Isaiah 59; Isaiah 60; Isaiah 61; 2 Thessalonians 3

1 People of Israel, the LORD's arm is not too weak to save you. His ears aren't too deaf to hear your cry for help.

2 But your sins have separated you from your God. They have caused him to turn his face away from you. So he won't listen to you.

3 Your hands and fingers are stained with blood. You are guilty of committing murder. Your mouth has told lies. Your tongue says evil things.

4 People aren't fair when they present their cases in court. They aren't honest when they state their case. They depend on weak arguments. They tell lies. They plan to make trouble. Then they carry it out.

5 The plans they make are like the eggs of poisonous snakes. Anyone who eats those eggs will die. When one of them is broken, a snake comes out.

6 Those people weave their evil plans together like a spider's web. But the webs they make can't be used as clothes. They can't cover themselves with what they make. Their acts are evil. They do things to harm others.

7 They are always in a hurry to sin. They run quickly to murder those who aren't guilty. Their thoughts are evil. They leave a trail of suffering and pain.

8 They don't know how to live at peace with others. What they do isn't fair. They lead twisted lives. No one who lives like that will enjoy peace and rest.

9 We aren't being treated fairly. We haven't been set free yet. The God who always does what is right hasn't come to help us. We look for light. But we see nothing but darkness. We look for brightness. But we walk in deep shadows.

10 Like blind people we feel our way along the wall. We are like those who can't see. At noon we trip and fall as if the sun had already set. Compared to those who are healthy, we are like dead people.

11 All of us growl like hungry bears. We cry like sad doves. We want the LORD to do what is fair and save us. But he doesn't do it. We long for him to set us free. But the time for that seems far away.

12 That's because we've done so many things he considers wrong. Our sins prove that we are guilty. The wrong things we've done are always troubling us. We admit that we have sinned.

13 We've refused to obey the Lord. We've made evil plans against him. We've turned our backs on our God. We've stirred up trouble and refused to follow him. We've told lies that came from our own minds.

14 So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there.

15 In fact, truth can't be found anywhere. Those who refuse to do evil are attacked. The LORD sees that people aren't treating others fairly. That makes him unhappy.

16 He sees that there is no one who helps his people. He is shocked that no one stands up for them. So he will use his own powerful arm to save them. He has the strength to do it because he is holy.

17 He will put the armor of holiness on his chest. He'll put the helmet of salvation on his head. He'll pay people back for the wrong things they do. He'll wrap himself in anger as if it were a coat.

18 He will pay his enemies back for what they have done. He'll pour his anger out on them. He'll punish those who attack him. He'll give the people in the islands what they have coming to them.

19 People in the west will show respect for the LORD's name. People in the east will worship him because of his glory. The LORD will come like a rushing river that was held back. His breath will drive it along.

20 "I set my people free. I will come to Mount Zion. I will come to those in Jacob's family who turn away from their sins," announces the Lord.

21 "Here is the covenant I will make with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit is on you. I have put my words in your mouth. They will never leave your mouth. And they will never leave the mouths of your children or their children after them. That will be true for all time to come," says the Lord.

1 "People of Jerusalem, get up. Shine, because your light has come. My glory will shine on you.

2 Darkness covers the earth. Thick darkness spreads over the nations. But I will rise and shine on you. My glory will appear over you.

3 Nations will come to your light. Kings will come to the brightness of your new day.

4 "Look up. Look all around you. All of your people are getting together to come back to you. Your sons will come from far away. Your daughters will be carried like little children.

5 Then your face will glow with joy. Your heart will beat fast because you are so happy. Wealth from across the ocean will be brought to you. The riches of the nations will come to you.

6 Herds of young camels will cover your land. They will come from Midian and Ephah. They will also come from Sheba. They'll carry gold and incense. And people will shout praises to me.

7 All of Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you. The rams of Nebaioth will serve as your sacrifices. I will accept them as offerings on my altar. That is how I will bring honor to my glorious temple.

8 "Whose ships are these that sail along like clouds? They fly like doves to their nests.

9 People from the islands are coming to me. The ships of Tarshish are out in front. They are bringing your children back from far away. Your children are bringing their silver and gold with them. They are coming to honor me. I am the LORD your God. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have honored you.

10 "People from other lands will rebuild your walls. Their kings will serve you. When I was angry with you, I struck you. But now I will show you my tender love.

11 Your gates will always stand open. They will never be shut, day or night. Then people can bring you the wealth of the nations. Their kings will come along with them.

