Font Size
Isaiah 50-66
Amplified Bible
Isaiah 50-66
Amplified Bible
God Helps His Servant
50 [a]The Lord declares this;
“Where is the certificate of divorce
By which I have sent your mother away, [O Israel]?
Or to which one of My creditors did I sell you [as slaves]?
In fact, You were sold for your wickedness [your sin, your injustice, your wrongdoing],
And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2
“Why, when I came, was there no man [to greet Me]?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?
Is My hand really so short that it cannot redeem [My servants]?
Or have I no power to rescue?
Listen carefully, with My rebuke I dry up the sea,
I make the rivers into a desert;
Their fish stink because there is no water
And die of thirst.
3
“I clothe the heavens with the blackness [of storm clouds]
And make sackcloth [of mourning] their clothing.”
4
The Lord God has given Me [His [b]Servant] the tongue of disciples [as One who is taught],
That I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple [as One who is taught].
5
The Lord God has opened My ear,
And I have not been rebellious
Nor have I turned back.
6
I turned My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not hide My face from insults and spitting.(A)
7
For the Lord God helps Me,
Therefore, I have not been ashamed or humiliated.
Therefore, I have made My face like flint,
And I know that I shall not be put to shame.(B)
8
He who declares Me in the right is near;
Who will [dare to] contend with Me?
Let us stand up to each other;
Who is My adversary?
Let him approach Me.(C)
9
In fact, the Lord God helps Me;
Who is he who condemns Me [as guilty]?
Indeed, they will all wear out like a garment;
The moth will eat them.(D)
10
Who is among you who fears the Lord,
Who obeys the voice of His Servant,
Yet who walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him trust and be confident in the name of the Lord and let him rely on his God.
11
Listen carefully, all you who kindle your own fire [devising your own man-made plan of salvation],
Who surround yourselves with torches,
Walk by the light of your [self-made] fire
And among the torches that you have set ablaze.
But this you will have from My hand:
You will lie down in [a place of] torment.(E)
Israel Exhorted
51 “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness (right standing with God),
Who seek and inquire of the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
And to the excavation of the quarry from which you were dug.
2
“Look to Abraham your father
And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;
For I called him when he was but one,
Then I blessed him and made him many.”
3
For the Lord will comfort Zion [in her captivity];
He will comfort all her ruins.
And He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord;
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the voice of a melody.
4
“Listen carefully to Me [says the Lord], O My people,
And hear Me, O My nation;
For a [divine] law will go forth from Me,
And I will quickly establish My justice as a light to the peoples.
5
“My righteousness (justice) is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My arms will judge the peoples;
The islands and coastlands will wait for Me,
And they will wait with hope and confident expectation for My arm.
6
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the heavens will be torn to pieces and vanish like smoke,
And the earth will wear out like a garment
And its inhabitants will die in like manner.
But My salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness (justice) [and faithfully fulfilled promise] will not be broken.(F)
7
“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness (right standing with God),
The people in whose heart is My law and instruction;
Do not fear the reproach and taunting of man,
Nor be distressed at their reviling.
8
“For the moth will eat them like a garment,
And the worm will eat them like wool.
But My righteousness and justice [faithfully promised] will exist forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”
9
Awake, awake, put on strength and might, O arm of the Lord;
Awake as in the ancient days, as in the generations of long ago.
Was it not You who cut Rahab (Egypt) in pieces,
Who pierced the dragon [of Egypt]?(G)
10
Was it not You who dried up the [Red] Sea,
The waters of the great deep,
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the redeemed to cross over?
11
So the redeemed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion;
Everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.(H)
12
“I, even I, am He who comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies
And of a son of man who is made [as destructible] as grass,
13
That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker,
Who stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you continually tremble with fear all day long because of the rage of the oppressor,
As he takes aim to destroy?
And where is the rage of the oppressor?
14 The [captive] exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his food be lacking. 15 For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord of hosts is His name. 16 I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to [c]establish the [renewed] heavens and lay the foundations of the [renewed] earth, and to say to Zion (Jerusalem), ‘You are My people.’”(I)
17
Wake yourself up! Wake yourself up! Stand up, O Jerusalem,
You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath,
You who have drunk the cup of staggering and intoxication to the dregs [leaving only sediment].
18
There is no one to guide her among all the sons she has borne,
Nor is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.
19
These two tragedies have befallen you;
Who will show sympathy for you and mourn with you?
The desolation and destruction [on the land and city], famine and sword [on the inhabitants];
How shall I comfort you?
20
Your sons have fainted;
They lie helpless at the head of every street,
Like an antelope in a net,
Full [from drinking] of the wrath of the Lord,
The rebuke of your God.
21
Therefore, now hear this, you who are afflicted,
Who are drunk, but not with wine [but overwhelmed by the wrath of God].
22
So says your Lord, the Lord, who is also your God
Who pleads the cause of His people,
“Listen carefully, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering and intoxication,
The cup of My wrath;
You shall never drink it again.
23
“I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,
Who have said to you, ‘Lie down so that we may walk over you.’
You have even made your back like the ground
And like the street for those who walk over it.”
Cheer for Downtrodden Zion
52 Awake, awake,
Put on your strength, O Zion;
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
For the uncircumcised and the unclean
Will no longer come into you.(J)
2
Shake yourself from the dust, arise,
O captive Jerusalem;
Rid yourself of the chains around your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.
3 For the Lord says this, “You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed, but not with money.” 4 For the Lord God says this, “My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there; and [many years later Sennacherib] the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 But now, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without reason? Those who rule over them howl [with taunting and mockery of salvation],” declares the Lord, “and My name is continually blasphemed all day long.(K) 6 Therefore My people shall know My Name and what it means. Therefore in that day I am the One who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’”(L)
7
How beautiful and delightful on the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace,
Who brings good news of good [things],
Who announces salvation,
Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”(M)
8
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,
Together they shout for joy;
For they will see face to face
The return of the Lord to Zion.
9
Break forth, shout joyfully together,
You ruins of Jerusalem;
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10
The Lord has bared His holy arm (His infinite power)
Before the eyes of all the nations [revealing Himself as the One by Whom Israel is redeemed from captivity],
That all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God.(N)
11
Depart, depart, go out from there (the lands of exile),
Touch no unclean thing;
Go out of the midst of her (Babylon), purify yourselves,
You who carry the articles of the Lord [on your journey from there].(O)
12
For you will not go out in a hurry [as when you left Egypt],
Nor will you go in flight [fleeing, as you did from the Egyptians];
For the Lord will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Exalted Servant
13
Indeed, My Servant (the Messiah) will act wisely and prosper;
He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.
14
Just as many were astonished and appalled at you, My people,
So His appearance was marred more than any man
And His form [marred] more than the sons of men.
15
So He will sprinkle many nations [with His blood, providing salvation],
Kings will shut their mouths because of Him;
For what they had not been told they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.(P)
The Suffering Servant
53 Who has believed [confidently trusted in, relied on, and adhered to] our message [of salvation]?(Q)
And to whom [if not us] has the arm and infinite power of the Lord been revealed?(R)
2
For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant),
And like a root out of dry ground;
He has no stately form or majestic splendor
That we would look at Him,
Nor [handsome] appearance that we would [d]be attracted to Him.
3
He was despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief;
And like One from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him.
4
But [in fact] He has borne our griefs,
And He has carried our sorrows and pains;
Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken,
Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him].(S)
5
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing];
The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him,
And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed.
6
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
We have turned, each one, to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]
To fall on Him [instead of us].(T)
7
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself];
Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8
[e]After oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And [f]as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact
That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death]
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due?
