Isaiah 53; Isaiah 54; Isaiah 55; 2 Thessalonians 1

1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD's power been revealed?

2 He grew up in his presence like a young tree, like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that would make us look at him. He had nothing in his appearance that would make us desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by people. He was a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. He was despised like one from whom people turn their faces, and we didn't consider him to be worth anything.

4 He certainly has taken upon himself our suffering and carried our sorrows, but we thought that God had wounded him, beat him, and punished him.

5 He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.

6 We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the LORD has laid all our sins on him.

7 He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth.

8 He was arrested, taken away, and judged. Who would have thought that he would be removed from the world? He was killed because of my people's rebellion.

9 He was placed in a tomb with the wicked. He was put there with the rich when he died, although he had done nothing violent and had never spoken a lie.

10 Yet, it was the LORD's will to crush him with suffering. When the LORD has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, he will see his descendants for many days. The will of the LORD will succeed through him.

11 He will see and be satisfied because of his suffering. My righteous servant will acquit many people because of what he has learned [through suffering]. He will carry their sins as a burden.

12 So I will give him a share among the mighty, and he will divide the prize with the strong, because he poured out his life in death and he was counted with sinners. He carried the sins of many. He intercedes for those who are rebellious.

1 Sing with joy, you childless women who never gave birth to children. Break into shouts of joy, you women who never had birth pains. "There will be more children of women who have been deserted than there are children of married women," says the LORD.

2 Expand the space of your tent. Stretch out the curtains of your tent, and don't hold back. Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs.

3 You will spread out to the right and left. Your descendants will take over other nations, and they will resettle deserted cities.

4 Don't be afraid, because you won't be put to shame. Don't be discouraged, because you won't be disgraced. You'll forget the shame you've had since you were young. You won't remember the disgrace of your husband's death anymore.

5 Your husband is your maker. His name is the LORD of Armies. Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth.

6 "The LORD has called you as if you were a wife who was abandoned and in grief, a wife who married young and was rejected," says your God.

7 "I abandoned you for one brief moment, but I will bring you back with unlimited compassion.

8 I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness," says the LORD your defender.

9 "To me this is like Noah's floodwaters, when I swore an oath that Noah's floodwaters would never cover the earth again. So now I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you.

10 The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, but my kindness will never depart from you. My promise of peace will never change," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

11 "You suffering, comfortless, storm-ravaged city! I will rebuild your city with precious stones. I will reset your foundations with sapphires.

12 I will rebuild your towers with rubies, your gates with sparkling stones, and all your walls with precious stones."

13 All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children will have unlimited peace.

14 You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, so you will not be afraid. You will be far from destruction, so it won't come near you.

15 "If anyone attacks you, it will not be my doing. Whoever attacks you will be defeated by you.

16 I've created blacksmiths to fan the coals into flames and to produce useful weapons. I've also created destroyers to bring destruction.

17 No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the LORD's servants. Their victory comes from me," declares the LORD.

1 "Listen! Whoever is thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money can come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk. You don't have to pay; its free!

2 Why do you spend money on what cannot nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the best foods.

3 Open your ears, and come to me! Listen so that you may live! I will make an everlasting promise to you-- the blessings I promised to David.

4 I made him a witness to people, a leader and a commander for people.

5 You will summon a nation that you don't know, and a nation that doesn't know you will run to you because of the LORD your God, because of the Holy One of Israel. He has honored you."

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.

7 Let wicked people abandon their ways. Let evil people abandon their thoughts. Let them return to the LORD, and he will show compassion to them. Let them return to our God, because he will freely forgive them.

8 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," declares the LORD.

9 "Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

10 "Rain and snow come down from the sky. They do not go back again until they water the earth. They make it sprout and grow so that it produces seed for farmers and food for people to eat.

11 My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow. It will not come back to me without results. It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do."

12 You will go out with joy and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break into songs of joy in your presence, and all the trees will clap their hands.

13 Cypress trees will grow where thornbushes grew. Myrtle trees will grow where briars grew. This will be a reminder of the LORD's name and an everlasting sign that will never be destroyed.

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy. To the church at Thessalonica united with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Good will and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are yours!

3 We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters. It's right to do this because your faith is showing remarkable growth and your love for each other is increasing.

4 That's why we brag in God's churches about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions and suffering you are experiencing.

5 Your suffering proves that God's judgment is right and that you are considered worthy of his kingdom.

6 Certainly, it is right for God to give suffering to those who cause you to suffer.

7 It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, [coming] from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire.

8 He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus.

9 They will pay the penalty by being destroyed forever, by being separated from the Lord's presence and from his glorious power.

10 [This will happen] on that day when he comes to be honored among all his holy people and admired by all who have believed in him. This includes you because you believed the testimony we gave you.

11 With this in mind, we always pray that our God will make you worthy of his call. We also pray that through [his] power he will help you accomplish every good desire and help you do everything your faith produces.

12 That way the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored among you. Then, because of the good will of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, you will be honored by him.