noah lived 350 years. All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

8. These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. • The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.  The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.  From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

9. The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.  He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

10. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.  From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and  Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.  Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

11. Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,  the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,  the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.  These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

12. To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born.  The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.  The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshadfathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber.  To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan.

13. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,  Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,  Obal, Abimael, Sheba,  Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

14. These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

15. Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.  And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Genesis 11

16. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

17. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”  So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

18. These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. • When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah.  And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

19. When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. • When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. • When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu.  And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

20. When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug.  And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. •  When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor.  And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

21. When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.  And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. • When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

22.  Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.  Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.  Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

23. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

24.  Hear this, O house of Jacob, • who are called by the name of Israel, • and who came from the waters of Judah, • who swear by the name of the LORD • and confess the God of Israel, • but not in truth or right. • For they call themselves after the holy city, • and stay themselves on the God of Israel; • the LORD of hosts is his name. Isaiah 48:1-13

25. “The former things I declared of old; • they went out from my mouth, and I announced them; • then suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. • Because I know that you are obstinate, • and your neck is an iron sinew • and your forehead brass,

26. I declared them to you from of old, • before they came to pass I announced them to you, • lest you should say, ‘My idol did them, • my carved image and my metal image commanded them.’

27. “You have heard; now see all this; • and will you not declare it? • From this time forth I announce to you new things, • hidden things that you have not known. • They are created now, not long ago; • before today you have never heard of them, • lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’

28. You have never heard, you have never known, • from of old your ear has not been opened. • For I knew that you would surely deal treacherously, • and that from before birth you were called a rebel.

29. “For my name’s sake I defer my anger, • for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, • that I may not cut you off. • Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; • I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

30. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, • for how should my name be profaned? • My glory I will not give to another.

31.  “Listen to me, O Jacob, • and Israel, whom I called! • I am he; I am the first, • and I am the last. • My hand laid the foundation of the earth, • and my right hand spread out the heavens; • when I call to them, • they stand forth together.

32. Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, • and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, • which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine! Isaiah 28:1-16

33. Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; • like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, • like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters, • he casts down to the earth with his hand.

34. The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim • will be trodden underfoot; • and the fading flower of its glorious beauty, • which is on the head of the rich valley, • will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer: • when someone sees it, he swallows it • as soon as it is in his hand.

35. In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, • and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people, • and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, • and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

36. These also reel with wine • and stagger with strong drink; • the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, • they are swallowed by wine, • they stagger with strong drink, • they reel in vision, • they stumble in giving judgment. • For all tables are full of filthy vomit, • with no space left.

37.  “To whom will he teach knowledge, • and to whom will he explain the message? • Those who are weaned from the milk, • those taken from the breast? • For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, • line upon line, line upon line, • here a little, there a little.”

38. For by people of strange lips • and with a foreign tongue • the LORD will speak to this people, • to whom he has said, • “This is rest; • give rest to the weary; • and this is repose”; • yet they would not hear.

39.  And the word of the LORD will be to them • precept upon precept, precept upon precept, • line upon line, line upon line, • here a little, there a little, • that they may go, and fall backward, • and be broken, and snared, and taken.

40. Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, • who rule this people in Jerusalem! • Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, • and with Sheol we have an agreement, • when the overwhelming whip passes through • it will not come to us, • for we have made lies our refuge, • and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;

41. therefore thus says the Lord GOD, • “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, • a stone, a tested stone, • a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: • ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

42. Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, • To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: • May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1

43. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

44. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

45. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.  For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

46. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.  I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,  since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

47. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

48. we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

49. And in conclusion: