1“Go down, sit in the dust,a

Virgin Daughterb Babylon;

sit on the ground without a throne,

queen city of the Babylonians.1^,c

No more will you be called

tender or delicate.d

2Take millstonese and grindf flour;

take off your veil.g

Lift up your skirts,h bare your legs,

and wade through the streams. Photo

3Your nakednessi will be exposed

and your shamej uncovered.

I will take vengeance;k

I will spare no one.l”

4Our Redeemerm—the LORD Almightyn is his nameo—

is the Holy Onep of Israel.

5“Sit in silence,q go into darkness,r

queen city of the Babylonians;s

no more will you be called

queent of kingdoms.u

6I was angryv with my people

and desecrated my inheritance;w

I gave them into your hand,x

and you showed them no mercy.y

Even on the aged

you laid a very heavy yoke.

7You said, ‘I am foreverz—

the eternal queen!’a

But you did not consider these things

or reflectb on what might happen.c

8“Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,

lounging in your securityd

and saying to yourself,

‘I am, and there is none besides me.e

I will never be a widowf

or suffer the loss of children.’

9Both of these will overtake you

in a moment,g on a single day:

loss of childrenh and widowhood.i

They will come upon you in full measure,

in spite of your many sorceriesj

and all your potent spells.k

10You have trustedl in your wickedness

and have said, ‘No one sees me.’m

Your wisdomn and knowledge misleado you

when you say to yourself,

‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

11Disasterp will come upon you,

and you will not know how to conjure it away.

A calamity will fall upon you

that you cannot ward off with a ransom;

a catastrophe you cannot foresee

will suddenlyq come upon you.

12“Keep on, then, with your magic spells

and with your many sorceries,r

which you have labored at since childhood.

Perhaps you will succeed,

perhaps you will cause terror.

13All the counsel you have received has only worn you out!s

Let your astrologerst come forward,

those stargazers who make predictions month by month,

let them saveu you from what is coming upon you.

14Surely they are like stubble;v

the firew will burn them up.

They cannot even save themselves

from the power of the flame.x

These are not coals for warmth;

this is not a fire to sit by.

15That is all they are to you—

these you have dealt with

and laboredy with since childhood.

All of them go on in their error;

there is not one that can savez you.

1“Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob,

you who are called by the name of Israela

and come from the line of Judah,b

you who take oathsc in the name of the LORDd

and invokee the God of Israel—

but not in truthf or righteousness—

2you who call yourselves citizens of the holy cityg

and claim to relyh on the God of Israel—

the LORD Almighty is his name:i

3I foretold the former thingsj long ago,

my mouth announcedk them and I made them known;

then suddenlyl I acted, and they came to pass.

4For I knew how stubbornm you were;

your neck musclesn were iron,

your foreheado was bronze.

5Therefore I told you these things long ago;

before they happened I announcedp them to you

so that you could not say,

‘My images brought them about;q

my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’

6You have heard these things; look at them all.

Will you not admit them?

“From now on I will tell you of new things,r

of hidden things unknown to you.

7They are createds now, and not long ago;t

you have not heard of them before today.

So you cannot say,

‘Yes, I knewu of them.’

8You have neither heard nor understood;v

from of old your earsw have not been open.

Well do I know how treacherousx you are;

you were called a rebely from birth.

9For my own name’s sakez I delay my wrath;a

for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,

so as not to destroy you completely.b

10See, I have refinedc you, though not as silver;

I have testedd you in the furnacee of affliction.

11For my own sake,f for my own sake, I do this.

How can I let myself be defamed?g

I will not yield my glory to another.h

12“Listeni to me, Jacob,

Israel, whom I have called:j

I am he;k

I am the first and I am the last.l

13My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,m

and my right hand spread out the heavens;n

when I summon them,

they all stand up together.o

14“Come together,p all of you, and listen:

Which of the idols has foretoldq these things?

The LORD’s chosen allyr

will carry out his purposes against Babylon;t

his arm will be against the Babylonians.1

15I, even I, have spoken;

yes, I have calledu him.

I will bring him,

and he will succeedv in his mission.

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;y

at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign LORDz has senta me,

endowed with his Spirit.b

17This is what the LORD says—

your Redeemer,c the Holy Oned of Israel:

“I am the LORD your God,

who teachese you what is best for you,

who directsf you in the wayg you should go.

18If only you had paid attentionh to my commands,

your peacei would have been like a river,j

your well-beingk like the waves of the sea.

19Your descendantsl would have been like the sand,m

your children like its numberless grains;n

their name would never be blotted outo

nor destroyed from before me.”

20Leave Babylon,

fleep from the Babylonians!

Announce this with shouts of joyq

and proclaim it.

Send it out to the ends of the earth;r

say, “The LORD has redeemeds his servant Jacob.”

21They did not thirstt when he led them through the deserts;

he made water flowu for them from the rock;

he split the rock

and water gushed out.v

22“There is no peace,”w says the LORD, “for the wicked.”x

1Listena to me, you islands;b

hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was bornc the LORD calledd me;

from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.e

2He made my mouthf like a sharpened sword,g

in the shadow of his handh he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrowi

and concealed me in his quiver.

3He said to me, “You are my servant,j

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.k”

4But I said, “I have labored in vain;l

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,m

and my rewardn is with my God.”o

5And now the LORD says—

he who formed me in the wombp to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israelq to himself,

for I am1 honoredr in the eyes of the LORD

and my God has been my strengths—

6he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servantt

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.u

I will also make you a lightv for the Gentiles,w

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”x

7This is what the LORD says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israely—

to him who was despisedz and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kingsa will see you and stand up,

princes will see and bow down,b

because of the LORD, who is faithful,c

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosend you.”

“In the time of my favore I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;f

I will keepg you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,h

to restore the landi

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,j

9to say to the captives,k ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness,l ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.m

10They will neither hunger nor thirst,n

nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.o

He who has compassionp on them will guideq them

and lead them beside springsr of water.

11I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highwayss will be raised up.t

12See, they will come from afaru—

some from the north, some from the west,v

some from the region of Aswan.2”

13Shout for joy,w you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;x

burst into song, you mountains!y

For the LORD comfortsz his people

and will have compassiona on his afflicted ones.b

14But Zionc said, “The LORD has forsakend me,

the Lord has forgotten me.”

15“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the childe she has borne?

Though she may forget,

I will not forget you!f

16See, I have engravedg you on the palms of my hands;

your wallsh are ever before me.

17Your children hasten back,

and those who laid you wastei depart from you.

18Lift up your eyes and look around;

all your children gatherj and come to you.

As surely as I live,k” declares the LORD,

“you will wearl them all as ornaments;

you will put them on, like a bride.

19“Though you were ruined and made desolatem

and your land laid waste,n

now you will be too small for your people,o

and those who devouredp you will be far away.

20The children born during your bereavement

will yet say in your hearing,

‘This place is too small for us;

give us more space to live in.’q

21Then you will say in your heart,

‘Who bore me these?r

I was bereaveds and barren;

I was exiled and rejected.t

Who brought theseu up?

I was leftv all alone,w

but these—where have they come from?’ ”

“See, I will beckon to the nations,

I will lift up my bannery to the peoples;

they will bringz your sons in their arms

and carry your daughters on their hips.a

23Kingsb will be your foster fathers,

and their queens your nursing mothers.c

They will bow downd before you with their faces to the ground;

they will lick the duste at your feet.

Then you will know that I am the LORD;f

those who hopeg in me will not be disappointed.h”

24Can plunder be taken from warriors,i

or captives be rescued from the fierce3?

“Yes, captivesj will be taken from warriors,k

and plunder retrieved from the fierce;l

I will contend with those who contend with you,m

and your children I will save.n

26I will make your oppressorso eatp their own flesh;

they will be drunk on their own blood,q as with wine.

Then all mankind will knowr

that I, the LORD, am your Savior,s

your Redeemer,t the Mighty One of Jacob.u”

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorcea

with which I sent her away?

Or to which of my creditors

did I sellb you?

Because of your sinsc you were sold;d

because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.

2When I came, why was there no one?

When I called, why was there no one to answer?e

Was my arm too shortf to deliver you?

Do I lack the strengthg to rescue you?

By a mere rebukeh I dry up the sea,i

I turn rivers into a desert;j

their fish rot for lack of water

and die of thirst.

3I clothe the heavens with darknessk

and make sackclothl its covering.”

4The Sovereign LORDm has given me a well-instructed tongue,n

to know the word that sustains the weary.o

He wakens me morning by morning,p

wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.q

5The Sovereign LORDr has opened my ears;s

I have not been rebellious,t

I have not turned away.

6I offered my back to those who beatu me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;v

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.w

7Because the Sovereign LORDx helpsy me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,z

and I know I will not be put to shame.a

8He who vindicatesb me is near.c

Who then will bring charges against me?d

Let us face each other!e

Who is my accuser?

Let him confront me!

9It is the Sovereign LORDf who helpsg me.

Who will condemnh me?

They will all wear out like a garment;

the mothsi will eat them up.

10Who among you fearsj the LORD

and obeysk the word of his servant?l

Let the one who walks in the dark,

who has no light,m

trustn in the name of the LORD

and rely on their God.

11But now, all you who light fires

and provide yourselves with flaming torches,o

go, walk in the light of your firesp

and of the torches you have set ablaze.

This is what you shall receive from my hand:q

You will lie down in torment.r

1“Listena to me, you who pursue righteousnessb

and who seekc the LORD:

Look to the rockd from which you were cut

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

2look to Abraham,e your father,

and to Sarah, who gave you birth.

When I called him he was only one man,

and I blessed him and made him many.f

3The LORD will surely comfortg Zionh

and will look with compassion on all her ruins;i

he will make her deserts like Eden,j

her wastelandsk like the garden of the LORD.

Joy and gladnessl will be found in her,

thanksgivingm and the sound of singing.

4“Listen to me, my people;n

hear me,o my nation:

Instructionp will go out from me;

my justiceq will become a light to the nations.r

5My righteousness draws near speedily,

my salvations is on the way,t

and my armu will bring justice to the nations.

The islandsv will look to me

and wait in hopew for my arm.

6Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

look at the earth beneath;

the heavens will vanish like smoke,x

the earth will wear out like a garmenty

and its inhabitants die like flies.

