Font Size
Isaiah 59-61
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 59-61
Contemporary English Version
Social Injustice Is Condemned
59 The Lord hasn't lost
his powerful strength;
he can still hear
and answer prayers.
2 Your sins are the roadblock
between you and your God.
That's why he doesn't answer
your prayers
or let you see his face.
3 Your talk is filled with lies
and plans for violence;
every finger on your hands
is covered with blood.
4 You falsely accuse others
and tell lies in court;
sin and trouble are the names
of your children.
5 You eat the deadly eggs
of poisonous snakes,
and more snakes crawl out
from the eggs left to hatch.
You weave spider webs,
6 but you can't make clothes
with those webs
or hide behind them.
You're sinful and brutal.
7 (A) You hurry off to do wrong
or murder innocent victims.
All you think about is sin;
you leave ruin and destruction
wherever you go.
8 You don't know how
to live in peace
or to be fair with others.
The roads you make are crooked;
your followers cannot find peace.
The People Confess Their Sins
9 No one has come to defend us
or to bring about justice.
We hoped for a day of sunshine,
but all we found
was a dark, gloomy night.
10 We feel our way along,
as if we were blind;
we stumble at noon,
as if it were night.
We can see no better
than someone dead.[a]
11 We growl like bears
and mourn like doves.
We hope for justice and victory,
but they escape us.
12 How often have we sinned
and turned against you,
the Lord God?
Our sins condemn us!
We have done wrong.
13 We have rebelled and refused
to follow you.
Our hearts were deceitful,
and so we lied;
we planned to abuse others
and turn our backs on you.
14 Injustice is everywhere;
justice seems far away.
Truth is chased out of court;
honesty is shoved aside.
15 Everyone tells lies;
those who turn from crime
end up ruined.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
When the Lord noticed
that justice had disappeared,
he became very displeased.
16 (B) It disgusted him even more
to learn that no one
would do a thing about it.
So with his own powerful arm,
he won victories for truth.
17 (C) Justice was the Lord's armor;
saving power was his helmet;
anger and revenge
were his clothes.
18 Now the Lord will get furious
and do to his enemies,
both near and far,
what they did to his people.
19 He will attack like a flood
in a mighty windstorm.
Nations in the west and the east
will then honor and praise
his wonderful name.
20 (D) The Lord has promised to rescue
the city of Zion
and Jacob's descendants
who turn from sin.
21 The Lord says: “My people,
I promise to give you my Spirit
and my message.
These will be my gifts to you
and your families forever.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
A New Day for Jerusalem
60 Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!
Your new day is dawning.
The glory of the Lord
shines brightly on you.
2 The earth and its people
are covered with darkness,
but the glory of the Lord
is shining upon you.
3 Nations and kings
will come to the light
of your dawning day.
Crowds Are Coming to Jerusalem
The Lord said:
4 (E) Open your eyes! Look around!
Crowds are coming.
Your sons are on their way
from distant lands;
your daughters are being carried
like little children.
5 When you see this,
your faces will glow;
your hearts will pound
and swell with pride.[b]
Treasures from across the sea
and the wealth of nations
will be brought to you.
6 Your country will be covered
with caravans of young camels
from Midian and Ephah.[c]
The people of Sheba[d]
will bring gold and spices
in praise of me, the Lord.
7 Every sheep of Kedar
will come to you;
rams from Nebaioth[e]
will be yours as well.
I will accept them as offerings
and bring honor to my temple.
8 What is that sailing by
like clouds
or like doves flying home?
9 On those distant islands
your people are waiting
for me, the Lord.[f]
Seagoing ships[g] lead the way
to bring them home
with their silver and gold.
I, the holy Lord God of Israel,
do this to honor your people,
so they will honor me.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
The Lord said:
10 Jerusalem, your city walls
will be rebuilt by foreigners;
their rulers will become
your slaves.
I punished you in my anger;
now I will be kind
and treat you with mercy.
11 (F) Your gates will be open
day and night
to let the rulers of nations
lead their people to you
with all their treasures.
12 Any nation or kingdom
that refuses to serve you
will be wiped out.
13 Wood from Lebanon's best trees
will be brought to you—
the pines, the firs,
and the cypress trees.
It will be used in my temple
to make beautiful the place
where I rest my feet.
14 (G) The descendants of enemies
who hated and mistreated you
will kneel at your feet.
They will say, “You are Zion,
the city of the Lord,
the holy One of Israel.”
15 You were hated and deserted,
rejected by everyone.
But I will make you beautiful,
a city to be proud of
for all time to come.
16 You will drain the wealth
of kings and foreign nations.
You will know that I,
the mighty Lord God of Israel,
have saved and rescued you.
17 I will bring bronze and iron
in place of wood and stone;
in place of bronze and iron,
I will bring gold and silver.
