Isaiah 50; Isaiah 51; Isaiah 52; 1 Thessalonians 5

Isaiah 50

1 This is what the Lord says: Where is your mother's divorce certificate that I used to send her away? Or who were My creditors that I sold you to? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away because of your transgressions.

2 Why was no one there when I came? Why was there no one to answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem? Or do I have no power to deliver? Look, I dry up the sea by My rebuke; I turn the rivers into a wilderness; their fish rot because of lack of water and die of thirst.

3 I dress the heavens in black and make sackcloth their clothing.

4 The Lord God has given Me the tongue of those who are instructed to know how to sustain the weary with a word. He awakens [Me] each morning; He awakens My ear to listen like those being instructed.

5 The Lord God has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn back.

6 I gave My back to those who beat Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spitting.

7 The Lord God will help Me; therefore I have not been humiliated; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

8 The One who justifies Me is near; who will contend with Me? Let us confront each other. Who has a case against Me? Let him come near Me!

9 In truth, the Lord God will help Me; who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed, all of them will wear out like a garment; a moth will devour them.

10 Who among you fears the Lord, listening to the voice of His servant? Who [among you] walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord; let him lean on his God.

11 Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with firebrands; walk in the light of your fire and in the firebrands you have lit! This is what you'll get from My hand: you will lie down in a place of torment.

Isaiah 51

1 Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut, and to the quarry from which you were dug.

2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain. When I called him, he was only one; I blessed him and made him many.

3 For the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.

4 Pay attention to Me, My people, and listen to Me, My nation; for instruction will come from Me, and My justice for a light to the nations. I will bring it about quickly.

5 My righteousness is near, My salvation appears, and My arms will bring justice to the nations. The coastlands will put their hope in Me, and they will look to My strength.

6 Look up to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die in like manner. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never be shattered.

7 Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My instruction: do not fear disgrace by men, and do not be shattered by their taunts.

8 For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, and My salvation for all generations.

9 Wake up, wake up! Put on the strength of the Lord's power. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of long ago. Wasn't it You who hacked Rahab to pieces, who pierced the sea monster?

10 Wasn't it You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the sea-bed into a road for the redeemed to pass over?

11 And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing, crowned with unending joy. Joy and gladness will overtake [them], and sorrow and sighing will flee.

12 I-I am the One who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear man who dies, or a son of man who is given up like grass?

13 But you have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You are in constant dread all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, who has set himself to destroy. But where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The prisoner is soon to be set free; he will not die [and go] to the Pit, and his food will not be lacking.

15 For I am the Lord your God who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- His name is Yahweh of Hosts.

16 I have put My words in your mouth, and covered you in the shadow of My hand, in order to plant the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, "You are My people."

17 Wake yourself, wake yourself up! Stand up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk the cup of His fury from the hand of the Lord; you who have drunk the goblet to the dregs- the cup that [causes people] to stagger.

18 There is no one to guide her among all the children she has raised; there is no one to take hold of her hand among all the offspring she has brought up.

19 These two things have happened to you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? How can I comfort you?

20 Your children have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net. They are full of the Lord's fury, the rebuke of your God.

21 So listen to this, afflicted and drunken one-but not with wine.

22 This is what your Lord says- Yahweh, even your God, who defends His people- "Look, I have removed the cup of staggering from your hand; that goblet, the cup of My fury. You will never drink it again.

23 I will put it into the hands of your tormenters, who said to you: Lie down, so we can walk over you. You made your back like the ground, and like a street for those who walk on it.

Isaiah 52

1 "Wake up, wake up; put on your strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the Holy City! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer enter you.

2 Stand up, shake the dust off yourself! Take your seat, Jerusalem. Remove the bonds from your neck, captive Daughter Zion."

3 For this is what the Lord says: "You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without silver."

4 For this is what the Lord God says: "At first My people went down to Egypt to live there, then Assyria oppressed them without cause.

5 So now what have I here"- the Lord's declaration- "that My people are taken away for nothing? Its rulers wail"- the Lord's declaration- "and My name is continually blasphemed all day long.

6 Therefore My people will know My name; therefore [they will know] on that day that I am He who says: Here I am."

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

8 The voices of your watchmen- they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together; for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion.

9 Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord has displayed His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

11 Leave, leave, go out from there! Do not touch anything unclean; go out from her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

12 For you will not leave in a hurry, and you will not have to take flight; because the Lord is going before you, and the God of Israel is your rear guard.

13 See, My servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.

14 Just as many were appalled at You- His appearance was so disfigured that He did not look like a man, and His form did not resemble a human being-

15 so He will sprinklemany nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him, For they will see what had not been told them, and they will understand what they had not heard.

1 Thessalonians 5

1 About the times and the seasons: brothers, you do not need anything to be written to you.

2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

3 When they say, "Peace and security," then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brothers, are not in the dark, so that this day would overtake you like a thief.

5 For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We're not of the night or of darkness.

6 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be sober.

7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

8 But since we are of the day, we must be sober and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation.

9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

12 Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you,

13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

14 And we exhort you, brothers: warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

16 Rejoice always!

17 Pray constantly.

18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Don't stifle the Spirit.

20 Don't despise prophecies,

21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good.

22 Stay away from every form of evil.

23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us also.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I charge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers.

28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!