Font Size
Isaiah 41-42
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 41-42
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Israel Assured of God’s Help
41 Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
let us together draw near for judgment.(A)
2 Who has roused a victor from the east,
summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him
and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
like driven stubble with his bow.(B)
3 He pursues them and passes on safely,
scarcely touching the path with his feet.
4 Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, am first
and will be with the last.(C)
5 The coastlands have seen and are afraid;
the ends of the earth tremble;
they have drawn near and come.(D)
6 Each one helps the other,
saying to one another, “Take courage!”(E)
7 The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good,”
and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.(F)
8 But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;(G)
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant;
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;(H)
10 do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.(I)
11 All who are incensed against you
shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.(J)
12 You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.(K)
13 For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”(L)
14 Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot[a] Israel!
I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.(M)
15 I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff.(N)
16 You shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.(O)
17 When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.(P)
18 I will open rivers on the bare heights
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water
and the dry land springs of water.(Q)
19 I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
20 so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.(R)
The Futility of Idols
21 Set forth your case, says the Lord;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.(S)
22 Let them bring them and tell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they were,
so that we may consider them
and that we may know their outcome
or declare to us the things to come.(T)
23 Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
that we may be afraid and terrified.(U)
24 You, indeed, are nothing,
and your work is nothing at all;
whoever chooses you is an abomination.(V)
25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name.[b]
He shall trample[c] on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.(W)
26 Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know,
and beforehand, so that we might say, “He is right”?
There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words.(X)
27 I first have declared it to Zion,[d]
and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.(Y)
28 But when I look there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.(Z)
29 No, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;
their images are empty wind.(AA)
The Servant, a Light to the Nations
42 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.(AB)
2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.(AC)
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.(AD)
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:(AE)
6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,[e]
a light to the nations,(AF)
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.(AG)
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.(AH)
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.(AI)
A Hymn of Praise
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar[f] and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.(AJ)
11 Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela shout for joy;
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord
and declare his praise in the coastlands.(AK)
13 The Lord goes forth like a soldier;
like a warrior he stirs up his fury;
he cries out; he shouts aloud;
he shows himself mighty against his foes.(AL)
14 For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.(AM)
15 I will lay waste mountains and hills
and dry up all their herbage;
I will turn the rivers into islands
and dry up the pools.(AN)
16 I will lead the blind
by a road they do not know;
by paths they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
and I will not forsake them.(AO)
17 They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame—
those who trust in carved images,
who say to cast images,
“You are our gods.”(AP)
18 Listen, you who are deaf,
and you who are blind, look up and see!
19 Who is blind but my servant
or deaf like my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind like my dedicated one
or blind like the servant of the Lord?(AQ)
20 He sees many things, but he does[g] not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear.(AR)
Israel’s Disobedience
21 The Lord was pleased, for the sake of his righteousness,
to magnify his teaching and make it glorious.(AS)
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered;
all of them are trapped in holes
and hidden in prisons;
they have become a prey with no one to rescue,
a spoil with no one to say, “Restore!”(AT)
23 Who among you will give heed to this;
who will attend and listen for the time to come?
24 Who gave up Jacob to the spoiler
and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom they sinned,[h]
in whose ways they would not walk,
and whose law they would not obey?(AU)
25 So he poured upon him the heat of his anger
and the fury of war;
it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;
it burned him, but he did not take it to heart.(AV)
Footnotes
Isaiah 41-42
New International Version
Isaiah 41-42
New International Version
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(A) before me, you islands!(B)
Let the nations renew their strength!(C)
Let them come forward(D) and speak;
let us meet together(E) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(F) up one from the east,(G)
calling him in righteousness(H) to his service[a]?(I)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(J) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(K) with his bow.(L)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(M)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(N) forth the generations from the beginning?(O)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(P)—I am he.(Q)”
5 The islands(R) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(S) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(T)”
7 The metalworker(U) encourages the goldsmith,(V)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(W)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(X)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(Y)
you descendants of Abraham(Z) my friend,(AA)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(AB)
from its farthest corners I called(AC) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(AD)
I have chosen(AE) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(AF) for I am with you;(AG)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(AH) you and help(AI) you;
I will uphold you(AJ) with my righteous right hand.(AK)
11 “All who rage(AL) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(AM)
those who oppose(AN) you
will be as nothing and perish.(AO)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(AP)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(AQ) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(AR)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(AS) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(AT) you worm(AU) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(AV) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(AW) the Holy One(AX) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(AY)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(AZ) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(BA)
16 You will winnow(BB) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(BC) will blow them away.(BD)
But you will rejoice(BE) in the Lord
and glory(BF) in the Holy One(BG) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(BH)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(BI)
But I the Lord will answer(BJ) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(BK) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(BL) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(BM) into pools of water,(BN)
and the parched ground into springs.(BO)
19 I will put in the desert(BP)
the cedar and the acacia,(BQ) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(BR) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(BS) together,(BT)
20 so that people may see and know,(BU)
may consider and understand,(BV)
that the hand(BW) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(BX) of Israel has created(BY) it.
