Isaiah 12; Isaiah 65:17–25; Luke 21:5–19; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

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Isaiah 12

The Lord Is My Strength and My Song

You1 will say uin that day:

I will give thanks to you, O Lord,

for though you were angry with me,

vyour anger turned away,

that you might comfort me.

Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for wthe Lord God2 is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.

xWith joy you3 will draw water from the wells of salvation. yAnd you will say in that day:

zGive thanks to the Lord,

call upon his name,

amake known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim bthat his name is exalted.

cSing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

let this be made known4 in all the earth.

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great din your5 midst is ethe Holy One of Israel.


Isaiah 65:17–25

New Heavens and a New Earth

17  For behold, kI create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

18  But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, lI create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness.

19  mI will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people;

nno more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping

and the cry of distress.

20  No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for othe young man shall die a hundred years old,

and pthe sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

21  qThey shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22  qThey shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

rfor like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy1 the work of their hands.

23  sThey shall not labor in vain

tor bear children for calamity,2

for uthey shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,

and their descendants with them.

24  vBefore they call I will answer;

wwhile they are yet speaking I will hear.

25  xThe wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

the lion shall eat straw like the ox,

and ydust shall be the serpent’s food.

zThey shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain,

says the Lord.


Luke 21:5–19

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

fAnd while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, As for these things that you see, gthe days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. And they asked him, Teacher, hwhen will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? And he said, iSee that you are not led astray. For jmany will come in my name, saying, kI am he! and, lThe time is at hand! Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be mterrified, for these things nmust first take place, but the end will not be at once.

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, oNation will rise against nation, and pkingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great qearthquakes, and in various places rfamines and pestilences. And there will be sterrors and great tsigns from heaven. 12 But before all this uthey will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to vthe synagogues and wprisons, and you xwill be brought before ykings and zgovernors for my name’s sake. 13 aThis will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds bnot to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for cI will give you a mouth and dwisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or econtradict. 16 You will be delivered up feven by parents and brothers1 and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 gYou will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But hnot a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your iendurance you will gain your lives.


2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

Warning Against Idleness

Now we command you, brothers, sin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, tthat you keep away from any ubrother vwho is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know whow you ought to imitate us, because xwe were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but ywith toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was znot because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves aan example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: bIf anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you cwalk in idleness, not busy at work, but dbusybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.1

13 As for you, brothers, edo not grow weary in doing good.