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Isaiah 45-46
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 45-46
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Cyrus, God’s Instrument
45 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and to strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
and the gates shall not be closed:(A)
2 I will go before you
and level the mountains;[a]
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron;(B)
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.(C)
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name;
I give you a title, though you do not know me.(D)
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
besides me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know me,(E)
6 so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.(F)
7 I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.(G)
8 Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the skies rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation may spring up,[b]
and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also;
I the Lord have created it.(H)
9 Woe to those who strive with their Maker,
earthen vessels with the potter![c]
Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, “What are you making”?
or “Your work has no handles”?(I)
10 Woe to anyone who says to a father, “What are you fathering?”
or to a woman, “With what are you in labor?”
11 Thus says the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel and its Maker:
Will you question me[d] about my children
or command me concerning the work of my hands?(J)
12 I made the earth
and created humankind upon it;
it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host.(K)
13 I have aroused Cyrus[e] in righteousness,
and I will make all his paths straight;
he shall build my city
and set my exiles free,
not for price or reward,
says the Lord of hosts.(L)
14 Thus says the Lord:
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush
and the Sabeans, tall of stature,
shall come over to you and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying,
“God is with you alone, and there is no other;
there is no god besides him.”(M)
15 Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.(N)
16 All of them are put to shame and confounded;
the makers of idols go in disgrace together.(O)
17 But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
you shall not be put to shame or confounded
ever again.(P)
18 For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos;
he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no other.(Q)
19 I did not speak in secret
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
“Seek me in chaos.”
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(R)
Idols Cannot Save Babylon
20 Assemble yourselves and come together;
draw near, you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge—
those who carry about their wooden idols
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.(S)
21 Declare and present your case;
take counsel together![f]
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the Lord?
There is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is no one besides me.(T)
22 Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.(U)
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
“To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.”(V)
24 Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
all who were incensed against him
shall come to him and be ashamed.(W)
25 In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
shall triumph and glory.(X)
46 Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and cattle;
these things you carry are loaded
as burdens on weary animals.(Y)
2 They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden
but themselves go into captivity.(Z)
3 Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from your birth,
carried from the womb;(AA)
4 even to your old age I am he;
even when you turn gray I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.(AB)
5 To whom will you liken me and make me equal
and compare me, as though we were alike?(AC)
6 Those who lavish gold from the purse
and weigh out silver in the scales—
they hire a goldsmith, who makes it into a god;
then they fall down and worship!(AD)
7 They lift it to their shoulders; they carry it;
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place.
If one cries out to it, it does not answer
or save anyone from trouble.(AE)
8 Remember this and consider;[g]
recall it to mind, you transgressors;(AF)
9 remember the former things of old,
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like me,(AG)
10 declaring the outcome from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, “My purpose shall stand,
and I will fulfill my intention,”(AH)
11 calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man for my purpose from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have planned, and I will do it.(AI)
Isaiah 45-46
New International Version
Isaiah 45-46
New International Version
45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(A)
to Cyrus,(B) whose right hand I take hold(C) of
to subdue nations(D) before him
and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
so that gates will not be shut:
2 I will go before you(E)
and will level(F) the mountains[a];
I will break down gates(G) of bronze
and cut through bars of iron.(H)
3 I will give you hidden treasures,(I)
riches stored in secret places,(J)
so that you may know(K) that I am the Lord,
the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(L)
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,(M)
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge(N) me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;(O)
apart from me there is no God.(P)
I will strengthen you,(Q)
though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun
to the place of its setting(R)
people may know(S) there is none besides me.(T)
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness,(U)
I bring prosperity and create disaster;(V)
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain(W) down my righteousness;(X)
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation(Y) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to those who quarrel(Z) with their Maker,(AA)
those who are nothing but potsherds(AB)
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(AC)
‘What are you making?’(AD)
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?(AE)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
11 “This is what the Lord says—
the Holy One(AF) of Israel, and its Maker:(AG)
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?(AH)
12 It is I who made the earth(AI)
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;(AJ)
I marshaled their starry hosts.(AK)
13 I will raise up Cyrus[b](AL) in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.(AM)
He will rebuild my city(AN)
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,(AO)
says the Lord Almighty.”