9
His grave was assigned with the wicked,
But He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.(U)
10
Yet the Lord was [g]willing
To crush Him, [h]causing Him to suffer;
If [i]He would give Himself as a guilt offering [an atonement for sin],
He shall see His [spiritual] offspring,
He shall prolong His days,
And the will (good pleasure) of the Lord shall succeed and prosper in His hand.
11
As a result of the [j]anguish of His soul,
He shall see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge [of what He has accomplished] the Righteous One,
My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him],
For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.
12
Therefore, I will divide and give Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers],
And He shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
Because He [willingly] poured out His life to death,
And was counted among the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore and took away the sin of many,
And interceded [with the Father] for the transgressors.(V)
The Fertility of Zion
54 “Shout for joy, O barren one, she who has not given birth;
Break forth into joyful shouting and rejoice, she who has not gone into labor [with child]!
For the [spiritual] sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.(W)
2
“Enlarge the site of your tent [to make room for more children];
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not spare them;
Lengthen your tent ropes
And make your pegs (stakes) firm [in the ground].
3
“For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
And your descendants will take possession of nations
And will inhabit deserted cities.
4
“Do not fear, for you will not be put to shame,
And do not feel humiliated or ashamed, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5
“For your husband is your Maker,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of the whole earth.
6
“For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife who has been abandoned, grieved in spirit,
And like a wife [married] in her youth when she is [later] rejected and scorned,”
Says your God.
7
“For a brief moment I abandoned you,
But with great compassion and mercy I will gather you [to Myself again].
8
“In an outburst of wrath
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your Redeemer.
9
“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me,
As I swore [an oath] that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
In the same way I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
Nor will My covenant of peace be shaken,”
Says the Lord who has compassion on you.
11
“O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Listen carefully, I will set your [precious] stones in mortar,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12
“And I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of [shining] beryl stones,
And all your [barrier] [k]walls of precious stones.(X)
13
“And all your [spiritual] sons will be disciples [of the Lord],
And great will be the [l]well-being of your sons.(Y)
14
“You will be firmly established in righteousness:
You will be far from [even the thought of] oppression, for you will not fear,
And from terror, for it will not come near you.
15
“If anyone fiercely attacks you it will not be from Me.
Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16
“Listen carefully, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals
And who produces a weapon for its purpose;
And I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin.
17
“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.
This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.
The Free Offer of Mercy
55 “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].(Z)
2
“Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,
And your earnings for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight in [m]abundance.(AA)
3
“Incline your ear [to listen] and come to Me;
Hear, so that your soul may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies [promised and] shown to David.(AB)
4
“Listen carefully, I have appointed [n]him [David, representing the Messiah] to be a witness to the nations [regarding salvation],
A leader and commander to the peoples.
5
“In fact, you [o][Israel] will call a nation that you do not know,
And a nation that does not know you will run to you,
Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.
7
Let the wicked leave (behind) his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion (mercy) on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10
“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth,
Making it bear and sprout,
And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater,(AC)
11
So will My word be which goes out of My mouth;
It will not return to Me void (useless, without result),
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12
“For you will go out [from exile] with joy
And be led forth [by the Lord Himself] with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13
“Instead of the thorn bush the cypress tree will grow,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle tree will grow;
And it will be a memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting sign [of His mercy] which will not be cut off.”
Rewards for Obedience to God
56 This is what the Lord says,
“Maintain justice and do righteousness,
For My salvation is soon to come,
And My righteousness and justice is soon to be revealed.(AD)
2
“Blessed (happy, fortunate) is the man who does this,
And the son of man who takes hold of it,
Who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3
Do not let the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will most certainly separate me from His people.”
And do not let the eunuch say, “Look, I am a dry tree.”
4 This is what the Lord says,
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold firmly to My covenant,
5
To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6
“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath without profaning it
And holds fast to My covenant [by conscientious obedience];
7
All these I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will [p]be accepted on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8
The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares:
“I will gather yet others to them (Israel), to those [already] gathered.”
9
All you beasts of the field,
All you beasts (hostile nations) in the forest,
Come to eat.
10
Israel’s watchmen are blind,
They are all without knowledge.
They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark;
Panting, lying down, they love to slumber.
11
And the dogs are greedy; they [q]never have enough.
They are shepherds who have no understanding;
They have all turned to their own way,
Each one to his unlawful gain, without exception.
12
“Come,” [they say,] “let us get wine, and let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
And tomorrow will be like today, very great indeed.”
Evil Leaders Rebuked
57 The righteous man perishes [at the hand of evil], and no one takes it to heart;
Faithful and devout men are taken away, while no one understands
That the righteous person is taken away [to be spared] from disaster and evil.
2
He enters into peace [through death];
They rest in their beds (graves),
Each one who walked uprightly [following God’s will, living with integrity].
3
“But come here, you sons of a sorceress [raised in deception and superstition],
Offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute.
4
“Of whom do you make fun?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of rebellion (sin),
Offspring of deceit,
5
Who inflame yourselves [with lust in pagan rites] among the oaks (terebinth trees),
Under every green and leafy tree,
Who slaughter the children [in sacrifice] in the ravines
Under the clefts of the rocks?
6
“Among the smooth stones of the ravine
Is your portion, they (the idols) are your lot;
Even to them you have poured out a drink offering,
You have offered a grain offering.
Should I be quiet concerning these things [leaving them unpunished—bearing them with patience]?
7
“Upon a high and lofty mountain
You have [openly and shamelessly] made your [idolatrous and adulterous] bed;
Even there you went up to offer sacrifice [to idols, in spiritual unfaithfulness to Me].
8
“Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your [pagan] symbol;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide.
And you have made a [new] agreement for yourself with the adulterers,
You have loved their bed,
You have looked [with passion] on their [r]manhood.(AE)
9
“You have gone to [s]the king [of a pagan land] with oil
And increased your [t]perfumes;
You have sent your messengers a great distance
And made them go down to Sheol (the realm of the dead).
10
“You were wearied by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘It is no use.’
You found [u]renewed strength,
Therefore you did not grow weak.
11
“About whom were you worried and fearful
That you lied and did not [v]remember Me,
Nor [w]give Me a thought?
Was I not silent even for a long time
And [as a result] you do not fear Me?
12
“I will declare your [hypocritical] righteousness and your deeds,
But they will not benefit you.
13
“When you cry out [for help], let your [ridiculous] collection of idols save you.
But the wind will carry them all away,
A [mere] breath will take them.
But he who takes refuge in Me will possess the land [Judea]
And will inherit My holy mountain.”(AF)
14
And it will be said,
“Build up, build up, clear the way.
Remove the stumbling block out of the way [of the spiritual return] of My people.”
15
For the high and exalted One
He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this,
“I dwell on the high and holy place,
But also with the [x]contrite and humble in spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the humble
And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].(AG)
16
“For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For [if I did stay angry] the spirit [of man] would grow weak before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have created.
17
“Because of the wickedness of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away and backsliding, in the way of his [own willful] heart.
18
“I have seen his [willful] ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him [also] and will restore comfort to him and to those who mourn for him,(AH)
19
As I create the [y]praise of his lips,
Peace, peace, to him who is far away [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near!”
Says the Lord;
“And I will heal him [making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise].”(AI)
20
But the wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up mire and mud.
21
“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Observances of Fasts
58 “Cry aloud, do not hold back;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2
“Yet they seek Me day by day and delight [superficially] to know My ways,
As [if they were in reality] a nation that has done righteousness
And has not abandoned (turned away from) the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me righteous judgments,
They delight in the nearness of God.
3
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You do not see it?
Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
Hear this [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins] you find something you desire [to do],
And you force your hired servants to work [instead of stopping all work, as the law teaches].(AJ)
4
“The facts are that you fast only for strife and brawling and to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You do not fast as you do today to make your voice heard on high.
