Isaiah 50-52

New International Version

Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience

50 This is what the Lord says:

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce^(A)
    with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
    did I sell^(B) you?
Because of your sins^(C) you were sold;^(D)
    because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
²When I came, why was there no one?
    When I called, why was there no one to answer?^(E)
Was my arm too short^(F) to deliver you?
    Do I lack the strength^(G) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke^(H) I dry up the sea,^(I)
    I turn rivers into a desert;^(J)
their fish rot for lack of water
    and die of thirst.
³I clothe the heavens with darkness^(K)
    and make sackcloth^(L) its covering.”

⁴The Sovereign Lord^(M) has given me a well-instructed tongue,^(N)
    to know the word that sustains the weary.^(O)
He wakens me morning by morning,^(P)
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.^(Q)
⁵The Sovereign Lord^(R) has opened my ears;^(S)
    I have not been rebellious,^(T)
    I have not turned away.
⁶I offered my back to those who beat^(U) me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;^(V)
I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.^(W)
⁷Because the Sovereign Lord^(X) helps^(Y) me,
    I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,^(Z)
    and I know I will not be put to shame.^(AA)
⁸He who vindicates^(AB) me is near.^(AC)
    Who then will bring charges against me?^(AD)
    Let us face each other!^(AE)
Who is my accuser?
    Let him confront me!
⁹It is the Sovereign Lord^(AF) who helps^(AG) me.
    Who will condemn^(AH) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
    the moths^(AI) will eat them up.

¹⁰Who among you fears^(AJ) the Lord
    and obeys^(AK) the word of his servant?^(AL)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,^(AM)
trust^(AN) in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.
¹¹But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,^(AO)
go, walk in the light of your fires^(AP)
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:^(AQ)
    You will lie down in torment.^(AR)

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

51 “Listen^(AS) to me, you who pursue righteousness^(AT)
    and who seek^(AU) the Lord:
Look to the rock^(AV) from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
²look to Abraham,^(AW) your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.^(AX)
³The Lord will surely comfort^(AY) Zion^(AZ)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;^(BA)
he will make her deserts like Eden,^(BB)
    her wastelands^(BC) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness^(BD) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving^(BE) and the sound of singing.

⁴“Listen to me, my people;^(BF)
    hear me,^(BG) my nation:
Instruction^(BH) will go out from me;
    my justice^(BI) will become a light to the nations.^(BJ)
⁵My righteousness draws near speedily,
    my salvation^(BK) is on the way,^(BL)
    and my arm^(BM) will bring justice to the nations.
The islands^(BN) will look to me
    and wait in hope^(BO) for my arm.
⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
    look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,^(BP)
    the earth will wear out like a garment^(BQ)
    and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation^(BR) will last forever,^(BS)
    my righteousness will never fail.^(BT)

⁷“Hear me, you who know what is right,^(BU)
    you people who have taken my instruction to heart:^(BV)
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
    or be terrified by their insults.^(BW)
⁸For the moth will eat them up like a garment;^(BX)
    the worm^(BY) will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,^(BZ)
    my salvation through all generations.”

⁹Awake, awake,^(CA) arm^(CB) of the Lord,
    clothe yourself with strength!^(CC)
Awake, as in days gone by,
    as in generations of old.^(CD)
Was it not you who cut Rahab^(CE) to pieces,
    who pierced that monster^(CF) through?
¹⁰Was it not you who dried up the sea,^(CG)
    the waters of the great deep,^(CH)
who made a road in the depths of the sea^(CI)
    so that the redeemed^(CJ) might cross over?
¹¹Those the Lord has rescued^(CK) will return.
    They will enter Zion with singing;^(CL)
    everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy^(CM) will overtake them,
    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^(CN)

¹²“I, even I, am he who comforts^(CO) you.
    Who are you that you fear^(CP) mere mortals,^(CQ)
    human beings who are but grass,^(CR)
¹³that you forget^(CS) the Lord your Maker,^(CT)
    who stretches out the heavens^(CU)
    and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror^(CV) every day
    because of the wrath of the oppressor,
    who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?^(CW)
¹⁴    The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;^(CX)
they will not die in their dungeon,
    nor will they lack bread.^(CY)
¹⁵For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea^(CZ) so that its waves roar^(DA)—
    the Lord Almighty^(DB) is his name.
¹⁶I have put my words in your mouth^(DC)
    and covered you with the shadow of my hand^(DD)—
I who set the heavens in place,
    who laid the foundations of the earth,^(DE)
    and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.^(DF)’”

The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath

¹⁷Awake, awake!^(DG)
    Rise up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
    the cup^(DH) of his wrath,^(DI)
you who have drained to its dregs^(DJ)
    the goblet that makes people stagger.^(DK)
¹⁸Among all the children^(DL) she bore
    there was none to guide her;^(DM)
among all the children she reared
    there was none to take her by the hand.^(DN)
¹⁹These double calamities^(DO) have come upon you—
    who can comfort you?^(DP)—
ruin and destruction,^(DQ) famine^(DR) and sword^(DS)—
    who can^[a] console you?
²⁰Your children have fainted;
    they lie at every street corner,^(DT)
    like antelope caught in a net.^(DU)
They are filled with the wrath^(DV) of the Lord,
    with the rebuke^(DW) of your God.

