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

1 Who has believed what we've been saying? Who has seen the LORD's saving power?

2 His servant grew up like a tender young plant. He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground. He didn't have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him. There wasn't anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him.

3 Men looked down on him. They didn't accept him. He knew all about sorrow and suffering. He was like someone people turn their faces away from. We looked down on him. We didn't have any respect for him.

4 He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer.

5 But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us.

6 All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God. All of us have turned to our own way. And the LORD has placed on his servant the sins of all of us.

7 He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn't open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn't open his mouth.

8 He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then he was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people. Who among those who were living at that time could have understood those things?

9 He was given a grave with those who were evil. But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man. He was killed even though he hadn't harmed anyone. And he had never lied to anyone.

10 The LORD says, "It was my plan to crush him and cause him to suffer. I made his life a guilt offering to pay for sin. But he will see all of his children after him. In fact, he will continue to live. My plan will be brought about through him.

11 After he suffers, he will see the light that leads to life. And he will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what he will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins.

12 So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great. He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle. That is because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice. He was counted among those who had committed crimes. He took the sins of many people on himself. And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong."

1 "Jerusalem, sing! You are now like a woman who never had a child. Burst into song! Shout with joy! You who have never had labor pains, you are now all alone. But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband," says the Lord.

2 "Make a large area for your tent. Spread out its curtains. Go ahead and make your tent wider. Make its ropes longer. Drive the stakes down deeper.

3 You will spread out to the right and the left. Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land. They will settle down in the deserted cities of those nations.

4 "Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonored. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylonia.

5 I made you. I am now your husband. My name is The LORD Who Rules Over All. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have set you free. I am the God of the whole earth.

6 You were like a wife who was deserted. And her heart was broken. You were like a wife who married young. And her husband sent her away. But now I am calling you to come back," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I left you. But because I love you so much, I will bring you back.

8 For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue forever," says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.

9 "During Noah's time I took an oath and made a promise. I said I would never cover the earth with water again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you. I will never punish you again.

10 The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken. And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be broken," says the Lord. He shows you his loving concern.

11 "Suffering city, you have been beaten by storms. You have not been comforted. I will rebuild you with turquoise stones. I will rebuild your foundations with sapphires.

12 I will line the top of your city wall with rubies. I will make your gates out of gleaming jewels. And I will make all of your walls out of precious stones.

13 I will teach all of your children. And they will enjoy great peace.

14 When you do what is right, you will be made secure. Your leaders will not be mean to you. You will not have anything to be afraid of. You will not be terrified anymore. Terror will not come near you.

15 People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it. Those who attack you will give themselves up to you.

16 "I created blacksmiths. They fan the coals into flames of fire. They make weapons that are fit for their work. I also created those who destroy others.

17 But no weapon that is used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them," announces the Lord.

1 "Come, all of you who are thirsty. Come and drink the water I offer to you. You who do not have any money, come. Buy and eat the grain I give you. Come and buy wine and milk. You will not have to pay anything for it.

2 Why spend money on what is not food? Why work for what does not satisfy you? Listen carefully to me. Then you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the richest food there is.

3 Listen and come to me. Pay attention to me. Then you will live. I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. I will give you my faithful love. I promised it to David.

4 I made him a witness to the nations. He became a leader and commander over them.

5 You too will send for nations you do not know. Even though they do not know you, they will hurry and come to you. That is what I will do. I am the LORD your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you."

6 Turn to the LORD before it's too late. Call out to him while he's still ready to help you.

7 Let the one who is evil stop doing evil things. And let him quit thinking evil thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord. The LORD will show him his tender love. Let him turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive.

8 "My thoughts are not like your thoughts. And your ways are not like my ways," announces the Lord.

9 "The heavens are higher than the earth. And my ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.

10 The rain and the snow come down from the sky. They do not return to it without watering the earth. They make plants come up and grow. The plants produce seeds for farmers. They also produce food for people to eat.

11 The words I speak are like that. They will not return to me without producing results. They will accomplish what I want them to. They will do exactly what I sent them to do.

12 "My people, you will leave Babylonia with joy. You will be led out of it in peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song as you go. And all of the trees in the fields will clap their hands.

13 Pine trees will grow where there used to be bushes that had thorns on them. And myrtle trees will grow where there used to be thorns. That will bring me great fame. It will be a lasting reminder of what I can do. It will not be forgotten."

1 I, Paul, am writing this letter. Silas and Timothy join me in writing. We are sending this letter to you, the members of the church in Thessalonica. You belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

3 Brothers and sisters, we should always thank God for you. That is only right, because your faith is growing more and more. The love you all have for each other is increasing.

4 So among God's churches we brag about the fact that you don't give up easily. We brag about your faith in all the suffering and testing you are going through.

5 All of this proves that when God judges, he is fair. So you will be considered worthy to enter God's kingdom. You are suffering for his kingdom.

6 God is fair. He will pay back trouble to those who give you trouble.

7 He will help you who are troubled. And he will also help us. All of those things will happen when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come in blazing fire. He will come with the angels who are given the power to do what God wants.

8 He will punish those who don't know God. He will punish those who don't obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.

9 They will be destroyed forever. They will be shut out of heaven. They will never see the glory of the Lord's power.

10 All of those things will happen when he comes. On that day his glory will be seen in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. That includes you, because you believed the witness we gave you.

11 Keeping this in mind, we never stop praying for you. Our God has chosen you. We pray that he will consider you worthy of his choice. We pray that by his power he will make every good thing you have planned come true. We pray that he will make perfect all that you have done by faith.

12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory through what you have done. We also pray that you will receive glory through what he has done. We pray all these things in keeping with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.