5
“Is a fast such as this what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself [with sorrow in his soul]?
Is it only to bow down his head like a reed
And to make sackcloth and ashes as a bed [pretending to have a repentant heart]?
Do you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord?
6
“[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose,
To undo the bonds of wickedness,
To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke,
To let the oppressed go free
And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?(AK)
7
“Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
8
“Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth;
Your righteousness will go before you [leading you to peace and prosperity],
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(AL)
9
“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away from your midst the yoke [of oppression],
The finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and [every form of] wicked (sinful, unjust) speech,(AM)
10
And if you offer yourself to [assist] the hungry
And satisfy the [z]need of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
11
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12
“And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste];
You will be called Repairer of the Breach,
Restorer of Streets [aa]with Dwellings.
Keeping the Sabbath
13
“If you turn back your foot from [[ab]unnecessary travel on] the Sabbath,
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, not going your own way
Or [ac]engaging in your own pleasure
Or speaking your own [idle] words,
14
Then you will take pleasure in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the high places of the earth,
And I will feed you with the [promised] heritage of Jacob your father;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(AN)
Separation from God
59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save,
Nor His ear so [ad]impaired
That it cannot hear.
2
But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
3
For your hands are defiled with blood
And your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing];
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.
4
No one sues righteously [but for the sake of doing injury to others—to take some undue advantage], and no one pleads [his case] in truth; [but rather]
They trust in empty arguments and speak lies;
They conceive trouble and bring forth injustice.
5
They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s webs;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from an egg which is crushed a viper breaks out.
6
Their webs will not serve as clothing,
Nor will they cover themselves with what they make;
Their works are works of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing],
And the act of violence is in their hands.
7
Their feet run to evil,
And they rush to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness [of sin, of injustice, of wrongdoing];
Devastation and destruction are in their highways.
8
They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks.
They have made them into crooked paths;
Whoever walks on them does not know peace.(AO)
A Confession of Wickedness
9
Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us.
We [expectantly] hope for light, but only see darkness;
We hope for gleam of light, but we walk in darkness and gloom.
10
We grope for a wall like the blind,
We grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as in the twilight;
Among those who are healthy we are like dead men.
11
We all groan and growl like bears,
And coo sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12
For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord],
And our sins testify against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And we know and recognize our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]:
13
Rebelling against and denying the Lord,
Turning away from [following] our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and muttering from the heart lying words.
14
Justice is pushed back,
And righteous behavior stands far away;
For truth has fallen in the city square,
And [ae]integrity cannot enter.
15
Yes, truth is missing;
And he who turns away from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw it,
And it [af]displeased Him that there was no justice.
16
He saw that there was no man,
And was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right];
Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His own righteousness sustained Him.(AP)
17
For He [the Lord] put on righteousness like a coat of armor,
And salvation like a helmet on His head;
He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And covered Himself with zeal [and great love for His people] as a cloak.(AQ)
18
As their deeds deserve, so He will repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies;
To the islands and coastlands He will repay.
19
So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun.
For He will come in like a narrow, rushing stream
Which the [ag]breath of the Lord drives [overwhelming the enemy].(AR)
20
“A Redeemer (Messiah) will come to Zion,
And to those in Jacob (Israel) who turn from transgression (sin),” declares the Lord.
21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit which is upon you [writing the law of God on the heart], and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouths of your [true, spiritual] [ah]children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children,” says the Lord, “from now and forever.”(AS)
A Glorified Zion
60 “Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come,
And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.(AT)
2
“For in fact, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness will cover the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you [Jerusalem]
And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.(AU)
3
“Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.(AV)
4
“Lift up your eyes around you and see;
They all gather together, they come to you.
Your sons will come from far away,
And your daughters will be looked after at their side.
5
“Then you will see and be radiant,
And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice
Because the abundant wealth of the seas will [ai]be brought to you,
The wealth of the nations will come to you.(AW)
6
“A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] will cover you [Jerusalem],
The young camels of Midian and Ephah;
All those from Sheba [who once came to trade] will come
Bringing gold and frankincense
And proclaiming the praises of the Lord.(AX)
7
“All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you [as the eastern pastoral tribes join the trading tribes],
The rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
They will go up with acceptance [as sacrifices] on My altar,
And I will glorify the house of My honor and splendor.
8
“Who are these who fly like a cloud
And like doves to their windows?
9
“The islands and coastlands will confidently wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
To bring your sons from far away,
Their silver and gold with them,
For the name of the Lord your God,
For the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.
10
“Foreigners will build up your walls,
And their kings will serve you;
For in My [righteous] wrath I struck you,
But in My favor and grace I have had compassion on you.
11
“Your gates will be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
So that people may bring to you the wealth of the nations—
With their kings led in procession.(AY)
12
“For the nation or the kingdom which will not serve you [Jerusalem] shall perish,
And the nations [that refuse to serve] shall be utterly ruined.
13
“The glory of Lebanon will come to you,
The [aj]cypress, the juniper, and the cedar together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will honor and make the place of My feet glorious.
14
“The sons of those who oppressed you will come bowing down to you [in submission],
And all those who despised you and treated you disrespectfully will bow down at the soles of your feet,
And they will call you the City of the Lord,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.(AZ)
15
“Whereas you [Jerusalem] have been abandoned and hated
With no one passing through,
I will make you an object of pride forever,
A joy from generation to generation.
16
“You will suck the milk of the [Gentile] nations
And suck the breast (abundance) of kings;
Then you will recognize and know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17
“Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
And instead of iron I will bring silver,
And instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
And [instead of the tyranny of the present] I will appoint peace as your officers,
And righteousness your rulers.
18
“Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
But you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise [to God].
19
“The sun will no longer be your light by day,
Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you,
But the Lord will be an everlasting light for you;
And your God will be your glory and splendor.(BA)
20
“Your sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning will be over.
21
“Then all your people will be [uncompromisingly and consistently] righteous;
They will possess the land forever,
The branch of My planting,
The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22
“The smallest one will become a thousand (a clan),
And the least one a mighty nation.
I, the Lord, will quicken it in its [appointed] time.”
Exaltation of the Afflicted
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me
To bring good news to the humble and afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives
And freedom to prisoners,(BB)
2
To proclaim [ak]the favorable year of the Lord,
[al]And the day of vengeance and retribution of our God,
To comfort all who mourn,(BC)
3
To grant to those who mourn in Zion the following:
To give them a [am]turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning],
The oil of joy instead of mourning,
The garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God],
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
4
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up and restore the former desolations;
And they will renew the ruined cities,
The desolations (deserted settlements) of many generations.
5
Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
6
But you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
People will speak of you as the ministers of our God.
You will eat the wealth of nations,
And you will boast of their riches.(BD)
7
Instead of your [former] shame you will have a [an]double portion;
And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited];
Everlasting joy will be theirs.
8
For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery with [ao]a burnt offering.
And I will faithfully reward them,
And make an everlasting covenant with them.
9
Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants among the peoples.
All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge them
That they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.
10
I will rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has covered me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom puts on a [ap]turban,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will [most certainly] cause righteousness and justice and praise
To spring up before all the nations [through the power of His word].
Zion’s Glory and New Name
62 For Zion’s sake I (Isaiah) will not be silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness,
And her salvation goes forth like a burning torch.
2
The nations will see your righteousness and vindication [by God],
And all kings [will see] your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.(BE)
3
You will also be [considered] a crown of glory and splendor in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal [aq]diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God.
4
It will no longer be said of you [Judah], “Azubah (Abandoned),”
Nor will it any longer be said of your land, “Shemamah (Desolate)”;
But you will be called, “Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her),”
And your land, “[ar]Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the Lord].
5
For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem],
[as]So your sons will marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.