12 The nation or kingdom that will not serve you will be destroyed. It will be completely wiped out.

13 "Lebanon's glorious trees will be brought to you. Its pines, firs and cypress trees will be brought. They will be used to make my temple beautiful. And I will bring glory to the place where my throne is.

14 The children of those who crush you will come and bow down to you. All those who hate you will kneel down at your feet. Jerusalem, they will call you The City of the Lord. They will name you Zion, the City of the Holy One of Israel.

15 "You have been deserted and hated. No one even travels through you. But I will make you into something to be proud of forever. You will be a place of joy for all time to come.

16 You will get everything you need from kings and nations. You will be like children who are nursing at their mother's breasts. Then you will know that I am the one who saves you. I am the Lord. I set you free. I am the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold. In place of iron I will give you silver. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze. In place of stones I will give you iron. I will make peace govern you. I will make godliness rule over you.

18 People will no longer harm one another in your land. They will not wipe out or destroy anything inside your borders. You will call your walls Salvation. And you will name your gates Praise.

19 You will not need the light of the sun by day anymore. The bright light of the moon will no longer have to shine on you. I will be your light forever. My glory will shine on you. I am the LORD your God.

20 Your sun will never set again. Your moon will never lose its light. I will be your light forever. Your days of sorrow will come to an end.

21 Then all of your people will do what is right. The land will belong to them forever. They will be like a young tree I have planted. My hands have created them. They will show how glorious I am.

22 The smallest family among you will become a tribe. The smallest tribe will become a mighty nation. I am the Lord. When it is the right time, I will act quickly."

1 The Spirit of the LORD and King is on me. The LORD has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to comfort those whose hearts have been broken. He has sent me to announce freedom for those who have been captured. He wants me to set prisoners free from their dark prisons.

2 He has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free. He wants me to announce the day when he will pay his enemies back. Our God has sent me to comfort all those who are sad.

3 He wants me to help those in Zion who are filled with sorrow. I will put beautiful crowns on their heads in place of ashes. I will anoint them with oil to give them gladness instead of sorrow. I will give them a spirit of praise in place of a spirit of sadness. They will be like oak trees that are strong and straight. The LORD himself will plant them in the land. That will show how glorious he is.

4 They will rebuild the places that were destroyed long ago. They will repair the buildings that have been broken down for many years. They will make the destroyed cities like new again. They have been broken down for a very long time.

5 Outsiders will serve you by taking care of your flocks. People from other lands will work in your fields and vineyards.

6 You will be called priests of the Lord. You will be named workers for our God. You will enjoy the wealth of nations. You will brag about getting their riches.

7 Instead of being put to shame my people will receive a double share of wealth. Instead of being dishonored they will be glad to be in their land. They will receive a double share of riches there. And they'll be filled with joy that will last forever.

8 The LORD says, "I love those who do what is right. I hate it when people steal and do other sinful things. So I will be faithful to those who do what is right. And I will bless them. I will make a covenant with them that will last forever.

9 Their children after them will be famous among the nations. Their families will be praised by people everywhere. All those who see them will agree that I have blessed them."

10 The people of Jerusalem will say, "We take great delight in the Lord. We are joyful because we belong to our God. He has dressed us with salvation as if it were our clothes. He has put robes of godliness on us. We are like a groom who is dressed up for his wedding. We are like a bride who decorates herself with her jewels.

11 The soil makes the young plant come up. A garden causes seeds to grow. In the same way, the LORD and King will make godliness grow. And all of the nations will praise him."

1 Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread quickly. Pray that others will honor it just as you did.

2 And pray that we will be saved from sinful and evil people. Not everyone is a believer.

3 But the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you. He will guard you from the evil one.

4 We trust in the Lord. So we are sure that you are doing the things we tell you to do. And we are sure that you will keep on doing them.

5 May the Lord fill your hearts with God's love. May Christ give you the strength to go on.

6 Brothers and sisters, here is a command we give you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep away from every believer who doesn't want to work. Keep away from anyone who doesn't live up to the teaching you received from us.

7 You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you.

8 We didn't eat anyone's food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn't cause any expense to any of you.

9 We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow.

10 Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said, "Anyone who will not work will not eat."

11 We hear that some people among you don't want to work. They aren't really busy. Instead, they are bothering others.

12 We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat.

13 Brothers and sisters, don't ever get tired of doing the right thing.

14 Keep an eye on anyone who doesn't obey the directions in our letter. Watch that person closely. Have nothing to do with him. Then he will feel ashamed.

15 But don't think of him as an enemy. Instead, warn him as a brother or sister.

16 May the Lord who gives peace give you peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of you.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own handwriting. That's how I prove that I am the author of all my letters. I always do it that way.

18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.