Isaiah 53-55

New International Version

53 Who has believed our message^(A)
    and to whom has the arm^(B) of the Lord been revealed?^(C)
²He grew up before him like a tender shoot,^(D)
    and like a root^(E) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance^(F) that we should desire him.
³He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,^(G) and familiar with pain.^(H)
Like one from whom people hide^(I) their faces
    he was despised,^(J) and we held him in low esteem.

⁴Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,^(K)
yet we considered him punished by God,^(L)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.^(M)
⁵But he was pierced^(N) for our transgressions,^(O)
    he was crushed^(P) for our iniquities;
the punishment^(Q) that brought us peace^(R) was on him,
    and by his wounds^(S) we are healed.^(T)
⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray,^(U)
    each of us has turned to our own way;^(V)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity^(W) of us all.

⁷He was oppressed^(X) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;^(Y)
he was led like a lamb^(Z) to the slaughter,^(AA)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸By oppression^[a] and judgment^(AB) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;^(AC)
    for the transgression^(AD) of my people he was punished.^[b]
⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked,^(AE)
    and with the rich^(AF) in his death,
though he had done no violence,^(AG)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.^(AH)

¹⁰Yet it was the Lord’s will^(AI) to crush^(AJ) him and cause him to suffer,^(AK)
    and though the Lord makes^[c] his life an offering for sin,^(AL)
he will see his offspring^(AM) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper^(AN) in his hand.
¹¹After he has suffered,^(AO)
    he will see the light^(AP) of life^[d] and be satisfied^[e];
by his knowledge^[f] my righteous servant^(AQ) will justify^(AR) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.^(AS)
¹²Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,^[g]^(AT)
    and he will divide the spoils^(AU) with the strong,^[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,^(AV)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.^(AW)
For he bore^(AX) the sin of many,^(AY)
    and made intercession^(AZ) for the transgressors.

The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,^(BA)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,^(BB)
    you who were never in labor;^(BC)
because more are the children^(BD) of the desolate^(BE) woman
    than of her who has a husband,^(BF)”
says the Lord.
²“Enlarge the place of your tent,^(BG)
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.^(BH)
³For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants^(BI) will dispossess nations^(BJ)
    and settle in their desolate^(BK) cities.

⁴“Do not be afraid;^(BL) you will not be put to shame.^(BM)
    Do not fear disgrace;^(BN) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth^(BO)
    and remember no more the reproach^(BP) of your widowhood.^(BQ)
⁵For your Maker^(BR) is your husband^(BS)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One^(BT) of Israel is your Redeemer;^(BU)
    he is called the God of all the earth.^(BV)
⁶The Lord will call you back^(BW)
    as if you were a wife deserted^(BX) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,^(BY)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷“For a brief moment^(BZ) I abandoned^(CA) you,
    but with deep compassion^(CB) I will bring you back.^(CC)
⁸In a surge of anger^(CD)
    I hid^(CE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness^(CF)
    I will have compassion^(CG) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.^(CH)

⁹“To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(CI)
So now I have sworn^(CJ) not to be angry^(CK) with you,
    never to rebuke^(CL) you again.
¹⁰Though the mountains be shaken^(CM)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(CN) for you will not be shaken^(CO)
    nor my covenant^(CP) of peace^(CQ) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(CR) on you.

¹¹“Afflicted^(CS) city, lashed by storms^(CT) and not comforted,^(CU)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[i]^(CV)
    your foundations^(CW) with lapis lazuli.^(CX)
¹²I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(CY) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(CZ)
    and great will be their peace.^(DA)
¹⁴In righteousness^(DB) you will be established:^(DC)
Tyranny^(DD) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(DE)
Terror^(DF) will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.
¹⁵If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender^(DG) to you.

¹⁶“See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(DH)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon^(DI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer^(DJ) to wreak havoc;
¹⁷    no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(DK)
    and you will refute^(DL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants^(DM) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication^(DN) from me,”
declares the Lord.

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,^(DO)
    come to the waters;^(DP)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy^(DQ) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk^(DR)
    without money and without cost.^(DS)
²Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?^(DT)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,^(DU)
    and you will delight in the richest^(DV) of fare.
³Give ear and come to me;
    listen,^(DW) that you may live.^(DX)
I will make an everlasting covenant^(DY) with you,
    my faithful love^(DZ) promised to David.^(EA)
⁴See, I have made him a witness^(EB) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander^(EC) of the peoples.
⁵Surely you will summon nations^(ED) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,^(EE)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(EF) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”^(EG)

⁶Seek^(EH) the Lord while he may be found;^(EI)
    call^(EJ) on him while he is near.
⁷Let the wicked forsake^(EK) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(EL)
Let them turn^(EM) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(EN) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(EO)

⁸“For my thoughts^(EP) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(EQ)
declares the Lord.
⁹“As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(ER)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(ES)
¹⁰As the rain^(ET) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(EU)
    so that it yields seed^(EV) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(EW)
¹¹so is my word^(EX) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(EY)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(EZ) for which I sent it.
¹²You will go out in joy^(FA)
    and be led forth in peace;^(FB)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(FC) before you,
and all the trees^(FD) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(FE)
¹³Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(FF) the myrtle^(FG) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(FH)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

Footnotes

Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) ¹¹He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
Isaiah 53:12 Or many
Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

Mark 13:1-20

New International Version

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times^(A)

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

²“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”^(B)

³As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives^(C) opposite the temple, Peter, James, John^(D) and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

⁵Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.^(E) ⁶Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.^(F) On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.^(G)

¹²“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.^(H) ¹³Everyone will hate you because of me,^(I) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^(J)

¹⁴“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’^[a]^(K) standing where it^[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. ¹⁶Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁷How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!^(L) ¹⁸Pray that this will not take place in winter, ¹⁹because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,^(M) until now—and never to be equaled again.^(N)