Isaiah 43-44

New International Version

Israel’s Only Savior

43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created^(A) you, Jacob,
    he who formed^(B) you, Israel:^(C)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed^(D) you;
    I have summoned you by name;^(E) you are mine.^(F)
²When you pass through the waters,^(G)
    I will be with you;^(H)
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,^(I)
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.^(J)
³For I am the Lord your God,^(K)
    the Holy One^(L) of Israel, your Savior;^(M)
I give Egypt^(N) for your ransom,
    Cush^[a]^(O) and Seba^(P) in your stead.^(Q)
⁴Since you are precious and honored^(R) in my sight,
    and because I love^(S) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
⁵Do not be afraid,^(T) for I am with you;^(U)
    I will bring your children^(V) from the east
    and gather^(W) you from the west.^(X)
⁶I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south,^(Y) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters^(Z) from the ends of the earth^(AA)—
⁷everyone who is called by my name,^(AB)
    whom I created^(AC) for my glory,^(AD)
    whom I formed and made.^(AE)”

⁸Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,^(AF)
    who have ears but are deaf.^(AG)
⁹All the nations gather together^(AH)
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold^(AI) this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰“You are my witnesses,^(AJ)” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant^(AK) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know^(AL) and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god^(AM) was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.^(AN)
¹¹I, even I, am the Lord,^(AO)
    and apart from me there is no savior.^(AP)
¹²I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god^(AQ) among you.
You are my witnesses,^(AR)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³    Yes, and from ancient days^(AS) I am he.^(AT)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”^(AU)

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

¹⁴This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,^(AV) the Holy One^(AW) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives^(AX) all the Babylonians,^[b]^(AY)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
¹⁵I am the Lord,^(AZ) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,^(BA) your King.^(BB)”

¹⁶This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,^(BC)
¹⁷who drew out^(BD) the chariots and horses,^(BE)
    the army and reinforcements together,^(BF)
and they lay^(BG) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:^(BH)
¹⁸“Forget the former things;^(BI)
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹See, I am doing a new thing!^(BJ)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness^(BK)
    and streams in the wasteland.^(BL)
²⁰The wild animals^(BM) honor me,
    the jackals^(BN) and the owls,
because I provide water^(BO) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
²¹    the people I formed^(BP) for myself^(BQ)
    that they may proclaim my praise.^(BR)

²²“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied^(BS) yourselves for^[c] me, Israel.^(BT)
²³You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,^(BU)
    nor honored^(BV) me with your sacrifices.^(BW)
I have not burdened^(BX) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands^(BY) for incense.^(BZ)
²⁴You have not bought any fragrant calamus^(CA) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat^(CB) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied^(CC) me with your offenses.^(CD)

²⁵“I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,^(CE) for my own sake,^(CF)
    and remembers your sins^(CG) no more.^(CH)
²⁶Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;^(CI)
    state the case^(CJ) for your innocence.
²⁷Your first father^(CK) sinned;
    those I sent to teach^(CL) you rebelled^(CM) against me.
²⁸So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction^[d]^(CN)
    and Israel to scorn.^(CO)

Israel the Chosen

44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,^(CP)
    Israel, whom I have chosen.^(CQ)
²This is what the Lord says—
    he who made^(CR) you, who formed you in the womb,^(CS)
    and who will help^(CT) you:
Do not be afraid,^(CU) Jacob, my servant,^(CV)
    Jeshurun,^[e]^(CW) whom I have chosen.
³For I will pour water^(CX) on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;^(CY)
I will pour out my Spirit^(CZ) on your offspring,
    and my blessing^(DA) on your descendants.^(DB)
⁴They will spring up like grass^(DC) in a meadow,
    like poplar trees^(DD) by flowing streams.^(DE)
⁵Some will say, ‘I belong^(DF) to the Lord’;
    others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,^(DG) ‘The Lord’s,’^(DH)
    and will take the name Israel.