But my salvationz will last forever,a

my righteousness will never fail.b

7“Hear me, you who know what is right,c

you people who have taken my instruction to heart:d

Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals

or be terrified by their insults.e

8For the moth will eat them up like a garment;f

the wormg will devour them like wool.

But my righteousness will last forever,h

my salvation through all generations.”

9Awake, awake,i armj of the LORD,

clothe yourself with strength!k

Awake, as in days gone by,

as in generations of old.l

Was it not you who cut Rahabm to pieces,

who pierced that monstern through?

10Was it not you who dried up the sea,o

the waters of the great deep,p

who made a road in the depths of the seaq

so that the redeemedr might cross over?

11Those the LORD has rescueds will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;t

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joyu will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.v

12“I, even I, am he who comfortsw you.

Who are you that you fearx mere mortals,y

human beings who are but grass,z

13that you forgeta the LORD your Maker,b

who stretches out the heavensc

and who lays the foundations of the earth,

that you live in constant terrord every day

because of the wrath of the oppressor,

who is bent on destruction?

For where is the wrath of the oppressor?e

14The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;f

they will not die in their dungeon,

nor will they lack bread.g

15For I am the LORD your God,

who stirs up the seah so that its waves roari—

the LORD Almightyj is his name.

16I have put my words in your mouthk

and covered you with the shadow of my handl—

I who set the heavens in place,

who laid the foundations of the earth,m

and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.n’ ”

17Awake, awake!o

Rise up, Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD

the cupp of his wrath,q

you who have drained to its dregsr

the goblet that makes people stagger.s

18Among all the childrent she bore

there was none to guide her;u

among all the children she reared

there was none to take her by the hand.v

19These double calamitiesw have come upon you—

who can comfort you?x—

ruin and destruction,y faminez and sworda—

who can1 console you?

20Your children have fainted;

they lie at every street corner,b

like antelope caught in a net.c

They are filled with the wrathd of the LORD,

with the rebukee of your God.

21Therefore hear this, you afflictedf one,

made drunk,g but not with wine.

22This is what your Sovereign LORD says,

your God, who defendsh his people:

“See, I have taken out of your hand

the cupi that made you stagger;

from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,

you will never drink again.

23I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,j

who said to you,

‘Fall prostratek that we may walkl on you.’

And you made your back like the ground,

like a street to be walked on.”m

1Awake, awake,a Zion,

clothe yourself with strength!b

Put on your garments of splendor,c

Jerusalem, the holy city.d

The uncircumcisede and defiledf

will not enter you again.g

2Shake off your dust;h

rise up,i sit enthroned, Jerusalem.

Free yourself from the chains on your neck,j

Daughter Zion,k now a captive.

“You were sold for nothing,l

and without moneym you will be redeemed.n”

“At first my people went down to Egypto to live;

lately, Assyriap has oppressed them.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,

and those who rule them mock,1”

declares the LORD.

“And all day long

my name is constantly blasphemed.q

6Therefore my people will knowr my name;s

therefore in that dayt they will know

that it is I who foretoldu it.

Yes, it is I.”

7How beautiful on the mountainsv

are the feet of those who bring good news,w

who proclaim peace,x

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation,

who say to Zion,

“Your God reigns!”y

8Listen! Your watchmenz lift up their voices;a

together they shout for joy.b

When the LORD returnsc to Zion,d

they will see it with their own eyes.

9Burst into songs of joye together,

you ruinsf of Jerusalem,

for the LORD has comfortedg his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.h

10The LORD will lay bare his holy armi

in the sight of all the nations,j

and all the ends of the earthk will see

the salvationl of our God.

11Depart,m depart, go out from there!

Touch no unclean thing!n

Come out from it and be pure,o

you who carry the articlesp of the LORD’s house.

12But you will not leave in hasteq

or go in flight;

for the LORD will go before you,r

the God of Israel will be your rear guard.s

13See, my servantt will act wisely2;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.u

14Just as there were many who were appalledv at him3—

his appearance was so disfiguredw beyond that of any human being

and his form marred beyond human likenessx—

15so he will sprinkley many nations,4

and kingsz will shut their mouthsa because of him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand.b

1Who has believed our messagea

and to whom has the armb of the LORD been revealed?c Chart: Quotations From and References to Isaiah 53 in the New Testament

2He grew up before him like a tender shoot,d

and like a roote out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearancef that we should desire him.

3He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering,g and familiar with pain.h

Like one from whom people hidei their faces

he was despised,j and we held him in low esteem.

4Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,k

yet we considered him punished by God,l

stricken by him, and afflicted.m

5But he was piercedn for our transgressions,o

he was crushedp for our iniquities;

the punishmentq that brought us peacer was on him,

and by his woundss we are healed.t

6We all, like sheep, have gone astray,u

each of us has turned to our own way;v

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquityw of us all.

7He was oppressedx and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;y

he was led like a lambz to the slaughter,a

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8By oppression1 and judgmentb he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;c

for the transgressiond of my people he was punished.2

9He was assigned a grave with the wicked,e

and with the richf in his death,

though he had done no violence,g

nor was any deceit in his mouth.h

10Yet it was the LORD’s willi to crushj him and cause him to suffer,k

and though the LORD makes3 his life an offering for sin,l

he will see his offspringm and prolong his days,

and the will of the LORD will prospern in his hand.

