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

Isaiah 59

1 Indeed, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear.

2 But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide [His] face from you so that He does not listen.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and you mutter injustice.

4 No one makes claims justly; no one pleads honestly. They trust in empty and worthless words; they conceive trouble and give birth to iniquity.

5 They hatch viper's eggs and weave spider's webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

6 Their webs cannot become clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works are sinful works, and violent acts are in their hands.

7 Their feet run after evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and wretchedness are in their paths.

8 They have not known the path of peace, and there is no justice in their ways. They have made their roads crooked; no one who walks on them will know peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we live in the night.

10 We grope along a wall like the blind; we grope like those without eyes. We stumble at noon as though it were twilight; [we are] like the dead among those who are healthy.

11 We all growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, [but] it is far from us.

12 For our transgressions have multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities:

13 transgression and deception against the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.

14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.

15 Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The Lord saw that there was no justice, and He was offended.

16 He saw that there was no man- He was amazed that there was no one interceding; so His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness supported Him.

17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and He wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak.

18 Thus He will repay according to [their] deeds: fury to His enemies, retribution to His foes, and He will repay the coastlands.

19 They will fear the name of the Lord in the west, and His glory in the east; for He will come like a rushing stream driven by the wind of the Lord.

20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression. [This is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration.

21 "As for Me, this is My covenant with them," says the Lord: "My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children's children, from now on and forever," says the Lord.

Isaiah 60

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you.

2 For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the Lord will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you.

3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your radiance.

4 Raise your eyes and look around: they all gather and come to you; your sons will come from far away, and your daughters will be carried on the hip.

5 Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and rejoice, because the riches of the sea will become yours, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.

6 Caravans of camels will cover your land- young camels of Midian and Ephah- all of them will come from Sheba. They will carry gold and frankincense and proclaim the praises of the Lord.

7 All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar as an acceptable [sacrifice]. I will glorify My beautiful house.

8 Who are these who fly like a cloud, like doves to their shelters?

9 Yes, the islands will wait for Me with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

10 Foreigners will build up your walls, and their kings will serve you. Although I struck you in My wrath, yet I will show mercy to you with My favor.

11 Your gates will always be open; they will never be shut day or night so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you, with their kings being led [in procession].

12 For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve you will perish; those nations will be annihilated.

13 The glory of Lebanon will come to you- [its] pine, fir, and cypress together- to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will glorify My dwelling place.

14 The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall down on their faces at your feet. They will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 Instead of your being deserted and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you an object of eternal pride, a joy from age to age.

16 You will nurse on the milk of nations, and nurse at the breast of kings; you will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 I will bring gold instead of bronze; I will bring silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will appoint peace as your guard and righteousness as your ruler.

18 Violence will never again be heard of in your land; devastation and destruction [will be gone from] your borders. But you will name your walls salvation, and your gates praise.

19 The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.

20 Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not fade; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will be over.

21 Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch I planted, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.

22 The least will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; I will accomplish it quickly in its time.

Isaiah 61

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of our God's vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,

3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord, to glorify Him.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.

6 But you will be called the Lord's priests; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will eat the wealth of the nations, and you will boast in their riches.

7 Because your shame was double, and they cried out, "Disgrace is their portion," therefore, they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs.

8 For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and injustice; I will faithfully reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, and their posterity among the peoples. All who see them will recognize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.

10 I greatly rejoice in the Lord, I exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

2 Thessalonians 3

1 Finally, pray for us, brothers, that the Lord's message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,

2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not all have faith.

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

4 We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do what we command.

5 May the Lord direct your hearts to God's love and Christ's endurance.

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who walks irresponsibly and not according to the tradition received from us.

7 For you yourselves know how you must imitate us: we were not irresponsible among you;

8 we did not eat anyone's bread free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

9 It is not that we don't have the right [to support], but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us.

10 In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: "If anyone isn't willing to work, he should not eat."

11 For we hear that there are some among you who walk irresponsibly, not working at all, but interfering with the work [of others].

12 Now we command and exhort such people, by the Lord Jesus Christ, that quietly working, they may eat their own bread.

13 Brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

14 And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don't associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.

15 Yet don't treat him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

16 May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

17 This greeting is in my own hand-Paul. This is a sign in every letter; this is how I write.

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