Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold^(A)

19 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore^(B) his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. ² He sent Eliakim^(C) the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,^(D) all wearing sackcloth,^(E) to the prophet Isaiah^(F) son of Amoz. ³ They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment^(G) of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule^(H) the living God, and that he will rebuke^(I) him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant^(J) that still survives.”

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid^(K) of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed^(L) me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report,^(M) I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.^(N)’”

⁸ When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,^(O) he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.^(P)

⁹ Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush,^[a] was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: ¹⁰ “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend^(Q) on deceive^(R) you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ ¹¹ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? ¹² Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver^(S) them—the gods of Gozan,^(T) Harran,^(U) Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”^(V)

Hezekiah’s Prayer^(W)

¹⁴ Hezekiah received the letter^(X) from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,^(Y) you alone^(Z) are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Give ear,^(AA) Lord, and hear;^(AB) open your eyes,^(AC) Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

¹⁷ “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods^(AD) but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.^{(AE) 19} Now, Lord our God, deliver^(AF) us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms^(AG) of the earth may know^(AH) that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall^(AI)(AJ)

²⁰ Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard^(AK) your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. ²¹ This is the word that the Lord has spoken against^(AL) him:

²⁹ “This will be the sign^(BG) for you, Hezekiah:

“The zeal^(BN) of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

³² “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

³⁵ That night the angel of the Lord^(BR) went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!^{(BS) 36} So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.^(BT) He returned to Nineveh^(BU) and stayed there.

³⁷ One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek^(BV) and Sharezer killed him with the sword,^(BW) and they escaped to the land of Ararat.^(BX) And Esarhaddon^(BY) his son succeeded him as king.

The Day of the Lord

5 Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates^(A) we do not need to write to you,^{(B) 2} for you know very well that the day of the Lord^(C) will come like a thief in the night.^{(D) 3} While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”^(E) destruction will come on them suddenly,^(F) as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.^(G)

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness^(H) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.^{(I) 5} You are all children of the light^(J) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep,^(K) but let us be awake^(L) and sober.^{(M) 7} For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.^{(N) 8} But since we belong to the day,^(O) let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate,^(P) and the hope of salvation^(Q) as a helmet.^{(R) 9} For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath^(S) but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(T) 10} He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.^{(U) 11} Therefore encourage one another^(V) and build each other up,^(W) just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard^(X) among you, who care for you in the Lord^(Y) and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.^{(Z) 14} And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle^(AA) and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak,^(AB) be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,^(AC) but always strive to do what is good for each other^(AD) and for everyone else.

¹⁶ Rejoice always,^{(AE) 17} pray continually,^{(AF) 18} give thanks in all circumstances;^(AG) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.^{(AH) 20} Do not treat prophecies^(AI) with contempt ²¹ but test them all;^(AJ) hold on to what is good,^{(AK) 22} reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace,^(AL) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul^(AM) and body be kept blameless^(AN) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(AO) 24} The one who calls^(AP) you is faithful,^(AQ) and he will do it.^(AR)

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.^{(AS) 26} Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.^{(AT) 27} I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.^(AU)

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.^(AV)

1 Paul, Silas^[a](A) and Timothy,^(B)

To the church of the Thessalonians^(C) in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

² Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^(D)

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³ We ought always to thank God for you,^(E) brothers and sisters,^[b] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.^{(F) 4} Therefore, among God’s churches we boast^(G) about your perseverance and faith^(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.^(I)

⁵ All this is evidence^(J) that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy^(K) of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just:^(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you^{(M) 7} and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven^(N) in blazing fire^(O) with his powerful angels.^{(P) 8} He will punish^(Q) those who do not know God^(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.^{(S) 9} They will be punished with everlasting destruction^(T) and shut out from the presence of the Lord^(U) and from the glory of his might^{(V) 10} on the day^(W) he comes to be glorified^(X) in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.^(Y)

¹¹ With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,^(Z) that our God may make you worthy^(AA) of his calling,^(AB) and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness^(AC) and your every deed prompted by faith.^{(AD) 12} We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,^(AE) and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[c]

1 The word of the Lord that came^(A) to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah,^(B) Jotham,^(C) Ahaz^(D) and Hezekiah,^(E) kings of Judah,^(F) and during the reign of Jeroboam^(G) son of Jehoash^[a] king of Israel:^(H)

Hosea’s Wife and Children

² When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous^(I) woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness^(J) to the Lord.” ³ So he married Gomer^(K) daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel,^(L) because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. ⁵ In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.^(M)”

⁶ Gomer^(N) conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”),^(O) for I will no longer show love to Israel,^(P) that I should at all forgive them. ⁷ Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow,^(Q) sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God,^(R) will save them.”

⁸ After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah,^(S) Gomer had another son. ⁹ Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.^[b](T)

¹⁰ “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted.^(U) In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’^{(V) 11} The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together;^(W) they will appoint one leader^(X) and will come up out of the land,^(Y) for great will be the day of Jezreel.^[c](Z)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.