11After he has suffered,o

he will see the lightp of life4 and be satisfied5;

by his knowledge6 my righteous servantq will justifyr many,

and he will bear their iniquities.s

12Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,7^,t

and he will divide the spoilsu with the strong,8

because he poured out his life unto death,v

and was numbered with the transgressors.w

For he borex the sin of many,y

and made intercessionz for the transgressors.

1“Sing, barren woman,a

you who never bore a child;

burst into song, shout for joy,b

you who were never in labor;c

because more are the childrend of the desolatee woman

than of her who has a husband,f”

says the LORD.

2“Enlarge the place of your tent,g

stretch your tent curtains wide,

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords,

strengthen your stakes.h

3For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

your descendantsi will dispossess nationsj

and settle in their desolatek cities.

4“Do not be afraid;l you will not be put to shame.m

Do not fear disgrace;n you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youtho

and remember no more the reproachp of your widowhood.q

5For your Makerr is your husbands—

the LORD Almighty is his name—

the Holy Onet of Israel is your Redeemer;u

he is called the God of all the earth.v

6The LORD will call you backw

as if you were a wife desertedx and distressed in spirit—

a wife who married young,y

only to be rejected,” says your God.

7“For a brief momentz I abandoneda you,

but with deep compassionb I will bring you back.c

8In a surge of angerd

I hide my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting kindnessf

I will have compassiong on you,”

says the LORD your Redeemer.h

9“To me this is like the days of Noah,

when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.i

So now I have swornj not to be angryk with you,

never to rebukel you again.

10Though the mountains be shakenm

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing loven for you will not be shakeno

nor my covenantp of peaceq be removed,”

says the LORD, who has compassionr on you.

11“Afflicteds city, lashed by stormst and not comforted,u

I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,1^,v

your foundationsw with lapis lazuli.x

12I will make your battlements of rubies,

your gatesy of sparkling jewels,

and all your walls of precious stones.

13All your children will be taught by the LORD,z

and great will be their peace.a

14In righteousnessb you will be established:c

Tyrannyd will be far from you;

you will have nothing to fear.e

Terrorf will be far removed;

it will not come near you.

15If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;

whoever attacks you will surrenderg to you.

16“See, it is I who created the blacksmithh

who fans the coals into flame

and forges a weaponi fit for its work.

And it is I who have created the destroyerj to wreak havoc;

17no weapon forged against you will prevail,k

and you will refutel every tongue that accuses you.

This is the heritage of the servantsm of the LORD,

and this is their vindicationn from me,”

declares the LORD.

1“Come, all you who are thirsty,a

come to the waters;b

and you who have no money,

come, buyc and eat!

Come, buy wine and milkd

without money and without cost.e

2Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?f

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,g

and you will delight in the richesth of fare.

3Give ear and come to me;

listen,i that you may live.j

I will make an everlasting covenantk with you,

my faithful lovel promised to David.m

4See, I have made him a witnessn to the peoples,

a ruler and commandero of the peoples.

5Surely you will summon nationsp you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,q

because of the LORD your God,

the Holy Oner of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”s

6Seekt the LORD while he may be found;u

callv on him while he is near.

7Let the wicked forsakew their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.x

Let them turny to the LORD, and he will have mercyz on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.a

8“For my thoughtsb are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”c

declares the LORD.

9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,d

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.e

10As the rainf and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,g

so that it yields seedh for the sower and bread for the eater,i

11so is my wordj that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,k

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purposel for which I sent it.

12You will go out in joym

and be led forth in peace;n

the mountains and hills

will burst into songo before you,

and all the treesp of the field

will clap their hands.q

13Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

and instead of briersr the myrtles will grow.

This will be for the LORD’s renown,t

for an everlasting sign,

that will endure forever.”

“Maintain justicea

and do what is right,b

for my salvationc is close at hand

and my righteousnessd will soon be revealed.

2Blessede is the one who does this—

the person who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbathf without desecrating it,

and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

3Let no foreignerg who is bound to the LORD say,

“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”h

And let no eunuchi complain,

“I am only a dry tree.”

“To the eunuchsj who keep my Sabbaths,

who choose what pleases me

and hold fast to my covenantk—

5to them I will give within my temple and its wallsl

a memorialm and a name

better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting namen

that will endure forever.o

6And foreignersp who bind themselves to the LORD

to ministerq to him,

to love the namer of the LORD,

and to be his servants,

all who keep the Sabbaths without desecrating it

and who hold fast to my covenant—

7these I will bring to my holy mountaint

and give them joy in my house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrificesu

will be accepted on my altar;

for my house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations.v”w

8The Sovereign LORD declares—

he who gathers the exiles of Israel:

“I will gatherx still others to them

besides those already gathered.”

9Come, all you beasts of the field,y

come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!

10Israel’s watchmenz are blind,

they all lack knowledge;a

they are all mute dogs,

they cannot bark;

they lie around and dream,

they love to sleep.b

11They are dogs with mighty appetites;

they never have enough.

They are shepherdsc who lack understanding;d

they all turn to their own way,e

they seek their own gain.f

12“Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!g

Let us drink our fill of beer!

