Old/New Testament
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.
2 When 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.
3 I clothe the heavens with darkness(K)
and make sackcloth(L) its covering.”
4 The 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)
5 The Sovereign Lord(R) has opened my ears;(S)
I have not been rebellious,(T)
I have not turned away.
6 I 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)
7 Because 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)
8 He 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!
9 It 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.
10 Who 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.
11 But 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;
2 look 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)
3 The 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)
5 My 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.
6 Lift 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)
8 For 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.”
9 Awake, 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?
10 Was 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?
11 Those 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)
13 that 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)
15 For 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.
16 I 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
17 Awake, 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)
18 Among 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)
19 These 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?
20 Your 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.
21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted(DX) one,
made drunk,(DY) but not with wine.
22 This 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.
23 I 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)
2 Shake 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.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
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)
6 Therefore 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.”
7 How 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)
8 Listen! 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.
9 Burst into songs of joy(FJ) together,
you ruins(FK) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(FL) his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.(FM)
10 The 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.
11 Depart,(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.
12 But 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
13 See, my servant(FY) will act wisely[c];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.(FZ)
14 Just 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)—
15 so 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)
The Day of the Lord
5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates(A) we do not need to write to you,(B) 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord(C) will come like a thief in the night.(D) 3 While 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)
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness(H) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.(I) 5 You are all children of the light(J) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,(K) but let us be awake(L) and sober.(M) 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.(N) 8 But 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) 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath(S) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.(T) 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.(U) 11 Therefore encourage one another(V) and build each other up,(W) just as in fact you are doing.
Final Instructions
12 Now 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. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.(Z) 14 And 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. 15 Make 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.
16 Rejoice always,(AE) 17 pray continually,(AF) 18 give thanks in all circumstances;(AG) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.(AH) 20 Do not treat prophecies(AI) with contempt 21 but test them all;(AJ) hold on to what is good,(AK) 22 reject every kind of evil.
23 May 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) 24 The one who calls(AP) you is faithful,(AQ) and he will do it.(AR)
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.(AS) 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.(AT) 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.(AU)
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.(AV)
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