Old/New Testament
50 Thus says Adonai:
“Where is the divorce certificate,
by which I sent your mother away?
Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you?
See, you were sold for your iniquities,
and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 Why was no one there when I came?
Why was there no one to answer when I called?
Is My hand too short to redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, I dry up the sea at My rebuke,
I make rivers a wilderness—
their fish stink for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness
and make sackcloth their covering.”
Third Servant Song: Face Like Flint
4 Adonai Elohim has given Me the tongue of the learned,[a]
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
He awakens Me morning by morning.
He awakens My ear to give heed as a disciple.
5 Adonai Elohim has opened My ear,
and I was not rebellious,
nor did I turn back.
6 I gave My back to those who strike,
and My cheeks to those pulling out My beard;
I did not hide My face
from humiliation and spitting.[b]
7 For Adonai Elohim will help Me.
Therefore I have not been disgraced.
Therefore I set My face like flint,
and I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 The One who vindicates Me is near.
Who will accuse Me?
Let us stand up to each other.
Who is My adversary?
Let him confront Me.
9 See, Adonai Elohim will help Me.
Who is he who would condemn Me?
See, they all wear out like a garment.
A moth will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears Adonai?
Who hears the voice of His servant?
Who walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust in the Name of Adonai
and lean on his God.
11 “Behold, all you who kindle a fire,
encircling yourselves with firebrands.
Walk in the light of your fire
and among the brands you have lit.
This you will have from My hand:
you will lie down in torment.”
Comfort Zion With Justice
51 “Listen to Me, you who pursue justice,
you who seek Adonai.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you.
For when I called him, he was but one,
then I blessed him and multiplied him.”
3 For Adonai will comfort Zion.
He will comfort all her waste places.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of Adonai.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and a sound of melody.
4 “Pay attention to Me, My people,
give ear to Me, My nation.
For Torah will go out from Me,
My justice as a light to the peoples.[c]
5 My righteousness is near,
My salvation has gone out,
and My arms will judge the nations.
The coastlands will wait for Me—
for My arm they will wait expectantly.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath.
For the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and its inhabitants will die like gnats,
but My salvation will be forever,
and My righteousness never wane.
7 Listen to Me, you who know justice,
a people with My Torah in their heart:
Do not fear the taunt of men,
nor be dismayed at their insults.
8 For the moth will eat them like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool.
But My righteousness will be forever
and My salvation for all generations.”
9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of Adonai,
awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago.
Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
10 Was it not You who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a path
for the redeemed to pass over?
11 Now the ransomed of Adonai will return,
and come to Zion with singing.
Everlasting joy will be upon their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
12 “I, I am the One who comforts you.
Who are you that you should fear man,
who dies, or a son of man,
who is given up like grass?”
13 But you forgot Adonai your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth.
Are you in constant dread all day
because of the fury of the oppressor
as he makes ready to destroy?
But where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 Soon one bowed down will be released.
He will not die and go to the Pit,
nor will his bread be lacking.
15 “For I am Adonai your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
Adonai-Tzva’ot is His Name.
16 I have put My words in your mouth,
and covered you with the shadow of My hand—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
17 Awake, awake!
Stand up, Jerusalem!
From Adonai’s hand you have drunk the cup of His fury,
the chalice of reeling
that you have drained to the dregs.
18 There is none to guide her
among all the sons she has borne,
nor is there one to take her by the hand
among all the sons she has raised.
19 These two things have befallen you
—who will mourn for you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and the sword.
How will I comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted.
They lie at every street corner,
like an antelope in a net.
They are full of Adonai’s fury,
the rebuke of your God.
21 Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,
who are drunk, but not with wine.
22 Thus says your Lord, Adonai your God who defends His people:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of reeling,
the bowl of My wrath.
You will never drink it again.
23 Then I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we may walk over you.’
You have made your back like the ground
and like a street for passersby.
Ma Navu: The Song of Salvation
52 Awake, awake!
Clothe yourself in your strength, Zion!
Clothe yourself in beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city,
for the uncircumcised and the unclean
will never invade you again.
2 Shake off the dust and arise!
Be enthroned, Jerusalem.
Loose the bonds off your neck,
captive Daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says Adonai:
“You were sold for nothing.
So you will be redeemed without silver.”
4 For thus says Adonai Elohim:
“At first My people went down to Egypt to reside there,
then the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.
5 “Now therefore, what do I have here?”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“My people are taken away for nothing?
Its rulers wail”
—it is Adonai’s declaration—
“and My Name is continually blasphemed all day long.[d]
6 Therefore My people will know My Name.
Therefore in that day,
I am the One who will be saying, ‘Hineni!’”
7 How beautiful on the mountains are
the feet of him who brings good news,
who announces shalom,
who brings good news of happiness,[e]
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
8 The voice of your watchmen—they will lift up their voices.
Together they are shouting for joy!
For they will see eye to eye
when Adonai returns to Zion.
9 Break forth in joy, sing together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for Adonai has comforted His people.
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Adonai has bared His holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.[f]
11 Leave, leave! Get out of there!
Touch no unclean thing.
Go out of her midst. Purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of Adonai.
12 For you will not go out in haste,
nor will you go in flight,
for Adonai will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Fourth Servant Song: The Lamb
13 “Behold, My servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted.[g]
14 Just as many were appalled at You—
His appearance was disfigured more than any man,
His form more than the sons of men.
15 So He will sprinkle many nations.
Kings will shut their mouths because of Him,
for what had not been told them they will see,
and what they had not heard they will perceive.
Keep Watch for the Day of the Lord
5 Now concerning the times and seasons,[a] brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord[b] comes like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “Shalom and safety,”[c] sudden destruction comes upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb—there is no way they will escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, so that the Day might overtake you like a thief. [d] 5 For you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness— 6 so then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain on the alert and sober-minded. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober-minded—putting on the breastplate of faithfulness and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. [e] 9 For God did not destine us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 10 He died for us so that, whether we may be awake or asleep,[f] we may live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up—just as you in fact are doing.
Instructions for Community Life
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who work hard among you and are over you in the Lord and correct[g] you, 13 and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Keep shalom among yourselves.
14 We urge you, brothers and sisters, correct the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray constantly,
18 in everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua.
19 Do not quench the Spirit,
20 do not despise prophetic messages,
21 but test all things, hold fast to what is good,
22 keep away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of shalom Himself make you completely holy; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 24 Faithful is the One who calls you—and He will make it happen!
Closing Greetings
25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you under oath, by the Lord, that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.
28 The grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with you.[h]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.