Isaiah 43; Isaiah 44; 1 Thessalonians 2

1 But now, says the LORD— the one who created you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel: Don't fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when through the rivers, they won't sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you won't be scorched and flame won't burn you.

3 I am the LORD your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.

4 Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you. I give people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life.

5 Don't fear, I am with you. From the east I'll bring your children; from the west I'll gather you.

6 I'll say to the north, "Give them back!" and to the south, "Don't detain them." Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the end of the earth,

7 everyone who is called by my name and whom I created for my glory, whom I have formed and made.

8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes, the deaf ones who have ears.

9 All the nations are gathered together; the peoples are assembled. Which of them announced this? Who predicted to us the past events? Let them bring their witnesses as a defense; let them hear and say, "It's true!"

10 You are my witnesses, says the LORD, my servant, whom I chose, so that you would know and believe me and understand that I am the one. Before me no god was formed; after me there has been no other.

11 I, I am the LORD, and there is no savior besides me.

12 I announced, I saved, I proclaimed, not some stranger among you. You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and I am God.

13 From the dawn of time, I am the one. No one can escape my power. I act, and who can undo it?

14 The LORD your redeemer, the holy one of Israel, says, For your sake, I have sent an army to Babylon, and brought down all the bars, turning the Chaldeans' singing into a lament.

15 I am the LORD, your holy one, Israel's creator, your king!

16 The LORD says—who makes a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters,

17 who brings out chariot and horse, army and battalion; they will lie down together and will not rise; they will be extinguished, extinguished like a wick.

18 Don't remember the prior things; don't ponder ancient history.

19 Look! I'm doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don't you recognize it? I'm making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.

20 The beasts of the field, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me, because I have put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness to give water to my people, my chosen ones,

21 this people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.

22 But you didn't call out to me, Jacob; you were tired of me, Israel.

23 You didn't bring me lambs for your entirely burned offering; you didn't honor me with your sacrifices. I didn't make you worship with offerings; I didn't weary you with frankincense.

24 You didn't buy spices for me with your money, or satisfy me with the fat of your sacrifices. Instead, you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your evil actions.

25 I, I am the one who wipes out your rebellious behavior for my sake. I won't remember your sin.

26 Summon me, and let's go to trial together; you tell your story so that you may be vindicated!

27 Your first ancestor sinned, and your officials rebelled against me.

28 So I made the holy officials impure, handed over Jacob to destruction and Israel to abuse.

1 But now hear this, Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

2 The LORD your maker, who formed you in the womb and will help you, says: Don't fear, my servant Jacob, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

3 I will pour out water upon thirsty ground and streams upon dry land. I will pour out my spirit upon your descendants and my blessing upon your offspring.

4 They will spring up from among the reeds like willows by flowing streams.

5 This one will say, "I am the LORD's," and that one will be named after Jacob. Another will write on his hand, "The LORD's" and will take the name Israel.

6 The LORD, Israel's king and redeemer, the LORD of heavenly forces, says: I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there are no gods.

7 Who is like me? Let them speak up, explain it, and lay it out for me. Who announced long ago what is to be? Let them tell us what is to come.

8 Don't tremble; have no fear! Didn't I proclaim it? Didn't I inform you long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no other rock; I know of none.

9 Idol-makers are all as nothing; their playthings do no good. Their promoters neither see nor know anything, so they ought to be ashamed.

10 Who would form a god or cast an idol that does no good?

11 All its worshippers will be ashamed, and its artisans, who are only human. They will all gather and stand, tremble and be ashamed together.

12 A blacksmith with his tools works it over coals, and shapes it with hammers, and works it with his strong arm. He even becomes hungry and weak. If he didn't drink water, he'd pass out.

13 A carpenter stretches out a string, marks it out with a stylus, fashions it with carving tools, and marks it with a compass. He makes it into a human form, like a splendid human, to live in a temple.