21 “Present your case,(BZ)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(CA)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(CB)
Tell us what the former things(CC) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(CD)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(CE) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(CF)
so that we will be dismayed(CG) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(CH)
and your works are utterly worthless;(CI)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(CJ)
25 “I have stirred(CK) up one from the north,(CL) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(CM) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(CN) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(CO) it,
no one heard any words(CP) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(CQ) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(CR)
28 I look but there is no one(CS)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(CT)
no one to give answer(CU) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(CV)
their images(CW) are but wind(CX) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(CY) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(CZ) in whom I delight;(DA)
I will put my Spirit(DB) on him,
and he will bring justice(DC) to the nations.(DD)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(DE)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(DF) he will not break,(DG)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(DH)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(DI)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(DJ) on earth.
In his teaching(DK) the islands(DL) will put their hope.”(DM)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(DN) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(DO) with all that springs from it,(DP)
who gives breath(DQ) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(DR) you in righteousness;(DS)
I will take hold of your hand.(DT)
I will keep(DU) you and will make you
to be a covenant(DV) for the people
and a light(DW) for the Gentiles,(DX)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(DY)
to free(DZ) captives from prison(EA)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(EB)
8 “I am the Lord;(EC) that is my name!(ED)
I will not yield my glory to another(EE)
or my praise to idols.(EF)
9 See, the former things(EG) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(EH) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(EI) to the Lord a new song,(EJ)
his praise(EK) from the ends of the earth,(EL)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(EM)
you islands,(EN) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(EO) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(EP) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(EQ) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(ER)
12 Let them give glory(ES) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(ET) in the islands.(EU)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(EV)
like a warrior(EW) he will stir up his zeal;(EX)
with a shout(EY) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(EZ)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(FA)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(FB)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(FC)
15 I will lay waste(FD) the mountains(FE) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(FF) the pools.
16 I will lead(FG) the blind(FH) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(FI) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(FJ)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(FK) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(FL)
will be turned back in utter shame.(FM)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(FN)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(FO) but my servant,(FP)
and deaf like the messenger(FQ) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(FR) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(FS)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(FT) of his righteousness
to make his law(FU) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(FV) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(FW)
or hidden away in prisons.(FX)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(FY)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(FZ) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(GA)
Was it not the Lord,(GB)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(GC) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(GD)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(GE)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(GF) yet they did not understand;(GG)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(GH)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
1 Thessalonians 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 Thessalonians 1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Salutation
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
The Thessalonians’ Faith and Example
2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly(A) 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.(B) 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy from the Holy Spirit,(C) 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.(D) 9 For they report about us what kind of welcome we had among you and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God(E) 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.(F)
1 Thessalonians 1
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 1
New International Version
1 Paul, Silas[a](A) and Timothy,(B)
To the church of the Thessalonians(C) in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you.(D)
Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians’ Faith
2 We always thank God for all of you(E) and continually mention you in our prayers.(F) 3 We remember before our God and Father(G) your work produced by faith,(H) your labor prompted by love,(I) and your endurance inspired by hope(J) in our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God,(K) that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel(L) came to you not simply with words but also with power,(M) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know(N) how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us(O) and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering(P) with the joy(Q) given by the Holy Spirit.(R) 7 And so you became a model(S) to all the believers in Macedonia(T) and Achaia.(U) 8 The Lord’s message(V) rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.(W) Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned(X) to God from idols(Y) to serve the living and true God,(Z) 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven,(AA) whom he raised from the dead(AB)—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.(AC)
Footnotes
- 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Greek Silvanus, a variant of Silas
- 1 Thessalonians 1:4 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, 9, 14, 17; 3:7; 4:1, 10, 13; 5:1, 4, 12, 14, 25, 27.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.