I will appoint peace and justice
as your rulers and leaders.
18 Violence, destruction, and ruin
will never again be heard of
within your borders.
“Victory” will be the name
you give to your walls;
“Praise” will be the name
you give to your gates.
19 (H) You won't need the light
of the sun or the moon.
I, the Lord your God,
will be your eternal light
and bring you honor.
20 Your sun will never set
or your moon go down.
I, the Lord, will be
your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow
will come to an end.
21 Your people will live right
and always own the land;
they are the trees I planted
to bring praise to me.
22 Even the smallest family
will be a powerful nation.
I am the Lord,
and when the time comes,
I will quickly do all this.
The Good News of Victory
61 (I)(J) The Spirit of the Lord God
has taken control of me!
The Lord has chosen and sent me
to tell the oppressed
the good news,
to heal the brokenhearted,
and to announce freedom
for prisoners and captives.
2 (K) This is the year
when the Lord God
will show kindness to us
and punish our enemies.
The Lord has sent me
to comfort those who mourn,
3 especially in Jerusalem.
He sent me to give them flowers
in place of their sorrow,
olive oil in place of tears,
and joyous praise
in place of broken hearts.
They will be called
“Trees of Justice,”
planted by the Lord
to honor his name.
4 Then they will rebuild cities
that have been in ruins
for many generations.
5 They will hire foreigners
to take care of their sheep
and their vineyards.
6 But they themselves will be
priests and servants
of the Lord our God.
The treasures of the nations
will belong to them,
and they will be famous.[h]
7 They were terribly insulted
and horribly mistreated;
now they will be greatly blessed
and joyful forever.
The Lord Loves Justice
8 I, the Lord, love justice!
But I hate robbery
and injustice.[i]
My people, I solemnly promise
to reward you
with an eternal agreement.
9 Your descendants will be known
in every nation.
All who see them will realize
that they have been blessed,
by me, the Lord.
Celebrate and Shout
10 (L) I celebrate and shout
because of my Lord God.
His saving power and justice
are the very clothes I wear.
They are more beautiful
than the jewelry worn
by a bride or groom.
11 The Lord will bring about
justice and praise
in every nation on earth,
like flowers blooming
in a garden.
Footnotes
- 59.10 We can … dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.5 swell with pride: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.6 Midian … Ephah: Midian was the ancestor of a nomadic tribe of the Arabian desert, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Ephah was a clan within the tribe of Midian.
- 60.6 Sheba: Perhaps a place in what is now southwest Arabia. The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10.1-13).
- 60.7 Kedar … Nebaioth: Regions in northern Arabia.
- 60.9 On … Lord: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.9 Seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
- 61.6 and … famous: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 61.8 But … injustice: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 59-61
New International Version
Isaiah 59-61
New International Version
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm(A) of the Lord is not too short(B) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(C)
2 But your iniquities have separated(D)
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.(E)
3 For your hands are stained with blood,(F)
your fingers with guilt.(G)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(H)
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;(I)
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely(J) on empty arguments, they utter lies;(K)
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.(L)
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers(M)
and spin a spider’s web.(N)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.(O)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence(P) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.(Q)
They pursue evil schemes;(R)
acts of violence mark their ways.(S)
8 The way of peace they do not know;(T)
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(U)
no one who walks along them will know peace.(V)
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(W)
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(X) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(Y) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.(Z)
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.(AA)
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses(AB) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify(AC) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:(AD)
13 rebellion(AE) and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs(AF) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(AG)
uttering lies(AH) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(AI) is driven back,
and righteousness(AJ) stands at a distance;
truth(AK) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(AL) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.(AM)
16 He saw that there was no one,(AN)
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(AO)
so his own arm achieved salvation(AP) for him,
and his own righteousness(AQ) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(AR)
and the helmet(AS) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(AT) of vengeance(AU)
and wrapped himself in zeal(AV) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay(AW)
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands(AX) their due.
19 From the west,(AY) people will fear the name of the Lord,
and from the rising of the sun,(AZ) they will revere his glory.(BA)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath(BB) of the Lord drives along.[a]
20 “The Redeemer(BC) will come to Zion,(BD)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(BE)
declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant(BF) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(BG) who is on you, will not depart from you,(BH) and my words that I have put in your mouth(BI) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(BJ) shine, for your light(BK) has come,
and the glory(BL) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness(BM) covers the earth
and thick darkness(BN) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations(BO) will come to your light,(BP)
and kings(BQ) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble(BR) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(BS)
and your daughters(BT) are carried on the hip.(BU)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,(BV)
your heart will throb and swell with joy;(BW)
the wealth(BX) on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels(BY) will cover your land,
young camels of Midian(BZ) and Ephah.(CA)
And all from Sheba(CB) will come,
bearing gold and incense(CC)
and proclaiming the praise(CD) of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s(CE) flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(CF) on my altar,(CG)
and I will adorn my glorious temple.(CH)
8 “Who are these(CI) that fly along like clouds,(CJ)
like doves to their nests?
