Isaiah 52
New International Version - UK
52 Awake, awake, Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your garments of splendour,
Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.
2 Shake off your dust;
rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
Daughter Zion, now a captive.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
‘You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed.’
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
5 ‘And now what do I have here?’ declares the Lord.
‘For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,’[a]
declares the Lord.
‘And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people will know my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I.’
7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
‘Your God reigns!’
8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
9 Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!
Come out from it and be pure,
you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The suffering and glory of the servant
13 See, my servant will act wisely;[b]
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him[c] –
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness –
15 so he will sprinkle many nations,[d]
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
- Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
- Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
- Isaiah 52:15 Or so will many nations be amazed at him (see also Septuagint)
Isaiah 52
New American Standard Bible
Cheer for Prostrate Zion
52 (A)Awake, awake,
Clothe yourself in your strength, Zion;
Clothe yourself with your (B)beautiful garments,
Jerusalem, the (C)holy city;
For the uncircumcised and the (D)unclean
Will no longer come into you.
2 Shake yourself (E)from the dust, (F)rise up,
Captive Jerusalem;
(G)Release yourself from the chains around your neck,
Captive daughter of Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were (H)sold for nothing, and you will be (I)redeemed (J)without money.” 4 For this is what the Lord [a]God says: “My people (K)went down to Egypt first to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without reason. 5 And now, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without reason?” Again the Lord declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My (L)name is continually reviled all day long. 6 Therefore, My people shall (M)know My name; therefore on that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’”
7 How delightful on the mountains
Are the feet of one who brings (N)good news,
Who announces [b]peace
And brings good news of [c]happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your (O)God [d]reigns!”
8 Listen! Your watchmen raise their (P)voices,
They shout joyfully together;
For they will see [e]with their own eyes
When the Lord restores Zion.
9 (Q)Be cheerful, shout joyfully together,
You (R)ruins of Jerusalem;
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has (S)redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared His holy (T)arm
In the sight of all the nations,
[f]So that (U)all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God.
11 (V)Depart, depart, go out from there,
(W)Do not touch what is unclean;
Go out of the midst of her, (X)purify yourselves,
You who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 But you will not go out in (Y)a hurry,
Nor will you go [g]as fugitives;
For the (Z)Lord will go before you,
And (AA)the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Exalted Servant
13 Behold, My (AB)Servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and [h]greatly (AC)exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at you, My people,
So His (AD)appearance was marred beyond that of a man,
And His form beyond the sons of mankind.
15 So [i]He will (AE)sprinkle many nations,
Kings will (AF)shut their mouths on account of Him;
For (AG)what they had not been told, they will see,
And what they had not heard, they will understand.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 52:7 Or well-being
- Isaiah 52:7 Lit good
- Isaiah 52:7 Or is King
- Isaiah 52:8 Lit eye to eye
- Isaiah 52:10 Or And all...will see
- Isaiah 52:12 Lit in flight
- Isaiah 52:13 Or very high
- Isaiah 52:15 LXX many nations will wonder at Him
Isaiah 52
New Century Version
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
52 Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem! Become strong!
Be beautiful again,
holy city of Jerusalem.
The people who do not worship God and who are not pure
will not enter you again.
2 Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner.
Now shake off the dust and stand up.
Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner.
Now free yourself from the chains around your neck.
3 This is what the Lord says:
“You were not sold for a price,
so you will be saved without cost.”
4 This is what the Lord God says:
“First my people went down to Egypt to live.
Later Assyria made them slaves.
5 “Now see what has happened,” says the Lord.
“Another nation has taken away my people for nothing.
This nation who rules them makes fun of me,” says the Lord.
“All day long they speak against me.
6 This has happened so my people will know who I am,
and so, on that future day, they will know
that I am the one speaking to them.
It will really be me.”
7 How beautiful is the person
who comes over the mountains to bring good news,
who announces peace
and brings good news,
who announces salvation
and says to Jerusalem,
“Your God is King.”
8 Listen! Your guards are shouting.
They are all shouting for joy!
They all will see with their own eyes
when the Lord returns to Jerusalem.
9 Jerusalem, your buildings are destroyed now,
but shout and rejoice together,
because the Lord has comforted his people.
He has saved Jerusalem.
10 The Lord will show his holy power
to all the nations.
Then everyone on earth
will see the salvation of our God.
11 You people, leave, leave; get out of Babylon!
Touch nothing that is unclean.
You men who carry the Lord’s things used in worship,
leave there and make yourselves pure.
12 You will not be forced to leave Babylon quickly;
you will not be forced to run away,
because the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will guard you from behind.
The Lord’s Suffering Servant
13 The Lord says, “See, my servant will act wisely.
People will greatly honor and respect him.
14 Many people were shocked when they saw him.
His appearance was so damaged he did not look like a man;
his form was so changed they could barely tell he was human.
15 But now he will surprise many nations.
Kings will be amazed and shut their mouths.
They will see things they had not been told about him,
and they will understand things they had not heard.”
Isaiah 52
Revised Standard Version
Let Zion Rejoice
52 Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for there shall no more come into you
the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise,
O captive[a] Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus says the Lord God: My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail, says the Lord, and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.”
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good tidings,
who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8 Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice,
together they sing for joy;
for eye to eye they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
9 Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go out thence,
touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her, purify yourselves,
you who bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Suffering Servant
13 Behold, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
14 As many were astonished at him[b]—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the sons of men—
15 so shall he startle[c] many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they shall see,
and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:2 Cn: Heb sit
- Isaiah 52:14 Syr Tg: Heb you
- Isaiah 52:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
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