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The products(AP) of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,[c]
and those tall Sabeans(AQ)—
they will come over to you(AR)
and will be yours;
they will trudge behind you,(AS)
coming over to you in chains.(AT)
They will bow down before you
and plead(AU) with you, saying,
‘Surely God is with you,(AV) and there is no other;
there is no other god.(AW)’”
15 Truly you are a God who has been hiding(AX) himself,
the God and Savior(AY) of Israel.
16 All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;(AZ)
they will go off into disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved(BA) by the Lord
with an everlasting salvation;(BB)
you will never be put to shame or disgraced,(BC)
to ages everlasting.
18 For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,(BD)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(BE)
but formed it to be inhabited(BF)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(BG)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(BH)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(BI)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(BJ)
‘Seek(BK) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(BL)
20 “Gather together(BM) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(BN) are those who carry(BO) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(BP)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(BQ) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(BR)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(BS)
a righteous God(BT) and a Savior;(BU)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(BV) to me and be saved,(BW)
all you ends of the earth;(BX)
for I am God, and there is no other.(BY)
23 By myself I have sworn,(BZ)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(CA)
a word that will not be revoked:(CB)
Before me every knee will bow;(CC)
by me every tongue will swear.(CD)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(CE) and strength.(CF)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(CG)
25 But all the descendants(CH) of Israel
will find deliverance(CI) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(CJ)
Gods of Babylon
46 Bel(CK) bows down, Nebo stoops low;
their idols(CL) are borne by beasts of burden.[d]
The images that are carried(CM) about are burdensome,
a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together;
unable to rescue the burden,
they themselves go off into captivity.(CN)
3 “Listen(CO) to me, you descendants of Jacob,
all the remnant(CP) of the people of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since your birth,(CQ)
and have carried(CR) since you were born.(CS)
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs(CT)
I am he,(CU) I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain(CV) you and I will rescue you.
5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?(CW)
6 Some pour out gold from their bags
and weigh out silver on the scales;
they hire a goldsmith(CX) to make it into a god,
and they bow down and worship it.(CY)
7 They lift it to their shoulders and carry(CZ) it;
they set it up in its place, and there it stands.
From that spot it cannot move.(DA)
Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer;(DB)
it cannot save(DC) them from their troubles.
8 “Remember(DD) this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.(DE)
9 Remember the former things,(DF) those of long ago;(DG)
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.(DH)
10 I make known the end from the beginning,(DI)
from ancient times,(DJ) what is still to come.(DK)
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,(DL)
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon(DM) a bird of prey;(DN)
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned,(DO) that I will do.(DP)
12 Listen(DQ) to me, you stubborn-hearted,(DR)
you who are now far from my righteousness.(DS)
13 I am bringing my righteousness(DT) near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation(DU) will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,(DV)
my splendor(DW) to Israel.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
- Isaiah 45:13 Hebrew him
- Isaiah 45:14 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 46:1 Or are but beasts and cattle
1 Thessalonians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 Thessalonians 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens(A) 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker[a] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith,(B) 3 so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.(C) 4 In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain.(D)
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6 But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you.(E) 7 For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. 8 For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.(F)
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.(G) 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.[b](H)
1 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
1 Thessalonians 3
New International Version
3 So when we could stand it no longer,(A) we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.(B) 2 We sent Timothy,(C) who is our brother and co-worker(D) in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ,(E) to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.(F) For you know quite well that we are destined for them.(G) 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.(H) 5 For this reason, when I could stand it no longer,(I) I sent to find out about your faith.(J) I was afraid that in some way the tempter(K) had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.(L)
Timothy’s Encouraging Report
6 But Timothy(M) has just now come to us from you(N) and has brought good news about your faith and love.(O) He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you.(P) 7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8 For now we really live, since you are standing firm(Q) in the Lord. 9 How can we thank God enough for you(R) in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?(S) 10 Night and day we pray(T) most earnestly that we may see you again(U) and supply what is lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father(V) himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other(W) and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless(X) and holy in the presence of our God and Father(Y) when our Lord Jesus comes(Z) with all his holy ones.(AA)
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