Isaiah 41:21-42:9
English Standard Version
The Futility of Idols
21 Set forth your case, says the Lord;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
22 Let them bring them, and (A)tell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
that we may consider them,
that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
23 (B)Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
(C)do good, or do harm,
that we may be dismayed and terrified.[a]
24 Behold, (D)you are nothing,
and your work is less than nothing;
an abomination is he who chooses you.
25 (E)I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
(F)from the rising of the sun, (G)and he shall call upon my name;
he shall trample on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.
26 (H)Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know,
and beforehand, that we might say, “He is right”?
There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words.
27 (I)I was the first to say[b] to Zion, “Behold, here they are!”
and (J)I give to Jerusalem a herald of good news.
28 (K)But when I look, there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.
29 (L)Behold, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;
their metal images are empty wind.
The Lord's Chosen Servant
42 (M)Behold (N)my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, (O)in whom my soul delights;
(P)I have put my Spirit upon him;
(Q)he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 (R)a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
(S)he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged[c]
till he has established justice in the earth;
and (T)the coastlands wait for his law.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens (U)and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
(V)who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord; (W)I have called you[d] in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you (X)as a covenant for the people,
(Y)a light for the nations,
7 (Z)to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
(AA)from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
(AB)my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
(AC)and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
I tell you of them.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:23 Or that we may both be dismayed and see
- Isaiah 41:27 Or Formerly I said
- Isaiah 42:4 Or bruised
- Isaiah 42:6 The Hebrew for you is singular; four times in this verse
Psalm 22:1-8
English Standard Version
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
22 (A)My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so (B)far from saving me, from the words of my (C)groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by (D)day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are (E)holy,
(F)enthroned on (G)the praises[a] of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they (H)cried and were rescued;
in you they (I)trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am (J)a worm and not a man,
(K)scorned by mankind and (L)despised by the people.
7 All who see me (M)mock me;
they make mouths at me; they (N)wag their heads;
8 (O)“He trusts in the Lord; let him (P)deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he (Q)delights in him!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises
1 Thessalonians 4-5
English Standard Version
A Life Pleasing to God
4 Finally, then, brothers,[a] we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you (A)received from us (B)how you ought to walk and (C)to please God, just as you are doing, that you (D)do so more and more. 2 For (E)you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, (F)your sanctification:[b] (G)that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own (H)body[c] in holiness and (I)honor, 5 not in (J)the passion of lust (K)like the Gentiles (L)who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and (M)wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is (N)an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For (O)God has not called us for (P)impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore (Q)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, (R)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning (S)brotherly love (T)you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been (U)taught by God (V)to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what (W)you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to (X)do this more and more, 11 and to aspire (Y)to live quietly, and (Z)to mind your own affairs, and (AA)to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may (AB)walk properly before (AC)outsiders and be dependent on no one.
The Coming of the Lord
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, (AD)that you may not grieve as others do (AE)who have no hope. 14 For (AF)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him (AG)those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you (AH)by a word from the Lord,[d] that (AI)we who are alive, who are left until (AJ)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For (AK)the Lord himself will descend (AL)from heaven (AM)with a cry of command, with the voice of (AN)an archangel, and (AO)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And (AP)the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be (AQ)caught up together with them (AR)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so (AS)we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now concerning (AT)the times and the seasons, brothers,[e] (AU)you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that (AV)the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then (AW)sudden destruction will come upon them (AX)as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you (AY)are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all (AZ)children[f] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then (BA)let us not sleep, as others do, but let us (BB)keep awake and (BC)be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, (BD)are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, (BE)having put on the breastplate of (BF)faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for (BG)wrath, but (BH)to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (BI)who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Final Instructions and Benediction
12 We ask you, brothers, (BJ)to respect those who labor among you and (BK)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (BL)Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish (BM)the idle,[g] (BN)encourage the fainthearted, (BO)help the weak, (BP)be patient with them all. 15 See that (BQ)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always (BR)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 (BS)Rejoice always, 17 (BT)pray without ceasing, 18 (BU)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 (BV)Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise (BW)prophecies, 21 but (BX)test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may (BY)the God of peace himself (BZ)sanctify you completely, and may your (CA)whole (CB)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at (CC)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 (CD)He who calls you is faithful; (CE)he will surely do it.
25 (CF)Brothers, pray for us.
26 (CG)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have (CH)this letter read to all the brothers.
28 (CI)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 10, 13
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Or your holiness
- 1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife for himself; Greek how to possess his own vessel
- 1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 4, 12, 14, 25, 26, 27
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5 Or sons; twice in this verse
- 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Bible Gateway Recommends
