Isaiah 56-58
New American Standard Bible
Rewards for Obedience to God
56 This is what the Lord says:
“(A)Guard justice and do righteousness,
For My (B)salvation is about to come
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 (C)Blessed is a man who does this,
And a son of man who (D)takes hold of it;
Who (E)keeps from profaning the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the (F)foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will certainly separate me from His people.”
Nor let the (G)eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who (H)keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And (I)hold firmly to My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My (J)house and within My (K)walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [a]them an everlasting (L)name which (M)will not be eliminated.
6 “Also the (N)foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, every one who (O)keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it,
And holds firmly to My covenant;
7 Even (P)those I will bring to My (Q)holy mountain,
And (R)make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on (S)My altar;
For (T)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8 The Lord [b]God, who (U)gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“I will yet gather (V)others to [c]them, to those already gathered.”
9 All you [d](W)wild animals,
All you animals in the forest,
Come to eat.
10 His (X)watchmen are (Y)blind,
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs are [e](Z)greedy, they [f]are never satisfied.
And they are shepherds who have (AA)no understanding;
They have all (AB)turned to their own way,
Each one to his unjust gain, [g]without exception.
12 “Come,” they say, “[h]let’s get (AC)wine, and let’s drink heavily of intoxicating drink;
And (AD)tomorrow will be like today, only more so.”
Evil Leaders Rebuked
57 The righteous person perishes, and no one (AE)takes it to heart;
And devout people are taken away, while no one understands.
For the righteous person is taken away from (AF)evil,
2 He enters into peace;
They rest in their [i]beds,
Each one who (AG)walked in his upright way.
3 “But come here, you sons of a (AH)sorceress,
(AI)Offspring of an adulterer and [j]a (AJ)prostitute!
4 Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (AK)rebellion,
Offspring of deceit,
5 Who inflame yourselves among the (AL)oaks,
(AM)Under every luxuriant tree,
Who (AN)slaughter the children in the [k]ravines,
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6 Among the [l](AO)smooth stones of the [m]ravine
Is your portion, [n]they are your lot;
Even to them you have (AP)poured out a drink offering,
You have made a grain offering.
Should I [o](AQ)relent of these things?
7 On a (AR)high and lofty mountain
You have (AS)made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your sign;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have (AT)uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made an agreement for yourself with them,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked at their [p]manhood.
9 You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have (AU)sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to [q]Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘(AV)It is hopeless!’
You found [r]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not [s]faint.
11 “Of (AW)whom were you worried and fearful
When you lied, and did (AX)not remember Me
[t]Nor (AY)give Me a thought?
Was I not silent, even for a long time,
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will (AZ)declare your righteousness and your (BA)deeds,
And they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, (BB)let your collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all up,
And a breath will take them away.
But the one who (BC)takes refuge in Me will (BD)inherit the land
And (BE)possess My holy mountain.”
14 And it will be said,
“(BF)Build up, build up, prepare the way,
Remove every obstacle from the way of My people.”
15 For this is what the (BG)high and exalted One
Who [u](BH)lives forever, whose name is Holy, says:
“I (BI)dwell in a high and holy place,
And also with the (BJ)contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to (BK)revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I will (BL)not contend forever,
(BM)Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the (BN)breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the wrongful act of his (BO)unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on (BP)turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will (BQ)heal him;
I will (BR)lead him and (BS)restore comfort to him and to his mourners,
19 Creating the [v](BT)praise of the lips.
(BU)Peace, peace to him who is (BV)far away and to him who is near,”
Says the Lord, “and I will heal him.”
20 But the (BW)wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 “(BX)There is no peace,” says (BY)my God, “for the wicked.”
Observances of Fasts
58 “(BZ)Cry loudly, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their (CA)wrongdoing,
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they (CB)seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
As a nation that has done (CC)righteousness
And (CD)has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
They ask Me for just decisions,
They delight (CE)in the nearness of God.
3 ‘Why have we (CF)fasted and You do not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not [w]notice?’
Behold, on the (CG)day of your fast you find your desire,
And oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast for contention and (CH)strife, and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you have done today to (CI)make your voice heard on high!
