Isaiah 65:17-25

English Standard Version

New Heavens and a New Earth

¹⁷“For behold, ^(A)I create new heavens
    and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
    or come into mind.
¹⁸But be glad and rejoice forever
    in that which I create;
for behold, ^(B)I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
    and her people to be a gladness.
¹⁹^(C)I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and be glad in my people;
^(D)no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
    and the cry of distress.
²⁰No more shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for ^(E)the young man shall die a hundred years old,
    and ^(F)the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
²¹^(G)They shall build houses and inhabit them;
    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
²²^(H)They shall not build and another inhabit;
    they shall not plant and another eat;
^(I)for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
    and my chosen shall long enjoy^[a] the work of their hands.
²³^(J)They shall not labor in vain
    ^(K)or bear children for calamity,^[b]
for ^(L)they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
    and their descendants with them.
²⁴^(M)Before they call I will answer;
    ^(N)while they are yet speaking I will hear.
²⁵^(O)The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
    and ^(P)dust shall be the serpent's food.
^(Q)They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out
Isaiah 65:23 Or for sudden terror

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

English Standard Version

Final Instructions and Benediction

¹²We ask you, brothers, ^(A)to respect those who labor among you and ^(B)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(C)Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^(D)the idle,^[a] ^(E)encourage the fainthearted, ^(F)help the weak, ^(G)be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that ^(H)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^(I)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶^(J)Rejoice always, ¹⁷^(K)pray without ceasing, ¹⁸^(L)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹^(M)Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise ^(N)prophecies, ²¹but ^(O)test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³Now may ^(P)the God of peace himself ^(Q)sanctify you completely, and may your ^(R)whole ^(S)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^(T)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴^(U)He who calls you is faithful; ^(V)he will surely do it.

²⁵^(W)Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶^(X)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^(Y)this letter read to all the brothers.

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

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Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined

Luke 3:7-18

English Standard Version

⁷He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ^(A)“You brood of ^(B)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(C)the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruits ^(D)in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ^(E)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from ^(F)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(G)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰And the crowds asked him, ^(H)“What then shall we do?” ¹¹And he answered them, ^(I)“Whoever has two tunics^[a] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” ¹²^(J)Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, ^(K)what shall we do?” ¹³And he said to them, ^(L)“Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” ¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, “And we, ^(M)what shall we do?” And he said to them, ^(N)“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your ^(O)wages.”

¹⁵As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, ^(P)whether he might be ^(Q)the Christ, ¹⁶^(R)John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but ^(S)he who is mightier than I is coming, ^(T)the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you ^(U)with the Holy Spirit and ^(V)fire. ¹⁷His ^(W)winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to ^(X)gather the wheat into his barn, ^(Y)but the chaff he will burn with ^(Z)unquenchable fire.”