6
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets),
Who will never keep silent day or night;
You who profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves,
7
And give Him no rest [from your prayers] until He establishes Jerusalem
And makes her a praise on the earth.
8
The Lord has sworn [an oath] by His right hand and by His mighty arm,
“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies,
Nor will [the invading] foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”
9
But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the Lord,
And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary.
10
Go through, go through the gates,
Clear the way for the people;
Build up, build up the highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a banner over the peoples.
11
Listen carefully, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth,
Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Look now, your salvation is coming [in the Lord];
Indeed, His reward is with Him, and His restitution accompanies Him.”(BF)
12
And they will call them “The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called “Sought Out, A City Not Deserted.”
God’s Vengeance on the Nations
63 Who is this who comes from Edom,
With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom],
This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His might?
“It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save.”
2
Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
3
“I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And of the peoples there was no one with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My clothes.
4
“For the day of vengeance [against ungodliness] was in My heart,
And My year of redemption [of those who put their trust in Me—the year of My redeemed] has come.
5
“I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right].
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath sustained Me.
6
“I trampled the peoples in My anger
And made them drunk with [the cup of] My wrath,
And I spilled their lifeblood on the earth.”
God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled
7
I will tell of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has done for us,
And His great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has shown them according to His compassion
And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.
8
For He said, “Be assured, they are My people,
Sons who will not be faithless.”
So He became their Savior [in all their distresses].
9
In all their distress He was distressed,
And the [at]angel of His presence saved them,
In His love and in His compassion He redeemed them;
And He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.(BG)
10
But they rebelled
And grieved His Holy Spirit;
Therefore He changed into their enemy,
And He fought against them.
11
Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses [and they said],
Where is He who brought our fathers up out of the [Red] Sea, with the shepherds of His flock [Moses and Aaron]?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in their midst,
12
Who caused His glorious arm and infinite power to go at the right hand of Moses,
Dividing the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,
13
Who led them through the depths [of the Red Sea],
Like a horse in the wilderness, [so that] they did not stumble?
14
Like the cattle that go down into the valley [to find better pasture and rest],
The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So You led Your people [O Lord]
To make for Yourself a beautiful and glorious name [preparing the way for the acknowledgment of Your name by all nations].
“You Are Our Father”
15
Look down from heaven and see from Your lofty dwelling place, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your mighty acts [Your miracles which you did for Your people]?
The stirring of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained and withheld from me.
16
For [most certainly] You are our Father, even though Abraham [our ancestor] does not know us
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O Lord, are [still] our Father,
Our Redeemer from everlasting is Your name.
17
O Lord, why do You cause us to stray from Your ways
And harden our heart from fearing You [with reverence and awe]?
Return for Your servants’ sake, the tribes of Your heritage.
18
Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for [only] a little while;
Our adversaries have trampled it down.
19
We have become like those over whom You have never ruled,
Like those who were not called by Your name.
Prayer for Mercy and Help
64 Oh, that You would tear open the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence—
2
As [sure as] fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
3
When You did awesome and amazing things which we did not expect,
You came down [at Sinai]; the mountains quaked at Your presence.
4
For from days of old no one has heard, nor has ear perceived,
Nor has the eye [au]seen a God besides You,
Who works and acts in behalf of the one who [gladly] waits for Him.
5
You meet him who rejoices in doing that which is morally right,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
Indeed, You were angry, for we sinned;
We have long continued in our sins [prolonging Your anger].
And shall we be saved [under such circumstances]?
6
For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper],
And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags;
We all wither and decay like a leaf,
And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God’s favor, toward destruction].(BH)
7
There is no one who calls on Your name,
Who awakens and causes himself to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us
And have handed us over to the [consuming and destructive] power of our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing].(BI)
8
Yet, O Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our Potter,
And we all are the work of Your hand.
9
Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord,
Do not remember our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] forever.
Now look, consider, for we are all Your people.
10
[av]Your holy cities have become a wilderness,
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11
Our holy and beautiful house [the temple built by Solomon],
Where our fathers praised You,
Has been burned by fire;
And all our precious objects are in ruins.
12
Considering these [tragedies], will You restrain Yourself, O Lord [and not help us]?
Will You keep silent and humiliate and oppress us beyond measure?
A Rebellious People
65 “I let Myself be sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I let Myself be found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’
To the nation [Israel] which did not call on My Name.(BJ)
2
“I have spread out My hands all the day long to a rebellious and stubborn people,
Who walk in the way that is not good, [following] after their own thoughts and intentions,
3
The people who continually provoke Me to My face,
Sacrificing [to idols] in gardens and making offerings with incense on bricks [instead of at the designated altar];
4
Who sit among the graves [trying to conjure up evil spirits] and spend the night in the secret places [where spirits are thought to dwell];
Who eat swine’s flesh,
And their pots hold the broth of [aw]unclean meat;
5
Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me,
For I [ax]am too holy for you [and you might defile me]!’
These [people] are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.
6
“Indeed, it is written before Me,
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will even repay it [directly] into their [ay]arms,
7
Both your own wickedness and the wickedness of your fathers,” says the Lord.
“Since they too have made offerings with incense on the mountains
And scorned and taunted Me on the hills,
I therefore will measure [punishment for] their former work [directly] into their [az]arms.”
8 This is what the Lord says,
“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing and benefit in it,’
So I will do for the sake of My servants
In order not to destroy all of them.
9
“I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And an heir of My mountains from Judah;
Even My chosen ones shall inherit it,
And My servants will live there.
10
“And [the plain of] Sharon will be a place for flocks to graze,
And the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
For My people who seek Me [who long for Me and require My presence in their lives].
11
“But you who abandon (turn away from) the Lord,
Who forget and ignore My holy mountain (Zion),
Who set a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune],
And who fill a jug of mixed wine for Meni [the god of fate],
12
I will destine you for the sword, [says the Lord],
And all of you will bow down to the slaughter,
Because when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not listen or obey.
But you did [what was] evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
13 Therefore, the Lord God says this,
“Listen carefully, My servants will eat, but you will be hungry;
Indeed, My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty;
Indeed, My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.
14
“Indeed, My servants will shout for joy from a happy heart,
But you will cry out with a heavy heart,
And you shall wail and howl from a broken spirit.
15
“And you will leave your name behind to My chosen ones [who will use it] as a curse,
And the Lord God will put you to death,
But He will call His servants by another name [a much greater name, just as the name Israel was greater than the name Jacob].(BK)
16
“Because he who blesses himself on the earth
Will bless himself by the God of truth and faithfulness;
And he who swears [an oath] on the earth
Will swear by the God of truth and faithfulness;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My sight.(BL)
New Heavens and a New Earth
17
“Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things [of life] will not be remembered or come to mind.(BM)
18
“But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create;
Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing
And her people a joy.
19
“I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in her
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.
20
“No longer shall there be [ba]in it an infant who lives only a few days,
Or an old man who does not finish his days;
For the youth who dies at the age of a hundred,
And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred
Will be thought of as accursed.
21
“They will build houses and live in them;
They will plant vineyards and eat the fruit.
22
“They will not build and another occupy;
They will not plant and another eat [the fruit].
For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people,
And My chosen [people] will fully enjoy [and long make use of] the work of their hands.
23
“They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for disaster;
For they are the descendants of those blessed by the Lord,
And their offspring with them.
24 “It shall also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.(BN) 25 The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox [there will no longer be predator and prey]; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain (Zion),” says the Lord.
Heaven Is God’s Throne
66 This is what the Lord says,
“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where, then, is a house that you could build for Me?
And where will My resting place be?(BO)
2
“For all these things My hand has made,
So all these things came into being [by and for Me],” declares the Lord.