The Lord, Not Idols

⁶“This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King^(DI) and Redeemer,^(DJ) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;^(DK)
    apart from me there is no God.^(DL)
⁷Who then is like me?^(DM) Let him proclaim it.
    Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
    and what is yet to come—
    yes, let them foretell^(DN) what will come.
⁸Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim^(DO) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God^(DP) besides me?
    No, there is no other Rock;^(DQ) I know not one.”

⁹All who make idols^(DR) are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.^(DS)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;^(DT)
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.^(DU)
¹⁰Who shapes a god and casts an idol,^(DV)
    which can profit nothing?^(DW)
¹¹People who do that will be put to shame;^(DX)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.^(DY)

¹²The blacksmith^(DZ) takes a tool
    and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
    he forges it with the might of his arm.^(EA)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.^(EB)
¹³The carpenter^(EC) measures with a line
    and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
    and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,^(ED)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.^(EE)
¹⁴He cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine,^(EF) and the rain made it grow.
¹⁵It is used as fuel^(EG) for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships^(EH) it;
    he makes an idol and bows^(EI) down to it.
¹⁶Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.^(EJ)”
¹⁷From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.^(EK)
He prays^(EL) to it and says,
    “Save^(EM) me! You are my god!”
¹⁸They know nothing, they understand^(EN) nothing;
    their eyes^(EO) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
¹⁹No one stops to think,
    no one has the knowledge or understanding^(EP) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;^(EQ)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable^(ER) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”^(ES)
²⁰Such a person feeds on ashes;^(ET) a deluded^(EU) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?^(EV)”

²¹“Remember^(EW) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.^(EX)
I have made you, you are my servant;^(EY)
    Israel, I will not forget you.^(EZ)
²²I have swept away^(FA) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return^(FB) to me,
    for I have redeemed^(FC) you.”

²³Sing for joy,^(FD) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth^(FE) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,^(FF)
    you forests and all your trees,^(FG)
for the Lord has redeemed^(FH) Jacob,
    he displays his glory^(FI) in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

²⁴“This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,^(FJ) who formed^(FK) you in the womb:^(FL)

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,^(FM)
    who spreads out the earth^(FN) by myself,
²⁵who foils^(FO) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,^(FP)
who overthrows the learning of the wise^(FQ)
    and turns it into nonsense,^(FR)
²⁶who carries out the words^(FS) of his servants
    and fulfills^(FT) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,^(FU) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,^(FV) ‘I will restore them,’^(FW)
²⁷who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up^(FX) your streams,’
²⁸who says of Cyrus,^(FY) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,^(FZ) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,^(GA) “Let its foundations^(GB) be laid.”’

Footnotes

Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.

1 Thessalonians 2

New International Version

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you^(A) was not without results.^(B) ²We had previously suffered^(C) and been treated outrageously in Philippi,^(D) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.^(E) ³For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives,^(F) nor are we trying to trick you.^(G) ⁴On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.^(H) We are not trying to please people^(I) but God, who tests our hearts.^(J) ⁵You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed^(K)—God is our witness.^(L) ⁶We were not looking for praise from people,^(M) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(N) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^(O) ⁷Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^(P) ⁸so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(Q) but our lives as well.^(R) ⁹Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(S) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(T) while we preached the gospel of God to you. ¹⁰You are witnesses,^(U) and so is God,^(V) of how holy,^(W) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,^(X) ¹²encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy^(Y) of God, who calls^(Z) you into his kingdom and glory.

¹³And we also thank God continually^(AA) because, when you received the word of God,^(AB) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators^(AC) of God’s churches in Judea,^(AD) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people^(AE) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵who killed the Lord Jesus^(AF) and the prophets^(AG) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles^(AH) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit.^(AI) The wrath of God has come upon them at last.^[b]

Paul’s Longing to See the Thessalonians

¹⁷But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought),^(AJ) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.^(AK) ¹⁸For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(AL) blocked our way.^(AM) ¹⁹For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown^(AN) in which we will glory^(AO) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?^(AP) Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory^(AQ) and joy.