5 Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it for bowing [x]one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out (CJ)sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an (CK)acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is this not the fast that I choose:
To (CL)release the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the ropes of the yoke,
And to (CM)let the oppressed go free,
And (CN)break every yoke?
7 Is it not to (CO)break your bread [y]with the hungry
And (CP)bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the (CQ)naked, to cover him;
And not to (CR)hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your (CS)light will break out like the dawn,
And your (CT)recovery will spring up quickly;
And your (CU)righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the (CV)Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will (CW)call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you (CX)remove the yoke from your midst,
The [z](CY)pointing of the finger and (CZ)speaking wickedness,
10 And if you (DA)offer yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the [aa]need of the afflicted,
Then your (DB)light will rise in darkness,
And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the (DC)Lord will continually guide you,
And (DD)satisfy your [ab]desire in scorched places,
And (DE)give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a (DF)watered garden,
And like a (DG)spring of water whose waters do not [ac]fail.
12 Those from among you will (DH)rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will (DI)raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the (DJ)breach,
The restorer of the [ad]streets in which to dwell.
Keeping the Sabbath
13 “If, because of the Sabbath, you (DK)restrain your foot
From doing as you wish on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a (DL)pleasure, and the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your (DM)own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And (DN)speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take (DO)delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride (DP)on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the (DQ)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 56:5 As in DSS; MT him
- Isaiah 56:8 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 56:8 Lit him
- Isaiah 56:9 Lit animals of the field
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit strong of soul/appetite
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit do not know satisfaction
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit from his end
- Isaiah 56:12 As in DSS and some ancient versions; MT I will
- Isaiah 57:2 I.e., graves
- Isaiah 57:3 As in ancient versions; MT she prostitutes herself
- Isaiah 57:5 Or wadis
- Isaiah 57:6 I.e., symbols of fertility gods
- Isaiah 57:6 Or wadi
- Isaiah 57:6 Lit they, they
- Isaiah 57:6 Or repent
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand
- Isaiah 57:9 I.e., the netherworld
- Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand
- Isaiah 57:10 Or become sick
- Isaiah 57:11 Lit You did not set it upon your heart
- Isaiah 57:15 Or dwells in eternity
- Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit of the lips
- Isaiah 58:3 Lit know
- Isaiah 58:5 Lit his
- Isaiah 58:7 Lit for
- Isaiah 58:9 I.e., an abusive gesture
- Isaiah 58:10 Or soul
- Isaiah 58:11 Or soul
- Isaiah 58:11 Or deceive
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit paths
Isaiah 56-58
New International Version
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(A)
and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(K)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
a memorial(M) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
that will endure forever.(O)
6 And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(V)”(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
they all turn to their own way,(AE)
they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(AH)
57 The righteous perish,(AI)
and no one takes it to heart;(AJ)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(AK)
2 Those who walk uprightly(AL)
enter into peace;
they find rest(AM) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(AN)
you offspring of adulterers(AO) and prostitutes!(AP)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(AQ)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(AR)
and under every spreading tree;(AS)
you sacrifice your children(AT) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(AU) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(AV)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(AW)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(AX)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(AY)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(AZ)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(BA)
9 You went to Molek[a](BB) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(BC)
You sent your ambassadors[b](BD) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(BE)
10 You wearied(BF) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(BG)
You found renewal of your strength,(BH)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(BI)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(BJ) me
nor taken this to heart?(BK)
Is it not because I have long been silent(BL)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(BM)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(BN) for help,
let your collection of idols save(BO) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(BP) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(BQ) in me
will inherit the land(BR)
and possess my holy mountain.”(BS)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(BT)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(BU)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(BV) One says—
he who lives forever,(BW) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(BX) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(BY) and lowly in spirit,(BZ)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(CA)
16 I will not accuse(CB) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(CC)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(CD) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(CE)
I punished them, and hid(CF) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(CG)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(CH) them;
I will guide(CI) them and restore comfort(CJ) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(CK)
Peace, peace,(CL) to those far and near,”(CM)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(CN) are like the tossing sea,(CO)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(CP) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(CQ) says my God, “for the wicked.”(CR)
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(CS) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(CT)
Declare to my people their rebellion(CU)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(CV)
2 For day after day they seek(CW) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(CX) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(CY) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(CZ) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(DA) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(DB)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(DC)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(DD)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(DE) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(DF) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(DG) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(DH)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(DI)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(DJ) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(DK)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(DL) free