And tomorrow will be like today,

or even far better.”h

1The righteous perish,a

and no one takes it to heart;b

the devout are taken away,

and no one understands

that the righteous are taken away

to be spared from evil.c

2Those who walk uprightlyd

enter into peace;

they find reste as they lie in death.

3“But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,f

you offspring of adulterersg and prostitutes!h

4Who are you mocking?

At whom do you sneer

and stick out your tongue?

Are you not a brood of rebels,i

the offspring of liars?

5You burn with lust among the oaksj

and under every spreading tree;k

you sacrifice your childrenl in the ravines

and under the overhanging crags.

6The idolsm among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;

indeed, they are your lot.

Yes, to them you have poured out drink offeringsn

and offered grain offerings.

In view of all this, should I relent?o

7You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;p

there you went up to offer your sacrifices.q

8Behind your doors and your doorposts

you have put your pagan symbols.

Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,

you climbed into it and opened it wide;

you made a pact with those whose beds you love,r

and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.s

9You went to Molek1^,t with olive oil

and increased your perfumes.u

You sent your ambassadors2^,v far away;

you descended to the very realm of the dead!w

10You weariedx yourself by such going about,

but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’y

You found renewal of your strength,z

and so you did not faint.

11“Whom have you so dreaded and feareda

that you have not been true to me,

and have neither rememberedb me

nor taken this to heart?c

Is it not because I have long been silentd

that you do not fear me?

12I will expose your righteousness and your works,e

and they will not benefit you.

13When you cry outf for help,

let your collection of idols saveg you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a mere breath will blowh them away.

But whoever takes refugei in me

will inherit the landj

and possess my holy mountain.”k

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!l

Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”m

15For this is what the high and exaltedn One says—

he who lives forever,o whose name is holy:

“I live in a highp and holy place,

but also with the one who is contriteq and lowly in spirit,r

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.s

16I will not accuset them forever,

nor will I always be angry,u

for then they would faint away because of me—

the very peoplev I have created.

17I was enraged by their sinful greed;w

I punished them, and hidx my face in anger,

yet they kept on in their willful ways.y

18I have seen their ways, but I will healz them;

I will guidea them and restore comfortb to Israel’s mourners,

19creating praise on their lips.c

Peace, peace,d to those far and near,”e

says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”

20But the wickedf are like the tossing sea,g

which cannot rest,

whose waves cast up mireh and mud.

21“There is no peace,”i says my God, “for the wicked.”j

1“Shout it aloud,a do not hold back.

Raise your voice like a trumpet.b

Declare to my people their rebellionc

and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.d

2For day after day they seeke me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsakenf the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

and seem eager for God to come nearg them.

3‘Why have we fasted,’h they say,

‘and you have not seen it?

Why have we humbledi ourselves,

and you have not noticed?’j

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you pleasek

and exploit all your workers.

4Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,l

and in striking each other with wicked fists.

You cannot fast as you do today

and expect your voice to be heardm on high.

5Is this the kind of fastn I have chosen,

only a day for people to humbleo themselves?

Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reedp

and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?q

Is that what you call a fast,

a day acceptable to the LORD?

6“Is not this the kind of fastingr I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustices

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressedt free

and break every yoke?u

7Is it not to share your food with the hungryv

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelterw—

when you see the naked, to clothex them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?y

8Then your light will break forth like the dawn,z

and your healinga will quickly appear;

then your righteousness1^,b will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.c

9Then you will call,d and the LORD will answer;e

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing fingerf and malicious talk,g

10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,h

then your lighti will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.j

11The LORD will guidek you always;

he will satisfy your needsl in a sun-scorched landm

and will strengthenn your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,o

like a springp whose waters never fail.

12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruinsq

and will raise up the age-old foundations;r

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,s

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbatht

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delightu

and the LORD’s holy day honorable,

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,v

14then you will find your joyw in the LORD,

and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heightsx of the land

and to feast on the inheritancey of your father Jacob.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.z

1Surely the arma of the LORD is not too shortb to save,

nor his ear too dull to hear.c

2But your iniquities have separatedd

you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear.e

3For your hands are stained with blood,f

your fingers with guilt.g

Your lips have spoken falsely,h

and your tongue mutters wicked things.

4No one calls for justice;i

no one pleads a case with integrity.

They relyj on empty arguments, they utter lies;k

they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.l

5They hatch the eggs of vipersm

and spin a spider’s web.n

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

6Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.o

Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violencep are in their hands.

7Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.q

They pursue evil schemes;r

acts of violence mark their ways.s

8The way of peace they do not know;t

there is no justice in their paths.

They have turned them into crooked roads;u

no one who walks along them will know peace.v

9So justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We look for light, but all is darkness;w

for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

10Like the blindx we grope along the wall,

feeling our way like people without eyes.

At midday we stumbley as if it were twilight;

among the strong, we are like the dead.z

11We all growl like bears;

we moan mournfully like doves.a

We look for justice, but find none;

for deliverance, but it is far away.

12For our offensesb are many in your sight,

and our sins testifyc against us.

Our offenses are ever with us,

and we acknowledge our iniquities:d

13rebellione and treachery against the LORD,

turning our backsf on our God,

inciting revolt and oppression,g

uttering liesh our hearts have conceived.

