The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.

This was done by the LORD; what a wonderful sight it is!

This, now, is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I am placing in Zion a foundation that is firm and strong. In it I am putting a solid cornerstone on which are written the words, 'Faith that is firm is also patient.'

Listen then, Joshua, you who are the High Priest; and listen, you fellow priests of his, you that are the sign of a good future: I will reveal my servant, who is called The Branch!

I am placing in front of Joshua a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, and in a single day I will take away the sin of this land.

Surely you have read this scripture? 'The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.

This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!' "

Jesus looked at them and asked, "What, then, does this scripture mean? 'The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.'

Everyone who falls on that stone will be cut to pieces; and if that stone falls on someone, that person will be crushed to dust."

Jesus is the one of whom the scripture says, 'The stone that you the builders despised turned out to be the most important of all.'

that the scripture speaks of: "Look, I place in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall. But whoever believes in him will not be disappointed."

You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.

Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.

For the scripture says, "I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed."

And another scripture says, "This is the stone that will make people stumble, the rock that will make them fall." They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them.

Then the LORD said to his people, "Keep watching the nations around you, and you will be astonished at what you see. I am going to do something that you will not believe when you hear about it.

Take care, then, so that what the prophets said may not happen to you:

'Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die! For what I am doing today is something that you will not believe, even when someone explains it to you!' "

God revealed his secret plan and made it known to me. (I have written briefly about this,

In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets.

I was made a servant of the gospel by God's special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power.

and of making all people see how God's secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages,