Isaiah 65:17-25

New International Version

New Heavens and a New Earth

¹⁷“See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.^(A)
The former things will not be remembered,^(B)
    nor will they come to mind.
¹⁸But be glad and rejoice^(C) forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem^(D) to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
¹⁹I will rejoice^(E) over Jerusalem
    and take delight^(F) in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying^(G)
    will be heard in it no more.

²⁰“Never again will there be in it
    an infant^(H) who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;^(I)
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach^[a] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
²¹They will build houses^(J) and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.^(K)
²²No longer will they build houses and others live in them,^(L)
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,^(M)
    so will be the days^(N) of my people;
my chosen^(O) ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
²³They will not labor in vain,^(P)
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;^(Q)
for they will be a people blessed^(R) by the Lord,
    they and their descendants^(S) with them.
²⁴Before they call^(T) I will answer;^(U)
    while they are still speaking^(V) I will hear.
²⁵The wolf and the lamb^(W) will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,^(X)
    and dust will be the serpent’s^(Y) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”^(Z)
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

New International Version

Final Instructions

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

¹⁶Rejoice always,^(H) ¹⁷pray continually,^(I) ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances;^(J) for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit.^(K) ²⁰Do not treat prophecies^(L) with contempt ²¹but test them all;^(M) hold on to what is good,^(N) ²²reject every kind of evil.

²³May God himself, the God of peace,^(O) sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul^(P) and body be kept blameless^(Q) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^(R) ²⁴The one who calls^(S) you is faithful,^(T) and he will do it.^(U)

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

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

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John 1:19-28

New International Version

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹Now this was John’s^(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a]^(B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”^(C)

²¹They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”^(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”^(E)

He answered, “No.”

²²Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,^(F) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[b]^(G)

²⁴Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶“I baptize with^[c] water,”^(H) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷He is the one who comes after me,^(I) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”^(J)

²⁸This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,^(K) where John was baptizing.

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Footnotes

John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.
John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3
John 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)