The LORD the Only Redeemer

431 But now thus says Yahweh who created you, Jacob,
and he who formed you, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by your name.
You are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned,
and flame will not scorch you. 3 For I am Yahweh your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
your Savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you have been precious and honored in my sight,
and I have loved you;
therefore I will give people in your place,
and nations instead of your life. 5 Don’t be afraid; for I am with you.
I will bring your seed from the east,
and gather you from the west. 6 I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’
and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!
Bring my sons from far,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name,
and whom I have created for my glory,
whom I have formed,
yes, whom I have made.’”

8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
and the deaf who have ears. 9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us former things?
Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified;
or let them hear, and say, “That is true.” 10 “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh,
“With my servant whom I have chosen;
that you may know and believe me,
and understand that I am he.
Before me there was no God formed,
neither will there be after me. 11 I myself am Yahweh;
and besides me there is no savior. 12 I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown;
and there was no strange god among you.
Therefore you are my witnesses,”
says Yahweh, “and I am God. 13 Yes, since the day was I am he;
and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
I will work, and who can hinder it?”

14 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. 15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.” 16 

Thus says Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea,
and a path in the mighty waters; 17 who brings forth the chariot and horse,
the army and the mighty man
(they lie down together, they shall not rise;
they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick): 18 “Don’t remember the former things,
and don’t consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing.
It springs forth now.
Don’t you know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. 20 The animals of the field shall honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people which I formed for myself,
that they might set forth my praise.

22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, Israel. 23 You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings;
neither have you honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
nor wearied you with frankincense. 24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money,
nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices;
but you have burdened me with your sins.
You have wearied me with your iniquities. 25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake;
and I will not remember your sins. 26 Put me in remembrance.
Let us plead together.
Set forth your case,
that you may be justified. 27 Your first father sinned,
and your teachers have transgressed against me. 28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
and I will make Jacob a curse,
and Israel a reviling.”

The LORD the Only God

441 Yet listen now, Jacob my servant,
and Israel, whom I have chosen. 2 This is what Yahweh who made you,
and formed you from the womb,
who will help you says:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant;
and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
and streams on the dry ground.
I will pour my Spirit on your seed,
and my blessing on your offspring: 4 and they will spring up among the grass,
as willows by the watercourses. 5 One will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s;’
and another will be called by the name of Jacob;
and another will write with his hand ‘to Yahweh,’
and honor the name of Israel.” 6 This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says:
“I am the first, and I am the last;
and besides me there is no God. 7 Who is like me?
Who will call,
and will declare it,
and set it in order for me,
since I established the ancient people?
Let them declare the things that are coming,
and that will happen. 8 Don’t fear,
neither be afraid.
Haven’t I declared it to you long ago,
and shown it?
You are my witnesses.
Is there a God besides me?
Indeed, there is not.
I don’t know any other Rock.”

The Folly of Idolatry

9 Everyone who makes an engraved image is vain.
The things that they delight in will not profit.
Their own witnesses don’t see, nor know, that they may be disappointed. 10 Who has fashioned a god,
or molds an image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his fellows will be disappointed;
and the workmen are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together.
Let them stand up.
They will fear.
They will be put to shame together. 12 The blacksmith takes an axe,
works in the coals,
fashions it with hammers,
and works it with his strong arm.
He is hungry,
and his strength fails;
he drinks no water,
and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches out a line.
He marks it out with a pencil.
He shapes it with planes.
He marks it out with compasses,
and shapes it like the figure of a man,
with the beauty of a man,
to reside in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
and takes the cypress and the oak,
and strengthens for himself one among the trees of the forest.
He plants a fir tree,
and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it will be for a man to burn;
and he takes some of it, and warms himself.
Yes, he burns it, and bakes bread.
Yes, he makes a god, and worships it;
he makes it an engraved image, and falls down to it. 16 He burns part of it in the fire.
With part of it, he eats meat.
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
Yes, he warms himself,
and says, “Aha! I am warm. I have seen the fire.” 17 The rest of it he makes into a god,
even his engraved image.
He bows down to it and worships,
and prays to it, and says, “Deliver me; for you are my god!” 18 They don’t know, neither do they consider:
for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see;
and their hearts, that they can’t understand. 19 No one thinks,
neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say,
“I have burned part of it in the fire.
Yes, I have also baked bread on its coals.
I have roasted meat and eaten it.
Shall I make the rest of it into an abomination?
Shall I bow down to a tree trunk?” 20 He feeds on ashes.
A deceived heart has turned him aside;
and he can’t deliver his soul,
nor say, “Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?”

The LORD the Redeemer of Israel

21 Remember these things, Jacob and Israel;
for you are my servant.
I have formed you.
You are my servant.
Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. 22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, your transgressions,
and, as a cloud, your sins.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you. 23 Sing, you heavens, for Yahweh has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth!
Break out into singing, you mountains, O forest, all of your trees,
for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob,
and will glorify himself in Israel. 24 Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer,
and he who formed you from the womb:
“I am Yahweh, who makes all things;
who alone stretches out the heavens;
who spreads out the earth by myself; 25 who frustrates the signs of the liars,
and makes diviners mad;
who turns wise men backward,
and makes their knowledge foolish; 26 who confirms the word of his servant,
and performs the counsel of his messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited;’
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be built,’
and ‘I will raise up its waste places;’ 27 who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’
and ‘I will dry up your rivers;’ 28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure,’
even saying of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built;’
and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica

21 For you yourselves know, brothers, our visit to you wasn’t in vain, 2 but having suffered before and been shamefully treated, as you know, at Philippi, we grew bold in our God to tell you the Good News of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. 4 But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts. 5 For neither were we at any time found using words of flattery, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness (God is witness), 6 nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.

7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God. 10 You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe. 11 As you know, we exhorted, comforted, and implored every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 to the end that you should walk worthily of God, who calls you into his own Kingdom and glory.

13 For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews; 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men; 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.

Paul's Absence and Concern

17 But we, brothers, being bereaved of you for a short season, in presence, not in heart, tried even harder to see your face with great desire, 18 because we wanted to come to you—indeed, I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Isn’t it even you, before our Lord Jesus [1] at his coming? 20 For you are our glory and our joy.