and break every yoke?(DM)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(DN)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(DO)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(DP) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(DQ)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(DR)
and your healing(DS) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[c](DT) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(DU)
9 Then you will call,(DV) and the Lord will answer;(DW)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(DX) and malicious talk,(DY)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(DZ)
then your light(EA) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(EB)
11 The Lord will guide(EC) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(ED) in a sun-scorched land(EE)
and will strengthen(EF) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(EG)
like a spring(EH) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(EI)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(EJ)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(EK)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(EL)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(EM)
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(EN)
14 then you will find your joy(EO) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(EP) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(EQ) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(ER)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
2 Thessalonians 2
New American Standard Bible
Man of Lawlessness
2 Now we ask you, (A)brothers and sisters, regarding the [a](B)coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our (C)gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your [b]composure or be disturbed either by a (D)spirit, or a [c](E)message, or a (F)letter as if from us, to the effect that (G)the day of the Lord (H)has come. 3 (I)No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the [d](J)apostasy comes first, and the (K)man of lawlessness is revealed, the (L)son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above [e](M)every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, (N)displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that (O)while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know (P)what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For (Q)the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [f](R)He who now restrains will do so until [g]He is [h]removed. 8 Then that lawless one (S)will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate (T)with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the (U)appearance of His [i]coming; 9 that is, the one whose [j]coming is in accord with the activity of (V)Satan, with all power and false [k](W)signs and wonders, 10 and with [l]all the deception of wickedness for (X)those who perish, because they did not accept the love of (Y)the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason (Z)God [m]will send upon them [n]a (AA)deluding influence so that they will believe [o]what is false, 12 in order that they all may be [p]judged who (AB)did not believe the truth, but [q](AC)took pleasure in wickedness.
Stand Firm
13 (AD)But we should always give thanks to God for you, (AE)brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because (AF)God has chosen you [r]from the beginning (AG)for salvation [s](AH)through sanctification [t]by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He (AI)called you through (AJ)our gospel, [u]that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, (AK)stand firm and (AL)hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether (AM)by word of mouth or (AN)by letter [v]from us.
16 (AO)Now may our Lord Jesus Christ (AP)Himself and God our Father, who has (AQ)loved us and given us eternal comfort and (AR)good hope by grace, 17 (AS)comfort and (AT)strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Or presence
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Lit mind
- 2 Thessalonians 2:2 Lit word
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Or falling away from the faith
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4 Or everyone who is called God
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Or he
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Or he
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7 Or out of the way
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Or presence
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9 Or presence
- 2 Thessalonians 2:9 I.e., confirming miracles
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10 Or every deception
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11 Lit is sending
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11 Lit an activity of error
- 2 Thessalonians 2:11 Or the lie
- 2 Thessalonians 2:12 Or condemned
- 2 Thessalonians 2:12 Or approved
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 One early ms first fruits
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Lit in
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Lit of
- 2 Thessalonians 2:14 Lit to the obtaining of
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Lit of
2 Thessalonians 2
New International Version
The Man of Lawlessness
2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ(A) and our being gathered to him,(B) we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter(C)—asserting that the day of the Lord(D) has already come.(E) 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you(F) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion(G) occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed,(H) the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God(I) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.(J)
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?(K) 6 And now you know what is holding him back,(L) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back(M) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed,(N) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth(O) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.(P) 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan(Q) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders(R) that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.(S) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.(T) 11 For this reason God sends them(U) a powerful delusion(V) so that they will believe the lie(W) 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.(X)
Stand Firm
13 But we ought always to thank God for you,(Y) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[b](Z) to be saved(AA) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit(AB) and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you(AC) to this through our gospel,(AD) that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm(AE) and hold fast to the teachings[c] we passed on to you,(AF) whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father,(AG) who loved us(AH) and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage(AI) your hearts and strengthen(AJ) you in every good deed and word.
Footnotes
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Some manuscripts sin
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Some manuscripts because from the beginning God chose you
- 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Or traditions
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