“But to this one I will look [graciously],
To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.(BP)
Hypocrisy Rebuked
3
“He who kills an ox [for pagan sacrifice] is [as guilty] as one who kills a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as one who breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as one who offers swine’s blood;
He who offers incense, as one who blesses an idol.
Such people have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their repulsive acts;
4
So I will choose their punishments,
And will bring the things they dread upon them
Because I called, but no one answered;
I spoke, but they did not listen or obey.
But they did evil in My sight
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
5
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble [with awe-filled reverence] at His word:
“Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My Name’s sake,
Have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy.’
But they will be put to shame.
6
“The sound of an uproar from the city! A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord, providing retribution to His enemies.
7
“Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
8
“Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land [bb]be born in one day?
Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.
9
“Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.
Joy in Jerusalem’s Future
10
“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her;
Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,
11
That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”
12
For the Lord says this, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.
13
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
14
When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
Your bones will flourish like new grass.
And the [powerful] hand of the Lord will be revealed to His servants,
But His indignation will be toward His enemies.
15
For indeed, the Lord will come in fire
And His chariots will be like the stormy wind,
To render His anger with rage,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16
For the Lord will execute judgment by fire
And by His sword on all mankind,
And those slain by the Lord will be many.
17
“Those who [vainly attempt to] sanctify and cleanse themselves to go to the gardens [to sacrifice to idols],
Following after [bc]one in the center,
Who eat swine’s flesh, [bd]detestable things and mice,
Will come to an end together,” says the Lord.
18 “For I know their works and their thoughts. The time is coming to gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see My glory. 19 I will set up a [miraculous] sign among them, and from them I will send survivors to the nations: Tarshish, Pul (Put), Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant islands and coastlands that have not heard of My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare and proclaim My glory among the nations. 20 Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 I will also take some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I make will remain and endure before Me,” declares the Lord,
“So your offspring and your name will remain and endure.
23
“And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon
And from Sabbath to Sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down and worship before Me,” says the Lord.
24
“Then they will go forth and look
Upon the dead bodies of the [rebellious] men
Who have transgressed against Me;
For their worm (maggot) will not die,
And their fire will not go out;
And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 50:1 An ancient rabbi suggested this as an answer that God gave to Isaiah in response to Jews who came to him, but refused to repent. They compared themselves to a wife divorced by her husband and to a slave sold by his master (referring to God as husband and master), claiming that they had no further obligations to God.
- Isaiah 50:4 I.e. the Messiah.
- Isaiah 51:16 Lit plant.
- Isaiah 53:2 Lit take pleasure in.
- Isaiah 53:8 Or Due to.
- Isaiah 53:8 Or who will explain to His generation.
- Isaiah 53:10 Or pleased.
- Isaiah 53:10 Lit He made Him sick.
- Isaiah 53:10 Or His soul presents an offering.
- Isaiah 53:11 Lit trouble.
- Isaiah 54:12 Lit boundary.
- Isaiah 54:13 Or success.
- Isaiah 55:2 Lit fatness.
- Isaiah 55:4 Or Him (the Messiah Himself).
- Isaiah 55:5 The identification of the one addressed here is uncertain. A large number of authorities believe it to be Israel, as here indicated, but other interpreters think it is the Messiah [the second David], or David as His representative.
- Isaiah 56:7 Or win favor.
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit do not know satisfaction.
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand.
- Isaiah 57:9 Another reading is Molech, i.e. to an idol of the pagan god.
- Isaiah 57:9 Lit ointments.
- Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand.
- Isaiah 57:11 Or mention.
- Isaiah 57:11 Lit put on your heart.
- Isaiah 57:15 Lit crushed.
- Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit.
- Isaiah 58:10 Lit soul.
- Isaiah 58:12 Lit to dwell.
- Isaiah 58:13 The ancient rabbis established strict limits for travel on the Sabbath, excepting unintentional violations and religious errands. This verse became a rabbinic proof text to rule on whether a person who had put one foot beyond the Sabbath limit for his city could reenter the city. But the Hebrew text may not refer to travel at all; turn back your foot from the Sabbath can be interpreted as an idiom referring to keeping oneself from violating the Sabbath in other ways.
- Isaiah 58:13 Lit finding.
- Isaiah 59:1 Lit dull.
- Isaiah 59:14 Lit straightforwardness.
- Isaiah 59:15 Lit was evil in His eyes.
- Isaiah 59:19 Or Spirit.
- Isaiah 59:21 Lit seed.
- Isaiah 60:5 Lit fall upon.
- Isaiah 60:13 The specific kinds of trees are uncertain.
- Isaiah 61:2 The same as a day of salvation (49:8), and the year of my redeemed (63:4).
- Isaiah 61:2 See note Ezek 34:28.
- Isaiah 61:3 In the Hebrew there is a kind of wordplay here as “turban” (Heb pe’er) and dust (epher) have the same consonants and similar vowels.
- Isaiah 61:7 I.e. abundant reward.
- Isaiah 61:8 Another reading is wrongdoing or malice, but by itself either would hardly be an improvement. Some prefer to read with as “and,” which requires the assumption of a scribal error that is possible though not found in existing manuscripts. It would also raise the question of why robbery is singled out among other kinds of wrongdoing. In the Talmud the verse is taken to refer literally to the theft of an animal which the thief intends to offer as a sacrifice. The point is that the offering is unacceptable even though everything actually belongs to God and the thief arguably is only returning to God what is His.
- Isaiah 61:10 Or head wrap.
- Isaiah 62:3 Lit headband.
- Isaiah 62:4 I.e. Beulah, pronounced Be-oo-lah.
- Isaiah 62:5 The ancient rabbis interpreted marry in the sense of making a home with the bride, which would correspond to the resettling of Jerusalem by Israelites.
- Isaiah 63:9 See note Gen 16:7.
- Isaiah 64:4 Or seen, O God, besides You, what He will do.... The ancient rabbis favored this translation or a variation of it, and some suggested that the unexpressed object (what) is wine preserved since the creation, or Eden. They all applied this verse to the future that follows the millennial kingdom, and was mostly a mystery to them. Heaven, or specifically the New Jerusalem, that follows the kingdom was partially revealed to John in Revelation. There is a story in the Talmud that when King Ahasuerus held a great banquet in Susa for seven days (Esth 1:5), he arrogantly asked the Jews if God could do better for them than that. They quoted this line to him in reply, and said that in the time to come if God provided nothing better for them than this feast, they could tell Him that they had already enjoyed such a feast at the table of Ahasuerus.
- Isaiah 64:10 After the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in a.d. 70 it became a religious tradition among the rabbis to recite vv 10 and 11 and to rip a tear in their robes whenever they saw the ruins.
- Isaiah 65:4 Meat that is ceremonially unclean or has been kept until the third day.
- Isaiah 65:5 Or would transfer holiness to you (and thereby make the recipient subject to inconvenient restrictions).
- Isaiah 65:6 Or bosom, i.e. the fold in the outer robe where personal items are sometimes kept.
- Isaiah 65:7 Or bosom.
- Isaiah 65:20 Lit from there.
- Isaiah 66:8 Never in the history of the world had such a thing happened before—but God keeps His word. As foretold here and in Ezek 37:21, 22, Israel became a recognized nation, actually “born in one day.” After being away from their homeland for almost 2,000 years, the Jews were given a national homeland in Palestine by the Balfour Declaration in November 1917. In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain the mandate over Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Great Britain withdrew her mandate, and immediately Israel was declared a sovereign state, and her growth and importance among nations was astonishing.
- Isaiah 66:17 Perhaps referring to the image of the Syrian god Adad. Some commentators also suggest that this may refer to the cultic leader in the center who shows by his example how to conduct the ceremonies.
- Isaiah 66:17 This may refer to a reptile of some kind.
