2 Thessalonians 1

New International Version

1 Paul, Silas^[a]^(A) and Timothy,^(B)

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

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

Thanksgiving and Prayer

³We 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) ⁴Therefore, among God’s churches we boast^(G) about your perseverance and faith^(H) in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.^(I)

⁵All 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. ⁶God is just:^(L) He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you^(M) ⁷and 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) ⁸He will punish^(Q) those who do not know God^(R) and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.^(S) ⁹They 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) ¹⁰on 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)

¹¹With 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) ¹²We 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]

Footnotes

2 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.
2 Thessalonians 1:12 Or God and Lord, Jesus Christ

Psalm 104

New International Version

Psalm 104

¹Praise the Lord, my soul.^(A)

Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.^(B)

²The Lord wraps^(C) himself in light^(D) as with a garment;
    he stretches^(E) out the heavens^(F) like a tent^(G)
³    and lays the beams^(H) of his upper chambers on their waters.^(I)
He makes the clouds^(J) his chariot^(K)
    and rides on the wings of the wind.^(L)
⁴He makes winds his messengers,^[a]^(M)
    flames of fire^(N) his servants.

⁵He set the earth^(O) on its foundations;^(P)
    it can never be moved.
⁶You covered it^(Q) with the watery depths^(R) as with a garment;
    the waters stood^(S) above the mountains.
⁷But at your rebuke^(T) the waters fled,
    at the sound of your thunder^(U) they took to flight;
⁸they flowed over the mountains,
    they went down into the valleys,
    to the place you assigned^(V) for them.
⁹You set a boundary^(W) they cannot cross;
    never again will they cover the earth.

¹⁰He makes springs^(X) pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
¹¹They give water^(Y) to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys^(Z) quench their thirst.
¹²The birds of the sky^(AA) nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.^(AB)
¹³He waters the mountains^(AC) from his upper chambers;^(AD)
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.^(AE)
¹⁴He makes grass grow^(AF) for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food^(AG) from the earth:
¹⁵wine^(AH) that gladdens human hearts,
    oil^(AI) to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains^(AJ) their hearts.
¹⁶The trees of the Lord^(AK) are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon^(AL) that he planted.
¹⁷There the birds^(AM) make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
¹⁸The high mountains belong to the wild goats;^(AN)
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.^(AO)

¹⁹He made the moon to mark the seasons,^(AP)
    and the sun^(AQ) knows when to go down.
²⁰You bring darkness,^(AR) it becomes night,^(AS)
    and all the beasts of the forest^(AT) prowl.
²¹The lions roar for their prey^(AU)
    and seek their food from God.^(AV)
²²The sun rises, and they steal away;
    they return and lie down in their dens.^(AW)
²³Then people go out to their work,^(AX)
    to their labor until evening.^(AY)

²⁴How many are your works,^(AZ) Lord!
    In wisdom you made^(BA) them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.^(BB)
²⁵There is the sea,^(BC) vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.^(BD)
²⁶There the ships^(BE) go to and fro,
    and Leviathan,^(BF) which you formed to frolic^(BG) there.^(BH)

²⁷All creatures look to you
    to give them their food^(BI) at the proper time.
²⁸When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied^(BJ) with good things.
²⁹When you hide your face,^(BK)
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.^(BL)
³⁰When you send your Spirit,^(BM)
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

³¹May the glory of the Lord^(BN) endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works^(BO)—
³²he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,^(BP)
who touches the mountains,^(BQ) and they smoke.^(BR)

³³I will sing^(BS) to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³⁴May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice^(BT) in the Lord.
³⁵But may sinners vanish^(BU) from the earth
    and the wicked be no more.^(BV)