9 Surely the islands(CK) look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[b](CL)
bringing(CM) your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,(CN)
to the honor(CO) of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(CP) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.(CQ)
10 “Foreigners(CR) will rebuild your walls,
and their kings(CS) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor(CT) I will show you compassion.(CU)
11 Your gates(CV) will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(CW)—
their kings(CX) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(CY) you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.(CZ)
13 “The glory of Lebanon(DA) will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(DB)
to adorn my sanctuary;(DC)
and I will glorify the place for my feet.(DD)
14 The children of your oppressors(DE) will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down(DF) at your feet
and will call you the City(DG) of the Lord,
Zion(DH) of the Holy One(DI) of Israel.
15 “Although you have been forsaken(DJ) and hated,
with no one traveling(DK) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(DL)
and the joy(DM) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed(DN) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(DO) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(DP)
your Redeemer,(DQ) the Mighty One of Jacob.(DR)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(DS)
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(DT) your governor
and well-being your ruler.(DU)
18 No longer will violence(DV) be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction(DW) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(DX)
and your gates Praise.(DY)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(DZ)
and your God will be your glory.(EA)
20 Your sun(EB) will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow(EC) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(ED)
and they will possess(EE) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(EF)
the work of my hands,(EG)
for the display of my splendor.(EH)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.(EI)
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”(EJ)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(EK) of the Sovereign Lord(EL) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(EM) me
to proclaim good news(EN) to the poor.(EO)
He has sent me to bind up(EP) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(EQ) for the captives(ER)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[c]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(ES)
and the day of vengeance(ET) of our God,
to comfort(EU) all who mourn,(EV)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(EW) of beauty
instead of ashes,(EX)
the oil(EY) of joy
instead of mourning,(EZ)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(FA) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(FB)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(FC)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(FD) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(FE) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(FF) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(FG)
you will receive a double(FH) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(FI) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(FJ) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(FK)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(FL) with them.
9 Their descendants(FM) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(FN)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices(FO) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(FP)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(FQ) like a priest,
and as a bride(FR) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden(FS) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(FT)
and praise spring up before all nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
2 Thessalonians 3
Contemporary English Version
2 Thessalonians 3
Contemporary English Version
Pray for Us
3 Finally, our friends, please pray for us. This will help the message about the Lord to spread quickly, and others will respect it, just as you do. 2 Pray that we may be kept safe from worthless and evil people. After all, not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord can be trusted to make you strong and protect you from harm. 4 He has made us sure that you are obeying what we taught you and that you will keep on obeying. 5 I pray that the Lord will guide you to be as loving as God and as patient as Christ.
Warnings against Laziness
6 My dear friends, in the name of[a] the Lord Jesus, I beg you not to have anything to do with any of your people who loaf around and refuse to obey the instructions we gave you. 7 You surely know that you should follow our example. We didn't waste our time loafing, 8 and we didn't accept food from anyone without paying for it. We didn't want to be a burden to any of you, so night and day we worked as hard as we could.
9 We had the right not to work, but we wanted to set an example for you. 10 We also gave you this rule: If you don't work, you don't eat. 11 Now we learn that some of you just loaf around and won't do any work, except the work of a busybody. 12 So, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask and beg these people to settle down and start working for a living. 13 Dear friends, you must never become tired of doing right.
14 Be on your guard against any followers who refuse to obey what we have written in this letter. Put them to shame by not having anything to do with them. 15 Don't consider them your enemies. Instead, speak kindly to them as you would to any other follower.
Final Prayer
16 I pray that the Lord, who gives peace, will always bless you with peace. May the Lord be with all of you.
17 I always sign my letters as I am now doing: PAUL.
18 I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to all of you.
Footnotes
- 3.6 in the name of: Or “as a follower of.”
2 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
2 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
Request for Prayer
3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(A) pray for us(B) that the message of the Lord(C) may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.(D) 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,(E) for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful,(F) and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.(G) 4 We have confidence(H) in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts(I) into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Warning Against Idleness
6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,(J) we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from(K) every believer who is idle and disruptive(L) and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us.(M) 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.(N) We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(O) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(P) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(Q) 10 For even when we were with you,(R) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(S) shall not eat.”
11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.(T) 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ(U) to settle down and earn the food they eat.(V) 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.(W)
14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them,(X) in order that they may feel ashamed.(Y) 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.(Z)
Final Greetings
16 Now may the Lord of peace(AA) himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.(AB)
17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand,(AC) which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.(AD)
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6 Or tradition
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
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.