14So justicei is driven back,

and righteousnessj stands at a distance;

truthk has stumbled in the streets,

honesty cannot enter.

15Truthl is nowhere to be found,

and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

The LORD looked and was displeased

that there was no justice.m

16He saw that there was no one,n

he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;o

so his own arm achieved salvationp for him,

and his own righteousnessq sustained him.

17He put on righteousness as his breastplate,r

and the helmets of salvation on his head;

he put on the garmentst of vengeanceu

and wrapped himself in zealv as in a cloak. Photo

18According to what they have done,

so will he repayw

wrath to his enemies

and retribution to his foes;

he will repay the islandsx their due.

19From the west,y people will fear the name of the LORD,

and from the rising of the sun,z they will revere his glory.a

For he will come like a pent-up flood

that the breathb of the LORD drives along.1

20“The Redeemerc will come to Zion,d

to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”e

declares the LORD.

1“Arise,a shine, for your lightb has come,

and the gloryc of the LORD rises upon you.

2See, darknessd covers the earth

and thick darknesse is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.

3Nationsf will come to your light,g

and kingsh to the brightness of your dawn.

4“Lift up your eyes and look about you:

All assemblei and come to you;

your sons come from afar,j

and your daughtersk are carried on the hip.l

5Then you will look and be radiant,m

your heart will throb and swell with joy;n

the wealtho on the seas will be brought to you,

to you the riches of the nations will come.

6Herds of camelsp will cover your land,

young camels of Midianq and Ephah.r

And all from Shebas will come,

bearing gold and incenset

and proclaiming the praiseu of the LORD.

7All Kedar’sv flocks will be gathered to you,

the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;

they will be accepted as offeringsw on my altar,x

and I will adorn my glorious temple.y

8“Who are thesez that fly along like clouds,a

like doves to their nests?

9Surely the islandsb look to me;

in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,1^,c

bringingd your children from afar,

with their silver and gold,e

to the honorf of the LORD your God,

the Holy Oneg of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.h

10“Foreignersi will rebuild your walls,

and their kingsj will serve you.

Though in anger I struck you,

in favork I will show you compassion.l

11Your gatesm will always stand open,

they will never be shut, day or night,

so that people may bring you the wealth of the nationsn—

their kingso led in triumphal procession.

12For the nation or kingdom that will not servep you will perish;

it will be utterly ruined.q

13“The glory of Lebanonr will come to you,

the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,s

to adorn my sanctuary;t

and I will glorify the place for my feet.u

14The children of your oppressorsv will come bowing before you;

all who despise you will bow downw at your feet

and will call you the Cityx of the LORD,

Ziony of the Holy Onez of Israel.

15“Although you have been forsakena and hated,

with no one travelingb through,

I will make you the everlasting pridec

and the joyd of all generations.

16You will drink the milk of nations

and be nursede at royal breasts.

Then you will knowf that I, the LORD, am your Savior,g

your Redeemer,h the Mighty One of Jacob.i

17Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,j

and silver in place of iron.

Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,

and iron in place of stones.

I will make peacek your governor

and well-being your ruler.l

18No longer will violencem be heard in your land,

nor ruin or destructionn within your borders,

but you will call your walls Salvationo

and your gates Praise.p

19The sun will no more be your light by day,

nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,

for the LORD will be your everlasting light,q

and your God will be your glory.r

20Your suns will never set again,

and your moon will wane no more;

the LORD will be your everlasting light,

and your days of sorrowt will end.

21Then all your people will be righteousu

and they will possessv the land forever.

They are the shoot I have planted,w

the work of my hands,x

for the display of my splendor.y

22The least of you will become a thousand,

the smallest a mighty nation.z

I am the LORD;

in its time I will do this swiftly.”a

1The Spirita of the Sovereign LORDb is on me,

because the LORD has anointedc me

to proclaim good newsd to the poor.e

He has sent me to bind upf the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedomg for the captivesh

and release from darkness for the prisoners,1

2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favori

and the day of vengeancej of our God,

to comfortk all who mourn,l

3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crownm of beauty

instead of ashes,n

the oilo of joy

instead of mourning,p

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a plantingq of the LORD

for the display of his splendor.r

4They will rebuild the ancient ruinss

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

5Strangerst will shepherd your flocks;

foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6And you will be called priestsu of the LORD,

you will be named ministers of our God.

You will feed on the wealthv of nations,

and in their riches you will boast.

7Instead of your shamew

you will receive a doublex portion,

and instead of disgrace

you will rejoice in your inheritance.

And so you will inherity a double portion in your land,

and everlasting joyz will be yours.

8“For I, the LORD, love justice;a

I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

In my faithfulness I will reward my people

and make an everlasting covenantb with them.

9Their descendantsc will be known among the nations

and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge

that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”d

10I delight greatly in the LORD;

my soul rejoicese in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,f

as a bridegroom adorns his headg like a priest,

and as a brideh adorns herself with her jewels.

11For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a gardeni causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousnessj

and praise spring up before all nations.

1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,a

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,

till her vindicationb shines out like the dawn,c

her salvationd like a blazing torch.