²¹Therefore hear this, you afflicted^(DX) one,
    made drunk,^(DY) but not with wine.
²²This is what your Sovereign Lord says,
    your God, who defends^(DZ) his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
    the cup^(EA) that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
    you will never drink again.
²³I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,^(EB)
    who said to you,
    ‘Fall prostrate^(EC) that we may walk^(ED) on you.’
And you made your back like the ground,
    like a street to be walked on.”^(EE)

52 Awake, awake,^(EF) Zion,
    clothe yourself with strength!^(EG)
Put on your garments of splendor,^(EH)
    Jerusalem, the holy city.^(EI)
The uncircumcised^(EJ) and defiled^(EK)
    will not enter you again.^(EL)
²Shake off your dust;^(EM)
    rise up,^(EN) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,^(EO)
    Daughter Zion,^(EP) now a captive.

³For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,^(EQ)
and without money^(ER) you will be redeemed.^(ES)”

⁴For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt^(ET) to live;
lately, Assyria^(EU) has oppressed them.

⁵“And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
    and those who rule them mock,^[b]”
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
    my name is constantly blasphemed.^(EV)
⁶Therefore my people will know^(EW) my name;^(EX)
    therefore in that day^(EY) they will know
that it is I who foretold^(EZ) it.
    Yes, it is I.”

⁷How beautiful on the mountains^(FA)
    are the feet of those who bring good news,^(FB)
who proclaim peace,^(FC)
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”^(FD)
⁸Listen! Your watchmen^(FE) lift up their voices;^(FF)
    together they shout for joy.^(FG)
When the Lord returns^(FH) to Zion,^(FI)
    they will see it with their own eyes.
⁹Burst into songs of joy^(FJ) together,
    you ruins^(FK) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted^(FL) his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.^(FM)
¹⁰The Lord will lay bare his holy arm^(FN)
    in the sight of all the nations,^(FO)
and all the ends of the earth^(FP) will see
    the salvation^(FQ) of our God.

¹¹Depart,^(FR) depart, go out from there!
    Touch no unclean thing!^(FS)
Come out from it and be pure,^(FT)
    you who carry the articles^(FU) of the Lord’s house.
¹²But you will not leave in haste^(FV)
    or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,^(FW)
    the God of Israel will be your rear guard.^(FX)

The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

¹³See, my servant^(FY) will act wisely^[c];
    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.^(FZ)
¹⁴Just as there were many who were appalled^(GA) at him^[d]—
    his appearance was so disfigured^(GB) beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness^(GC)—
¹⁵so he will sprinkle^(GD) many nations,^[e]
    and kings^(GE) will shut their mouths^(GF) because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
    and what they have not heard, they will understand.^(GG)

Footnotes

Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can I
Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
Isaiah 52:15 Or so will many nations be amazed at him (see also Septuagint)

1 Thessalonians 5

New International Version

The Day of the Lord

5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates^(A) we do not need to write to you,^(B) ²for you know very well that the day of the Lord^(C) will come like a thief in the night.^(D) ³While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”^(E) destruction will come on them suddenly,^(F) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.^(G)

⁴But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness^(H) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.^(I) ⁵You are all children of the light^(J) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,^(K) but let us be awake^(L) and sober.^(M) ⁷For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.^(N) ⁸But since we belong to the day,^(O) let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,^(P) and the hope of salvation^(Q) as a helmet.^(R) ⁹For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath^(S) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.^(T) ¹⁰He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.^(U) ¹¹Therefore encourage one another^(V) and build each other up,^(W) just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

¹²Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard^(X) among you, who care for you in the Lord^(Y) and who admonish you. ¹³Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.^(Z) ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle^(AA) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,^(AB) be patient with everyone. ¹⁵Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,^(AC) but always strive to do what is good for each other^(AD) and for everyone else.

¹⁶Rejoice always,^(AE) ¹⁷pray continually,^(AF) ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances;^(AG) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit.^(AH) ²⁰Do not treat prophecies^(AI) with contempt ²¹but test them all;^(AJ) hold on to what is good,^(AK) ²²reject every kind of evil.

²³May God himself, the God of peace,^(AL) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul^(AM) and body be kept blameless^(AN) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^(AO) ²⁴The one who calls^(AP) you is faithful,^(AQ) and he will do it.^(AR)

²⁵Brothers and sisters, pray for us.^(AS) ²⁶Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.^(AT) ²⁷I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.^(AU)

²⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^(AV)