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

1 This is what the Lord says: "People of Israel, you say I divorced your mother. Then where is the paper that proves it? Or do you think I sold you to pay a debt? Because of the evil things you did, I sold you. Because of the times she turned against me, your mother was sent away.

2 I came home and found no one there; I called, but no one answered. Do you think I am not able to save you? Do I not have the power to save you? Look, I need only to shout and the sea becomes dry. I change rivers into a desert, and their fish rot because there is no water; they die of thirst.

3 I can make the skies dark; I can make them black like clothes of sadness."

4 The Lord God gave me the ability to teach so that I know what to say to make the weak strong. Every morning he wakes me. He teaches me to listen like a student.

5 The Lord God helps me learn, and I have not turned against him nor stopped following him.

6 I offered my back to those who beat me. I offered my cheeks to those who pulled my beard. I won't hide my face from them when they make fun of me and spit at me.

7 The Lord God helps me, so I will not be ashamed. I will be determined, and I know I will not be disgraced.

8 He shows that I am innocent, and he is close to me. So who can accuse me? If there is someone, let us go to court together. If someone wants to prove I have done wrong, he should come and tell me.

9 Look! It is the Lord God who helps me. So who can prove me guilty? Look! All those who try will become useless like old clothes; moths will eat them.

10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? That person may walk in the dark and have no light. and depend on his God.

11 But instead, some of you want to light your own fires and make your own light. So, go, walk in the light of your fires, and trust your own light to guide you. But this is what you will receive from me: You will lie down in a place of pain.

1 The Lord says, "Listen to me, those of you who try to live right and follow the Lord. Look at the rock from which you were cut; look at the stone quarry from which you were dug.

2 Look at Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your ancestors. Abraham had no children when I called him, but I blessed him and gave him many descendants.

3 So the Lord will comfort Jerusalem; he will show mercy to those who live in her ruins. He will change her deserts into a garden like Eden; he will make her empty lands like the garden of the Lord. People there will be very happy; they will give thanks and sing songs.

4 "My people, listen to me; my nation, pay attention to me. I will give the people my teachings, and my decisions will be like a light to all people.

5 I will soon show that I do what is right. I will soon save you. I will use my power and judge all nations. All the faraway places are waiting for me; they wait for my power to help them.

6 Look up to the heavens. Look around you at the earth below. The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke. The earth will become useless like old clothes, and its people will die like flies. But my salvation will continue forever, and my goodness will never end.

7 "You people who know what is right should listen to me; you people who follow my teachings should hear what I say. Don't be afraid of the evil things people say, and don't be upset by their insults.

8 Moths will eat those people as if they were clothes, and worms will eat them as if they were wool. But my goodness will continue forever, and my salvation will continue from now on."

9 Wake up, wake up, and use your strength, powerful Lord. Wake up as you did in the old times, as you did a long time ago. With your own power, you cut Rahab into pieces and killed that sea monster.

10 You dried up the sea and the waters of the deep ocean. You made the deepest parts of the sea into a road for your people to cross over and be saved.

11 The people the Lord has freed will return and enter Jerusalem with joy. Their happiness will last forever. They will have joy and gladness, and all sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.

12 The Lord says, "I am the one who comforts you. So why should you be afraid of people, who die? Why should you fear people who die like the grass?

13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the skies and made the earth? Why are you always afraid of those angry people who trouble you and who want to destroy? But where are those angry people now?

14 People in prison will soon be set free; they will not die in prison, and they will have enough food.

15 I am the Lord your God, who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar. My name is the Lord All-Powerful.

16 I will give you the words I want you to say. I will cover you with my hands and protect you. I made the heavens and the earth, and I say to Jerusalem, 'You are my people.'"

17 Awake! Awake! Get up, Jerusalem. The Lord was very angry with you; your punishment was like wine in a cup. The Lord made you drink that wine; you drank the whole cup until you stumbled.

18 Jerusalem had many people, but there was not one to lead her. Of all the people who grew up there, no one was there to guide her.

19 Troubles came to you two by two, but no one will feel sorry for you. There was ruin and disaster, great hunger and fighting. No one can comfort you.

20 Your people have become weak. They fall down and lie on every street corner, like animals caught in a net. and have heard God's angry shout.

21 So listen to me, poor Jerusalem, you who are drunk but not from wine.

22 Your God will defend his people. "The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine. You drank it and could not walk straight. But I am taking that cup of my anger away from you, and you will never be punished by my anger again.

23 I will now give that cup of punishment to those who gave you pain, who told you, 'Bow down so we can walk over you.' They made your back like dirt for them to walk on; you were like a street for them to travel on."

1 Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem! Become strong! Be beautiful again, holy city of Jerusalem. will not enter you again.

2 Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner. Now shake off the dust and stand up. Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner. Now free yourself from the chains around your neck.

3 This is what the Lord says: "You were not sold for a price, so you will be saved without cost."

4 This is what the Lord God says: "First my people went down to Egypt to live. Later Assyria made them slaves.

5 "Now see what has happened," says the Lord. "Another nation has taken away my people for nothing. This nation who rules them makes fun of me," says the Lord. "All day long they speak against me.

6 This has happened so my people will know who I am, and so, on that future day, they will know that I am the one speaking to them. It will really be me."

7 How beautiful is the person who comes over the mountains to bring good news, who announces peace and brings good news, who announces salvation and says to Jerusalem, "Your God is King."

8 Listen! Your guards are shouting. They are all shouting for joy! They all will see with their own eyes when the Lord returns to Jerusalem.

9 Jerusalem, your buildings are destroyed now, but shout and rejoice together, because the Lord has comforted his people. He has saved Jerusalem.

10 The Lord will show his holy power to all the nations. Then everyone on earth will see the salvation of our God.

11 You people, leave, leave; get out of Babylon! Touch nothing that is unclean. You men who carry the Lord's things used in worship, leave there and make yourselves pure.

12 You will not be forced to leave Babylon quickly; you will not be forced to run away, because the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will guard you from behind.

13 The Lord says, "See, my servant will act wisely. People will greatly honor and respect him.

14 Many people were shocked when they saw him. His appearance was so changed he did not look like a man; his form was changed so much they could barely tell he was human.

15 But now he will surprise many nations. Kings will be amazed and shut their mouths. They will see things they had not been told about him, and they will understand things they had not heard."

1 Now, brothers and sisters, we do not need to write you about times and dates.

2 You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief that comes in the night.

3 While people are saying, "We have peace and we are safe," they will be destroyed quickly. It is like pains that come quickly to a woman having a baby. Those people will not escape.

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness, and so that day will not surprise you like a thief.

5 You are all people who belong to the light and to the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.

6 So we should not be like other people who are sleeping, but we should be alert and have self-control.

7 Those who sleep, sleep at night. Those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

8 But we belong to the day, so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us, and the hope of salvation should be our helmet.

9 God did not choose us to suffer his anger but to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

10 Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.

11 So encourage each other and give each other strength, just as you are doing now.

12 Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to appreciate those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you.

13 Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do. Live in peace with each other.

14 We ask you, brothers and sisters, to warn those who do not work. Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

15 Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.

16 Always be joyful.

17 Pray continually,

18 and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit.

20 Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant.

21 But test everything. Keep what is good,

22 and stay away from everything that is evil.

23 Now may God himself, the God of peace, make you pure, belonging only to him. May your whole self -- spirit, soul, and body -- be kept safe and without fault when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

24 You can trust the One who calls you to do that for you.

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

26 Give each other a holy kiss when you meet.

27 I tell you by the authority of the Lord to read this letter to all the believers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.