Isaiah 50-65
New International Version
Isaiah 50-65
New International Version
Israel’s Sin and the Servant’s Obedience
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce(A)
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
did I sell(B) you?
Because of your sins(C) you were sold;(D)
because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 When I came, why was there no one?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?(E)
Was my arm too short(F) to deliver you?
Do I lack the strength(G) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke(H) I dry up the sea,(I)
I turn rivers into a desert;(J)
their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with darkness(K)
and make sackcloth(L) its covering.”
4 The Sovereign Lord(M) 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)
5 The Sovereign Lord(R) has opened my ears;(S)
I have not been rebellious,(T)
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat(U) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(V)
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.(W)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord(X) helps(Y) 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.(AA)
8 He who vindicates(AB) me is near.(AC)
Who then will bring charges against me?(AD)
Let us face each other!(AE)
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord(AF) who helps(AG) me.
Who will condemn(AH) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths(AI) will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears(AJ) the Lord
and obeys(AK) the word of his servant?(AL)
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,(AM)
trust(AN) in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.
11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches,(AO)
go, walk in the light of your fires(AP)
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:(AQ)
You will lie down in torment.(AR)
Everlasting Salvation for Zion
51 “Listen(AS) to me, you who pursue righteousness(AT)
and who seek(AU) the Lord:
Look to the rock(AV) from which you were cut
and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
2 look to Abraham,(AW) 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.(AX)
3 The Lord will surely comfort(AY) Zion(AZ)
and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(BA)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(BB)
her wastelands(BC) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(BD) will be found in her,
thanksgiving(BE) and the sound of singing.
4 “Listen to me, my people;(BF)
hear me,(BG) my nation:
Instruction(BH) will go out from me;
my justice(BI) will become a light to the nations.(BJ)
5 My righteousness draws near speedily,
my salvation(BK) is on the way,(BL)
and my arm(BM) will bring justice to the nations.
The islands(BN) will look to me
and wait in hope(BO) for my arm.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,(BP)
the earth will wear out like a garment(BQ)
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation(BR) will last forever,(BS)
my righteousness will never fail.(BT)
7 “Hear me, you who know what is right,(BU)
you people who have taken my instruction to heart:(BV)
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
or be terrified by their insults.(BW)
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;(BX)
the worm(BY) will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,(BZ)
my salvation through all generations.”
9 Awake, awake,(CA) arm(CB) of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!(CC)
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.(CD)
Was it not you who cut Rahab(CE) to pieces,
who pierced that monster(CF) through?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,(CG)
the waters of the great deep,(CH)
who made a road in the depths of the sea(CI)
so that the redeemed(CJ) might cross over?
11 Those the Lord has rescued(CK) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(CL)
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy(CM) will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(CN)
12 “I, even I, am he who comforts(CO) you.
Who are you that you fear(CP) mere mortals,(CQ)
human beings who are but grass,(CR)
13 that you forget(CS) the Lord your Maker,(CT)
who stretches out the heavens(CU)
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror(CV) every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?(CW)
14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;(CX)
they will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.(CY)
15 For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea(CZ) so that its waves roar(DA)—
the Lord Almighty(DB) is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth(DC)
and covered you with the shadow of my hand(DD)—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,(DE)
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.(DF)’”
The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath
17 Awake, awake!(DG)
Rise up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
the cup(DH) of his wrath,(DI)
you who have drained to its dregs(DJ)
the goblet that makes people stagger.(DK)
18 Among all the children(DL) she bore
there was none to guide her;(DM)
among all the children she reared
there was none to take her by the hand.(DN)
19 These double calamities(DO) have come upon you—
who can comfort you?(DP)—
ruin and destruction,(DQ) famine(DR) and sword(DS)—
who can[a] console you?
20 Your children have fainted;
they lie at every street corner,(DT)
like antelope caught in a net.(DU)
They are filled with the wrath(DV) of the Lord,
with the rebuke(DW) of your God.
21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted(DX) one,
made drunk,(DY) but not with wine.
22 This is what your Sovereign Lord says,
your God, who defends(DZ) his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup(EA) that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again.
23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,(EB)
who said to you,
‘Fall prostrate(EC) that we may walk(ED) on you.’
And you made your back like the ground,
like a street to be walked on.”(EE)
52 Awake, awake,(EF) Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!(EG)
Put on your garments of splendor,(EH)
Jerusalem, the holy city.(EI)
The uncircumcised(EJ) and defiled(EK)
will not enter you again.(EL)
2 Shake off your dust;(EM)
rise up,(EN) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,(EO)
Daughter Zion,(EP) now a captive.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
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,[b]”
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.(EV)
6 Therefore my people will know(EW) my name;(EX)
therefore in that day(EY) they will know
that it is I who foretold(EZ) it.
Yes, it is I.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains(FA)
are the feet of those who bring good news,(FB)
who proclaim peace,(FC)
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”(FD)
8 Listen! Your watchmen(FE) lift up their voices;(FF)
together they shout for joy.(FG)
When the Lord returns(FH) to Zion,(FI)
they will see it with their own eyes.
9 Burst into songs of joy(FJ) together,
you ruins(FK) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(FL) his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.(FM)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm(FN)
in the sight of all the nations,(FO)
and all the ends of the earth(FP) will see
the salvation(FQ) of our God.
11 Depart,(FR) depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!(FS)
Come out from it and be pure,(FT)
you who carry the articles(FU) of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste(FV)
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,(FW)
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.(FX)
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13 See, my servant(FY) will act wisely[c];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.(FZ)
14 Just as there were many who were appalled(GA) at him[d]—
his appearance was so disfigured(GB) beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness(GC)—
15 so he will sprinkle(GD) many nations,[e]
and kings(GE) will shut their mouths(GF) because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.(GG)
53 Who has believed our message(GH)
and to whom has the arm(GI) of the Lord been revealed?(GJ)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,(GK)
and like a root(GL) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance(GM) that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering,(GN) and familiar with pain.(GO)
Like one from whom people hide(GP) their faces
he was despised,(GQ) and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,(GR)
yet we considered him punished by God,(GS)
stricken by him, and afflicted.(GT)
5 But he was pierced(GU) for our transgressions,(GV)
he was crushed(GW) for our iniquities;
the punishment(GX) that brought us peace(GY) was on him,
and by his wounds(GZ) we are healed.(HA)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(HB)
each of us has turned to our own way;(HC)
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity(HD) of us all.
7 He was oppressed(HE) and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;(HF)
he was led like a lamb(HG) to the slaughter,(HH)
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[f] and judgment(HI) he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(HJ)
for the transgression(HK) of my people he was punished.[g]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(HL)
and with the rich(HM) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(HN)
nor was any deceit in his mouth.(HO)
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(HP) to crush(HQ) him and cause him to suffer,(HR)
and though the Lord makes[h] his life an offering for sin,(HS)
he will see his offspring(HT) and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper(HU) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(HV)
he will see the light(HW) of life[i] and be satisfied[j];
by his knowledge[k] my righteous servant(HX) will justify(HY) many,
and he will bear their iniquities.(HZ)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[l](IA)
and he will divide the spoils(IB) with the strong,[m]
because he poured out his life unto death,(IC)
and was numbered with the transgressors.(ID)
For he bore(IE) the sin of many,(IF)
and made intercession(IG) for the transgressors.
The Future Glory of Zion
54 “Sing, barren woman,(IH)
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(II)
you who were never in labor;(IJ)
because more are the children(IK) of the desolate(IL) woman
than of her who has a husband,(IM)”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(IN)
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.(IO)
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants(IP) will dispossess nations(IQ)
and settle in their desolate(IR) cities.
