Old/New Testament
The Future Redemption of Israel
43 But now this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
“Do not be afraid, because I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called you by name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you;
and through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
when you walk through fire you won’t be scorched,
and the flame won’t set you ablaze.
3 “I[a] am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.[b]
And[c] I’ve given Egypt as your ransom,[d]
Cush and the people of Seba[e] in exchange for you.
4 Since you’re precious in my sight
and honored,
and because I love you,
I’m giving up people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.”
The Regathering of Israel
5 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you;
I’ll bring your children from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I’ll say to the north,
‘Give them up’!
and to the south,
‘Don’t keep them back!’
Bring[f] my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom[g] I formed and made.
8 “Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes,
who are deaf, yet still have ears!
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
“Who is there among them who[h] can declare this,
or announce[i] the former things?
Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them proclaim[j] so people will say, ‘It’s true.’
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and trust me
and understand that I am the One.[k]
Before me no God was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no foreign god among you —
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
13 “I am God; also[l] from ancient days[m] I am the one.
And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand;
when I act, who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,[n]
and bring them all down as fugitives.
Now as for the Babylonians,
their ringing cry will become lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, and your King.”
Something New for Israel
16 This is what the Lord says —
who makes a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariots and horsemen,
and[o] armies and warriors at the same time.
They lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a candle:[p]
18 “Don’t remember[q] the former things;
don’t dwell on things past.
19 Watch! I’m about to carry out something new!
And[r] now it’s springing up—
don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the wilderness
and paths[s] in the desert.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and owls[t] will honor me
because I provide[u] water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give drink to my people, my chosen ones,[v]
21 the people whom I formed for myself
and[w] so that they may speak[x] my praise.”
God is Weary of Israel
22 “And[y] yet you didn’t call upon me, Jacob;
indeed, you are tired of me, Israel!
23 You haven’t brought me your sheep for a burnt offering,[z]
nor have you honored me with[aa] your sacrifices,
nor have you made meal offerings for me[ab]—
yet I have not tired you about incense!
24 You[ac] haven’t bought me sweet cane with money,
nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
You have only burdened me with your sins
and made me tired with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am the one
who blots out your transgression[ad] for my own sake,
and I’ll remember your sins no more.[ae]
26 Recount the brief!
Let’s argue the matter together;
Present your case,
so that you may be proved right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your mediators rebelled against me.
28 So I’ll disgrace the leaders of the Temple,
and I’ll consign Jacob to total destruction[af]
and Israel to contempt.
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob my servant
and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help[ag] you:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
and Jeshurun,[ah] whom I have chosen.
3 For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground
and streams on parched land.
So[ai] will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
4 They’ll[aj] spring up as among[ak] the green grass,
like willows by flowing streams.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will have written on his hand, ‘the Lord’s,’
and will adopt the name of Israel.”
I am the First and the Last
6 This is what the Lord says, the King of Israel
and its Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—[al]
“I am the first and I am the last,
and apart from me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it, and lay it out for himself—[am]
since he made[an] an ancient people.
And let him speak[ao] future events;
let them tell him what[ap] will happen.
8 Don’t tremble, and don’t be afraid.[aq]
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God besides me?
There is no other Rock—
I don’t know of any.”
A Rebuke to Idol Worship
9 Now,[ar] all the forming of[as] images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they[at] know nothing. So they will be put to shame.
10 Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? 11 To be sure, all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human. Let them all gather together and[au] take their stand. Then[av] let them be terrified—they will be humiliated together.
12 The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then[aw] fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures it[ax] with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home[ay] in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. 15 He divides it up[az] for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps[ba] he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half the wood he burns in the fire, and[bb] over[bc] that half he places[bd] meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself,[be] and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of[bf] the fire.” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks[bg] of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.”
18 They don’t realize; they don’t understand, because their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds, too, so they cannot understand. 19 No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to think—yes to think!—[bh]“Half of it I burned in the fire. I even baked bread on its coals, and[bi] I roasted meat and ate it. And[bj] am I about to make detestable things[bk] from what is left? Am I about to bow down to blocks[bl] of wood?” 20 He tends ashes. A deceived mind has lead him astray. It cannot be his life,[bm] nor can he say, “There’s a lie in my right hand.”[bn]
A Call to Remembrance and Joy
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
Israel,[bo] for you are my servant.
I have formed you;
you are a servant to me.
Israel,[bp] you must not mislead me.[bq]
22 I’ve wiped away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.
23 “Shout for joy, you heavens,
for the Lord has done it!
Shout aloud, you depths of the earth!
Burst out with singing, you mountains,
you forest, and all your trees!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will display his glory in Israel.
24 “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer
and the one who formed you in the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who has made everything,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth—
Who was with me at that time?—[br]
25 who frustrates the omens of idle talkers,
and drives diviners mad,
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;[bs]
26 who carries out the words of his servants,
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited,”
and of Judah’s cities, “They will be rebuilt,”
and of her ruins, “I’ll raise them up”;
27 who says to the watery deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers;”
28 who says about Cyrus, “He’s my shepherd,
and he’ll carry out everything that I please:
He’ll say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’
and of my[bt] Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid again.’”’”
Paul Recalls His Visit to the Thessalonians
2 For you yourselves know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a waste of time. 2 As you know, we suffered persecution and were mistreated in Philippi. Yet we were encouraged by our God to tell you his[a] gospel in spite of strong opposition. 3 For our appeal to you[b] does not spring from deceit, impure motives, or trickery. 4 Rather, because we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, we speak as we do, not trying to please people but God, who tests our motives.
5 As you know, we did not come with flattering words or with a scheme to make money. God is our witness! 6 We did not seek praise from people—from you or from anyone else— 7 even though as apostles of the Messiah[c] we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle[d] among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children. 8 We cared so deeply for you that we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives. That is how dear you were to us. 9 Brothers, you remember our labor and toil. We worked night and day so that we would not become a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the gospel of God to you. 10 You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless our conduct was among you who believe. 11 You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats[e] his children. 12 We comforted and encouraged you, urging you to live in a manner worthy of God, who calls[f] you into his kingdom and glory.
How the Thessalonians Welcomed the Gospel
13 Here is another reason why we constantly give thanks to God: When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you did not accept it as the word of humans but for what it really is—the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in union with the Messiah[g] Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as they did from those Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the[h] prophets, who have persecuted us, and who please neither God nor any group of people, 16 as they try to keep us from telling the gentiles how they can be saved. As a result, they are constantly adding to the number of sins they have committed.[i] However, wrath has overtaken them at last!
Timothy’s Report to Paul
17 Brothers, although we have been separated from you for a little while—in person but not in heart—we eagerly desire to see you again face to face. 18 That is why we wanted to come to you. Certainly I, Paul, wanted to come[j] time and again, but Satan blocked our way. 19 After all, who is our hope, joy, or reason for[k] rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? It is you, isn’t it? 20 Yes, you are our glory and joy!
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