14 He cuts down cedars for himself, or chooses a cypress or oak, selecting from all the trees of the forest. He plants a pine, and the rain makes it grow.

15 It becomes suitable to burn for humans, so he takes some of the wood and warms himself. He kindles fire and bakes bread. He fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.

16 Half of it he burns in the fire; on that half he roasts and eats meat, and he is satisfied. He warms himself and says, "Ah, I'm warm, watching the fire!"

17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, into his idol, and he bows down, worships, and prays to it, saying, "Save me, for you are my god!"

18 They don't know or comprehend, for their eyes can't see and their minds can't comprehend.

19 He doesn't think, and has no knowledge or understanding to think: Half of it I burned in the fire, and I baked bread on its coals, and roasted meat and ate. Should I make the rest into something detestable? Should I bow down to a block of wood?

20 He's feeding on ashes; his deluded mind has led him astray. He can't save himself and say, "Isn't this thing in my hand a lie?"

21 Remember these things, Jacob; Israel, for you are my servant. I formed you; you are my servant! I won't forget you, Israel.

22 I swept away your rebellions like a cloud, and your sins like fog. Return to me, because I have redeemed you.

23 Sing, heavens, for the LORD has acted; shout, depths of the earth! Burst out with a ringing cry, you mountains, forest, and every tree in it. The LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself through Israel.

24 The LORD your redeemer who formed you in the womb says: I am the LORD, the maker of all, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

25 who frustrates the omens of diviners and makes a mockery of magicians, who turns back the wise and turns their knowledge into folly.

26 But who confirms the word of my servant, and fulfills the predictions of my messengers; who says about Jerusalem, "It will be resettled"; and who says about the cities of Judah, "They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins";

27 who says to the ocean depths, "Dry up; I will dry your streams";

28 who says about Cyrus, "My shepherd— he will do all that I want"; who says about Jerusalem, "She will be rebuilt"; and who says about the temple, "You will be founded once again."

1 As you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, our visit with you wasn't a waste of time.

2 On the contrary, we had the courage through God to speak God's good news in spite of a lot of opposition, although we had already suffered and were publicly insulted, as you know.

3 Our appeal isn't based on false information, the wrong motives, or deception.

4 Rather, we have been examined and approved by God to be trusted with the good news, and that's exactly how we speak. We aren't trying to please people, but we are trying to please God, who continues to examine our hearts.

5 As you know, we never used flattery, and God is our witness that we didn't have greedy motives.

6 We didn't ask for special treatment from people—not from you or from others—

7 although we could have thrown our weight around as Christ's apostles. Instead, we were gentle with you like a nursing mother caring for her own children.

8 We were glad to share not only God's good news with you but also our very lives because we cared for you so much.

9 You remember, brothers and sisters, our efforts and hard work. We preached God's good news to you, while we worked night and day so we wouldn't be a burden on any of you.

10 You and God are witnesses of how holy, just, and blameless we were toward you believers.

11 Likewise, you know how we treated each of you like a father treats his own children.

12 We appealed to you, encouraged you, and pleaded with you to live lives worthy of the God who is calling you into his own kingdom and glory.

13 We also thank God constantly for this: when you accepted God's word that you heard from us, you welcomed it for what it truly is. Instead of accepting it as a human message, you accepted it as God's message, and it continues to work in you who are believers.

14 Brothers and sisters, you became imitators of the churches of God in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. This was because you also suffered the same things from your own people as they did from the Jews.

15 They killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They don't please God, and they are hostile to the entire human race

16 when they try to stop us from speaking to the Gentiles so they can be saved. Their sins are constantly pushing the limit. God's wrath has caught up with them in the end.

17 Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a while physically but not in our hearts. We made every effort in our desire to see you again face-to-face.

18 We wanted to come to you—I, Paul, tried over and over again—and Satan stopped us.

19 What is our hope, joy, or crown that we can brag about in front of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Isn't it all of you?

20 You are our glory and joy!