4 “Do not be afraid;(IS) you will not be put to shame.(IT)
Do not fear disgrace;(IU) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(IV)
and remember no more the reproach(IW) of your widowhood.(IX)
5 For your Maker(IY) is your husband(IZ)—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(JA) of Israel is your Redeemer;(JB)
he is called the God of all the earth.(JC)
6 The Lord will call you back(JD)
as if you were a wife deserted(JE) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,(JF)
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment(JG) I abandoned(JH) you,
but with deep compassion(JI) I will bring you back.(JJ)
8 In a surge of anger(JK)
I hid(JL) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness(JM)
I will have compassion(JN) on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.(JO)
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.(JP)
So now I have sworn(JQ) not to be angry(JR) with you,
never to rebuke(JS) you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken(JT)
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love(JU) for you will not be shaken(JV)
nor my covenant(JW) of peace(JX) be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion(JY) on you.
11 “Afflicted(JZ) city, lashed by storms(KA) and not comforted,(KB)
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[n](KC)
your foundations(KD) with lapis lazuli.(KE)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates(KF) of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(KG)
and great will be their peace.(KH)
14 In righteousness(KI) you will be established:(KJ)
Tyranny(KK) will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.(KL)
Terror(KM) will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender(KN) to you.
16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(KO)
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon(KP) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(KQ) to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,(KR)
and you will refute(KS) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(KT) of the Lord,
and this is their vindication(KU) from me,”
declares the Lord.
Invitation to the Thirsty
55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(KV)
come to the waters;(KW)
and you who have no money,
come, buy(KX) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(KY)
without money and without cost.(KZ)
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?(LA)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(LB)
and you will delight in the richest(LC) of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen,(LD) that you may live.(LE)
I will make an everlasting covenant(LF) with you,
my faithful love(LG) promised to David.(LH)
4 See, I have made him a witness(LI) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander(LJ) of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations(LK) you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,(LL)
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(LM) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”(LN)
6 Seek(LO) the Lord while he may be found;(LP)
call(LQ) on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake(LR) their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.(LS)
Let them turn(LT) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(LU) on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(LV)
8 “For my thoughts(LW) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(LX)
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,(LY)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.(LZ)
10 As the rain(MA) and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(MB)
so that it yields seed(MC) for the sower and bread for the eater,(MD)
11 so is my word(ME) that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,(MF)
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose(MG) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(MH)
and be led forth in peace;(MI)
the mountains and hills
will burst into song(MJ) before you,
and all the trees(MK) of the field
will clap their hands.(ML)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers(MM) the myrtle(MN) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(MO)
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(MP)
and do what is right,(MQ)
for my salvation(MR) is close at hand
and my righteousness(MS) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(MT) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(MU) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(MV) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(MW)
And let no eunuch(MX) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(MY) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(MZ)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(NA)
a memorial(NB) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(NC)
that will endure forever.(ND)
6 And foreigners(NE) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(NF) to him,
to love the name(NG) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(NH) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(NI)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(NJ)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(NK)”(NL)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(NM) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(NN)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(NO) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(NP)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(NQ)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(NR) who lack understanding;(NS)
they all turn to their own way,(NT)
they seek their own gain.(NU)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(NV)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(NW)
57 The righteous perish,(NX)
and no one takes it to heart;(NY)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(NZ)
2 Those who walk uprightly(OA)
enter into peace;
they find rest(OB) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(OC)
you offspring of adulterers(OD) and prostitutes!(OE)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(OF)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(OG)
and under every spreading tree;(OH)
you sacrifice your children(OI) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(OJ) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(OK)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(OL)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(OM)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(ON)
8 Behind 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,(OO)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(OP)
9 You went to Molek[o](OQ) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(OR)
You sent your ambassadors[p](OS) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(OT)
10 You wearied(OU) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(OV)
You found renewal of your strength,(OW)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(OX)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(OY) me
nor taken this to heart?(OZ)
Is it not because I have long been silent(PA)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(PB)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(PC) for help,
let your collection of idols save(PD) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(PE) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(PF) in me
will inherit the land(PG)
and possess my holy mountain.”(PH)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(PI)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(PJ)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(PK) One says—
he who lives forever,(PL) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(PM) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(PN) and lowly in spirit,(PO)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(PP)
16 I will not accuse(PQ) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(PR)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(PS) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(PT)
I punished them, and hid(PU) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(PV)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(PW) them;
I will guide(PX) them and restore comfort(PY) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(PZ)
Peace, peace,(QA) to those far and near,”(QB)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(QC) are like the tossing sea,(QD)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(QE) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(QF) says my God, “for the wicked.”(QG)
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(QH) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(QI)
Declare to my people their rebellion(QJ)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(QK)
2 For day after day they seek(QL) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(QM) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(QN) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(QO) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(QP) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(QQ)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(QR)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(QS)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(QT) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(QU) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(QV) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(QW)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(QX)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(QY) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(QZ)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(RA) free
and break every yoke?(RB)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(RC)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(RD)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(RE) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(RF)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(RG)
and your healing(RH) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[q](RI) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(RJ)
9 Then you will call,(RK) and the Lord will answer;(RL)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(RM) and malicious talk,(RN)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(RO)
then your light(RP) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(RQ)
11 The Lord will guide(RR) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(RS) in a sun-scorched land(RT)
and will strengthen(RU) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(RV)
like a spring(RW) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(RX)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(RY)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(RZ)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(SA)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(SB)
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,(SC)
14 then you will find your joy(SD) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(SE) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(SF) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(SG)
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm(SH) of the Lord is not too short(SI) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(SJ)
2 But your iniquities have separated(SK)
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.(SL)
3 For your hands are stained with blood,(SM)
your fingers with guilt.(SN)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(SO)
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;(SP)
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely(SQ) on empty arguments, they utter lies;(SR)
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.(SS)
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers(ST)
and spin a spider’s web.(SU)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.(SV)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence(SW) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.(SX)
They pursue evil schemes;(SY)
acts of violence mark their ways.(SZ)
8 The way of peace they do not know;(TA)
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(TB)
no one who walks along them will know peace.(TC)
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(TD)
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(TE) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(TF) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.(TG)
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.(TH)
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses(TI) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify(TJ) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:(TK)
13 rebellion(TL) and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs(TM) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(TN)
uttering lies(TO) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(TP) is driven back,
and righteousness(TQ) stands at a distance;
truth(TR) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(TS) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.(TT)
16 He saw that there was no one,(TU)
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(TV)
so his own arm achieved salvation(TW) for him,
and his own righteousness(TX) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(TY)
and the helmet(TZ) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(UA) of vengeance(UB)
and wrapped himself in zeal(UC) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay(UD)
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands(UE) their due.
19 From the west,(UF) people will fear the name of the Lord,
and from the rising of the sun,(UG) they will revere his glory.(UH)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath(UI) of the Lord drives along.[r]
20 “The Redeemer(UJ) will come to Zion,(UK)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(UL)
declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant(UM) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(UN) who is on you, will not depart from you,(UO) and my words that I have put in your mouth(UP) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(UQ) shine, for your light(UR) has come,
and the glory(US) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness(UT) covers the earth
and thick darkness(UU) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations(UV) will come to your light,(UW)
and kings(UX) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble(UY) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(UZ)
and your daughters(VA) are carried on the hip.(VB)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,(VC)
your heart will throb and swell with joy;(VD)
the wealth(VE) on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels(VF) will cover your land,
young camels of Midian(VG) and Ephah.(VH)
And all from Sheba(VI) will come,
bearing gold and incense(VJ)
and proclaiming the praise(VK) of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s(VL) flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(VM) on my altar,(VN)
and I will adorn my glorious temple.(VO)
8 “Who are these(VP) that fly along like clouds,(VQ)
like doves to their nests?