2The nationse will see your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

you will be called by a new namef

that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

3You will be a crowng of splendor in the LORD’s hand,

a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4No longer will they call you Deserted,h

or name your land Desolate.i

But you will be called Hephzibah,1^,j

and your land Beulah2;

for the LORD will take delightk in you,

and your land will be married.l

5As a young man marries a young woman,

so will your Builder marry you;

as a bridegroomm rejoices over his bride,

so will your God rejoicen over you.

6I have posted watchmeno on your walls, Jerusalem;

they will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the LORD,

give yourselves no rest,p

7and give him no restq till he establishes Jerusalem

and makes her the praiser of the earth.

8The LORD has sworns by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

“Never again will I give your graint

as food for your enemies,

and never again will foreigners drink the new wine

for which you have toiled;

9but those who harvest it will eatu it

and praise the LORD,v

and those who gather the grapes will drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.”w

10Pass through, pass through the gates!x

Prepare the way for the people.

Build up, build up the highway!y

Remove the stones.

Raise a bannerz for the nations.

11The LORD has made proclamation

to the ends of the earth:a

“Say to Daughter Zion,b

‘See, your Savior comes!c

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.’ ”d

12They will be callede the Holy People,f

the Redeemedg of the LORD;

and you will be called Sought After,

the City No Longer Deserted.h

1Who is this coming from Edom,a

from Bozrah,b with his garments stained crimson?c

Who is this, robed in splendor,

striding forward in the greatness of his strength?d

“It is I, proclaiming victory,

mighty to save.”e

2Why are your garments red,

like those of one treading the winepress?f

3“I have trodden the winepressg alone;

from the nations no one was with me.

I trampledh them in my anger

and trod them down in my wrath;i

their blood spattered my garments,j

and I stained all my clothing.

4It was for me the day of vengeance;k

the year for me to redeem had come.

5I looked, but there was no onel to help,

I was appalled that no one gave support;

so my own armm achieved salvation for me,

and my own wrath sustained me.n

6I trampledo the nations in my anger;

in my wrath I made them drunkp

and poured their bloodq on the ground.”

7I will tell of the kindnessesr of the LORD,

the deeds for which he is to be praised,

according to all the LORD has done for us—

yes, the many good thingss

he has done for Israel,

according to his compassiont and many kindnesses.

8He said, “Surely they are my people,u

children who will be true to me”;

and so he became their Savior.v

9In all their distress he too was distressed,

and the angelw of his presencex saved them.1

In his love and mercy he redeemedy them;

he lifted them up and carriedz them

all the days of old.a

10Yet they rebelledb

and grieved his Holy Spirit.c

So he turned and became their enemyd

and he himself foughte against them.

11Then his people recalled2 the days of old,

the days of Moses and his people—

where is he who brought them through the sea,f

with the shepherd of his flock?g

Where is he who set

his Holy Spirith among them,

12who sent his glorious armi of power

to be at Moses’ right hand,

who divided the watersj before them,

to gain for himself everlasting renown,k

13who ledl them through the depths?m

Like a horse in open country,

they did not stumble;n

14like cattle that go down to the plain,

they were given resto by the Spirit of the LORD.

This is how you guided your people

to make for yourself a glorious name.

15Look down from heavenp and see,

from your lofty throne,q holy and glorious.

Where are your zealr and your might?

Your tenderness and compassions are withheldt from us.

16But you are our Father,u

though Abraham does not know us

or Israel acknowledgev us;

you, LORD, are our Father,

our Redeemerw from of old is your name.

17Why, LORD, do you make us wanderx from your ways

and harden our heartsy so we do not reverez you?

Returna for the sake of your servants,

the tribes that are your inheritance.b

18For a little whilec your people possessed your holy place,

but now our enemies have trampledd down your sanctuary.e

19We are yours from of old;

but you have not ruled over them,

they have not been called3 by your name.f

1Oh, that you would rend the heavensa and come down,b

that the mountainsc would tremble before you!

2As when fire sets twigs ablaze

and causes water to boil,

come down to make your named known to your enemies

and cause the nations to quakee before you!

3For when you did awesomef things that we did not expect,

you came down, and the mountains trembledg before you.

4Since ancient times no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,h

who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.i

5You come to the help of those who gladly do right,j

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them,

you were angry.k

How then can we be saved?

6All of us have become like one who is unclean,l

and all our righteousm acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,n

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.o

7No onep calls on your nameq

or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hiddenr your face from us

and have given us overs to2 our sins.

8Yet you, LORD, are our Father.t

We are the clay, you are the potter;u

we are all the work of your hand.v

9Do not be angryw beyond measure, LORD;

do not remember our sinsx forever.

Oh, look on us, we pray,

for we are all your people.y

10Your sacred citiesz have become a wasteland;

even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.a

11Our holy and glorious temple,b where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire,

and all that we treasuredc lies in ruins.

12After all this, LORD, will you hold yourself back?d

Will you keep silente and punish us beyond measure?

1“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;

I was found by those who did not seek me.a

To a nationb that did not call on my name,c

I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’

2All day long I have held out my hands

to an obstinate people,d

who walk in ways not good,

pursuing their own imaginationse—

3a people who continually provoke me

to my very face,f

offering sacrifices in gardensg

and burning incenseh on altars of brick;

4who sit among the gravesi

and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;

who eat the flesh of pigs,j

and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;

5who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,

for I am too sacredk for you!’