9 Surely the islands(VR) look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[s](VS)
bringing(VT) your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,(VU)
to the honor(VV) of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(VW) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.(VX)
10 “Foreigners(VY) will rebuild your walls,
and their kings(VZ) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor(WA) I will show you compassion.(WB)
11 Your gates(WC) will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(WD)—
their kings(WE) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(WF) you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.(WG)
13 “The glory of Lebanon(WH) will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(WI)
to adorn my sanctuary;(WJ)
and I will glorify the place for my feet.(WK)
14 The children of your oppressors(WL) will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down(WM) at your feet
and will call you the City(WN) of the Lord,
Zion(WO) of the Holy One(WP) of Israel.
15 “Although you have been forsaken(WQ) and hated,
with no one traveling(WR) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(WS)
and the joy(WT) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed(WU) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(WV) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(WW)
your Redeemer,(WX) the Mighty One of Jacob.(WY)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(WZ)
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(XA) your governor
and well-being your ruler.(XB)
18 No longer will violence(XC) be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction(XD) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(XE)
and your gates Praise.(XF)
19 The 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,(XG)
and your God will be your glory.(XH)
20 Your sun(XI) will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow(XJ) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(XK)
and they will possess(XL) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(XM)
the work of my hands,(XN)
for the display of my splendor.(XO)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.(XP)
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”(XQ)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(XR) of the Sovereign Lord(XS) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(XT) me
to proclaim good news(XU) to the poor.(XV)
He has sent me to bind up(XW) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(XX) for the captives(XY)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[t]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(XZ)
and the day of vengeance(YA) of our God,
to comfort(YB) all who mourn,(YC)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(YD) of beauty
instead of ashes,(YE)
the oil(YF) of joy
instead of mourning,(YG)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(YH) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(YI)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(YJ)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(YK) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(YL) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(YM) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(YN)
you will receive a double(YO) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(YP) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(YQ) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(YR)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(YS) with them.
9 Their descendants(YT) 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.”(YU)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices(YV) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(YW)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(YX) like a priest,
and as a bride(YY) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden(YZ) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(ZA)
and praise spring up before all nations.
Zion’s New Name
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,(ZB)
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication(ZC) shines out like the dawn,(ZD)
her salvation(ZE) like a blazing torch.
2 The nations(ZF) will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name(ZG)
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown(ZH) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,(ZI)
or name your land Desolate.(ZJ)
But you will be called Hephzibah,[u](ZK)
and your land Beulah[v];
for the Lord will take delight(ZL) in you,
and your land will be married.(ZM)
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom(ZN) rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice(ZO) over you.
6 I have posted watchmen(ZP) on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
give yourselves no rest,(ZQ)
7 and give him no rest(ZR) till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise(ZS) of the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn(ZT) by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain(ZU)
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but those who harvest it will eat(ZV) it
and praise the Lord,(ZW)
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”(ZX)
10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(ZY)
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(ZZ)
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(AAA) for the nations.
11 The Lord has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:(AAB)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(AAC)
‘See, your Savior comes!(AAD)
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”(AAE)
12 They will be called(AAF) the Holy People,(AAG)
the Redeemed(AAH) of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.(AAI)
God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption
63 Who is this coming from Edom,(AAJ)
from Bozrah,(AAK) with his garments stained crimson?(AAL)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(AAM)
“It is I, proclaiming victory,
mighty to save.”(AAN)
2 Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?(AAO)
3 “I have trodden the winepress(AAP) alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(AAQ) them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;(AAR)
their blood spattered my garments,(AAS)
and I stained all my clothing.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;(AAT)
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one(AAU) to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(AAV) achieved salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.(AAW)
6 I trampled(AAX) the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk(AAY)
and poured their blood(AAZ) on the ground.”
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(ABA) 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 things(ABB)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(ABC) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(ABD)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(ABE)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(ABF) of his presence(ABG) saved them.[w]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(ABH) them;
he lifted them up and carried(ABI) them
all the days of old.(ABJ)
10 Yet they rebelled(ABK)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(ABL)
So he turned and became their enemy(ABM)
and he himself fought(ABN) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[x] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(ABO)
with the shepherd of his flock?(ABP)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(ABQ) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(ABR) of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(ABS) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(ABT)
13 who led(ABU) them through the depths?(ABV)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(ABW)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(ABX) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
to make for yourself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven(ABY) and see,
from your lofty throne,(ABZ) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(ACA) and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion(ACB) are withheld(ACC) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(ACD)
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge(ACE) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer(ACF) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(ACG) from your ways
and harden our hearts(ACH) so we do not revere(ACI) you?
Return(ACJ) for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.(ACK)
18 For a little while(ACL) your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled(ACM) down your sanctuary.(ACN)
19 We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called[y] by your name.(ACO)
64 [z]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(ACP) and come down,(ACQ)
that the mountains(ACR) would tremble before you!
2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(ACS) known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake(ACT) before you!
3 For when you did awesome(ACU) things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled(ACV) before you.
4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(ACW)
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(ACX)
5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(ACY)
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.(ACZ)
How then can we be saved?
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,(ADA)
and all our righteous(ADB) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(ADC)
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(ADD)
7 No one(ADE) calls on your name(ADF)
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(ADG) your face from us
and have given us over(ADH) to[aa] our sins.
8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(ADI)
We are the clay, you are the potter;(ADJ)
we are all the work of your hand.(ADK)
9 Do not be angry(ADL) beyond measure, Lord;
do not remember our sins(ADM) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
for we are all your people.(ADN)
10 Your sacred cities(ADO) have become a wasteland;
even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(ADP)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(ADQ) where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned with fire,
and all that we treasured(ADR) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(ADS)
Will you keep silent(ADT) and punish us beyond measure?
Judgment and Salvation
65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
I was found by those who did not seek me.(ADU)
To a nation(ADV) that did not call on my name,(ADW)
I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
2 All day long I have held out my hands
to an obstinate people,(ADX)
who walk in ways not good,
pursuing their own imaginations(ADY)—
3 a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,(ADZ)
offering sacrifices in gardens(AEA)
and burning incense(AEB) on altars of brick;
4 who sit among the graves(AEC)
and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,(AED)
and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
5 who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
for I am too sacred(AEE) for you!’
Such people are smoke(AEF) in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day.
6 “See, it stands written before me:
I will not keep silent(AEG) but will pay back(AEH) in full;
I will pay it back into their laps(AEI)—
7 both your sins(AEJ) and the sins of your ancestors,”(AEK)
says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
and defied me on the hills,(AEL)
I will measure into their laps
the full payment(AEM) for their former deeds.”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes(AEN)
and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;(AEO)
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants(AEP) from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess(AEQ) my mountains;
my chosen(AER) people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.(AES)
10 Sharon(AET) will become a pasture for flocks,(AEU)
and the Valley of Achor(AEV) a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek(AEW) me.
11 “But as for you who forsake(AEX) the Lord
and forget my holy mountain,(AEY)
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine(AEZ) for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,(AFA)
and all of you will fall in the slaughter;(AFB)
for I called but you did not answer,(AFC)
I spoke but you did not listen.(AFD)
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”(AFE)
13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,(AFF)
but you will go hungry;(AFG)
my servants will drink,(AFH)
but you will go thirsty;(AFI)
my servants will rejoice,(AFJ)
but you will be put to shame.(AFK)
14 My servants will sing(AFL)
out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out(AFM)
from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
for my chosen ones to use in their curses;(AFN)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.(AFO)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can I
- 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 53:8 Or From arrest
- Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
- Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
- Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
- Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
- Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
- Isaiah 53:12 Or many
- Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
- Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
- Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
- Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
- Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
- Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior 9 in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
- Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
- Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
- Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
- Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.