Such people are smokel in my nostrils,

a fire that keeps burning all day.

6“See, it stands written before me:

I will not keep silentm but will pay backn in full;

I will pay it back into their lapso—

7both your sinsp and the sins of your ancestors,”q

says the LORD.

“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains

and defied me on the hills,r

I will measure into their laps

the full payments for their former deeds.”

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapest

and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,

there is still a blessing in it,’

so will I do in behalf of my servants;u

I will not destroy them all.

9I will bring forth descendantsv from Jacob,

and from Judah those who will possessw my mountains;

my chosenx people will inherit them,

and there will my servants live.y

10Sharonz will become a pasture for flocks,a

and the Valley of Achorb a resting place for herds,

for my people who seekc me.

11“But as for you who forsaked the LORD

and forget my holy mountain,e

who spread a table for Fortune

and fill bowls of mixed winef for Destiny,

12I will destine you for the sword,g

and all of you will fall in the slaughter;h

for I called but you did not answer,i

I spoke but you did not listen.j

You did evil in my sight

and chose what displeases me.”k

“My servants will eat,l

but you will go hungry;m

my servants will drink,n

but you will go thirsty;o

my servants will rejoice,p

but you will be put to shame.q

14My servants will singr

out of the joy of their hearts,

but you will cry outs

from anguish of heart

and wail in brokenness of spirit.

15You will leave your name

for my chosen ones to use in their curses;t

the Sovereign LORD will put you to death,

but to his servants he will give another name.u

16Whoever invokes a blessingv in the land

will do so by the one true God;w

whoever takes an oath in the land

will swearx by the one true God.

For the past troublesy will be forgotten

and hidden from my eyes.

17“See, I will create

new heavens and a new earth.z

The former things will not be remembered,a

nor will they come to mind.

18But be glad and rejoiceb forever

in what I will create,

for I will create Jerusalemc to be a delight

and its people a joy.

19I will rejoiced over Jerusalem

and take delighte in my people;

the sound of weeping and of cryingf

will be heard in it no more.

20“Never again will there be in it

an infantg who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not live out his years;h

the one who dies at a hundred

will be thought a mere child;

the one who fails to reach1 a hundred

will be considered accursed.

21They will build housesi and dwell in them;

they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.j

22No longer will they build houses and others live in them,k

or plant and others eat.

For as the days of a tree,l

so will be the daysm of my people;

my chosenn ones will long enjoy

the work of their hands.

23They will not labor in vain,o

nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;p

for they will be a people blessedq by the LORD,

they and their descendantsr with them.

24Before they calls I will answer;t

while they are still speakingu I will hear.

25The wolf and the lambv will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox,w

and dust will be the serpent’sx food.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,”y

says the LORD.

“Heaven is my throne,a

and the earth is my footstool.b

Where is the housec you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?

2Has not my hand made all these things,d

and so they came into being?”

declares the LORD.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:

those who are humble and contrite in spirit,e

and who tremble at my word.f

3But whoever sacrifices a bullg

is like one who kills a person,

and whoever offers a lamb

is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;

whoever makes a grain offering

is like one who presents pig’sh blood,

and whoever burns memorial incensei

is like one who worships an idol.

They have chosen their own ways,j

and they delight in their abominations;k

4so I also will choose harsh treatment for them

and will bring on them what they dread.l

For when I called, no one answered,m

when I spoke, no one listened.

They did eviln in my sight

and chose what displeases me.”o

5Hear the word of the LORD,

you who tremble at his word:p

“Your own people who hateq you,

and exclude you because of my name, have said,

‘Let the LORD be glorified,

that we may see your joy!’

Yet they will be put to shame.r

6Hear that uproar from the city,

hear that noise from the temple!

It is the sounds of the LORD

repayingt his enemies all they deserve.

7“Before she goes into labor,u

she gives birth;

before the pains come upon her,

she delivers a son.v

8Who has ever heard of such things?

Who has ever seenw things like this?

Can a country be born in a dayx

or a nation be brought forth in a moment?

Yet no sooner is Zion in labor

than she gives birth to her children.y

9Do I bring to the moment of birthz

and not give delivery?” says the LORD.

“Do I close up the womb

when I bring to delivery?” says your God.

10“Rejoicea with Jerusalem and be glad for her,

all you who loveb her;

rejoice greatly with her,

all you who mournc over her.

11For you will nursed and be satisfied

at her comforting breasts;e

you will drink deeply

and delight in her overflowing abundance.”f

“I will extend peaceg to her like a river,h

and the wealthi of nations like a flooding stream;

you will nurse and be carriedj on her arm

and dandled on her knees.

13As a mother comforts her child,k

so will I comfortl you;

and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14When you see this, your heart will rejoicem

and you will flourishn like grass;

the hando of the LORD will be made known to his servants,p

but his furyq will be shown to his foes.

15See, the LORD is coming with fire,r

and his chariotss are like a whirlwind;t

he will bring down his anger with fury,

and his rebukeu with flames of fire.

16For with firev and with his swordw

the LORD will execute judgmentx on all people,

and many will be those slainy by the LORD.