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Jerusalem Will Be Saved

52 Wake up, wake up, ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]! ·Become strong [L Clothe yourself with/Put on strength]!

·Be beautiful again [L Put on beautiful/glorious clothes],
    holy city of Jerusalem.
The ·people who do not worship God and who are not pure [L uncircumcised and defiled/unclean]
    will not enter you again.
Jerusalem, ·you once were a prisoner [or be enthroned/seated].
    Now shake off the dust and ·stand up [arise].
·Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner [L Captive daughter of Zion,].
    Now free yourself from the chains around your neck.
This is what the Lord says:
“You were ·not sold for a price [L sold for nothing],
    so you will be ·saved [redeemed] without cost.”
This is what the Lord God says:
“First my people went down to Egypt to live.
Later Assyria ·made them slaves [oppressed them].

“Now ·see what has happened [what do I have here…?],” says the Lord.
    “Another nation has taken away my people for nothing.
Those who rule them ·make fun of me [mock; taunt][a],” says the Lord.
    “All day long they ·speak against [slander; blaspheme] me.
This has happened so my people will know ·who I am [L my name],
    and so, ·on that future [L in that] day, they will know
that I am the one speaking to them.
    ·It will really be me [L Look/T Behold, I].”

·How beautiful [or How beautiful on the mountains] ·is the person [L are the feet of him]
    who ·comes over the mountains to bring [or brings] good news,
who announces peace
    and brings good news,
    who announces salvation [Nah. 1:15]
and says to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; v. 1],
    “Your God ·is King [or reigns].”
Listen! Your ·guards [watchmen] ·are shouting [raise their voices].
    They are all shouting [L together] for joy!
They all will see ·with their own eyes [right in front of their eyes; L eye in eye]
    when the Lord returns to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; v. 1].
·Jerusalem, although your buildings are destroyed now [L You ruins of Jerusalem],
    shout and rejoice together,
because the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has ·saved [redeemed] Jerusalem.
10 The Lord ·will show his holy power [flexes his holy muscles; L bared his holy arm]
    ·to [L to the eyes of] all the nations.
Then ·everyone on [L all the ends of the] earth
    will see the salvation of our God.

11 You people, leave, leave; get out ·of Babylon [L from there]!
    Touch nothing that is ·unclean [defiled].
You who carry the ·Lord’s things used in worship [articles/vessels of the Lord],
    leave there and make yourselves pure.
12 You will not ·be forced to leave Babylon quickly [leave in haste];
    you will not be forced to run away,
because the Lord will go before you,
    and the God of Israel will ·guard you from behind [be your rear guard].

The Lord’s Suffering Servant

13 The Lord says, “See, my servant will ·act wisely [or have success].
    ·People will greatly honor and respect him [He will be raised and exalted; C 52:13—53:12 is the fourth of four “servant songs” in Isaiah; see 42:1].
14 Many people were ·shocked [astonished; appalled] when they saw him.
    His appearance was so ·damaged [disfigured; marred] he did not look like a man;
    his form ·was so changed they could barely tell he was human [L beyond the sons of man/children of humanity].
15 But now he will ·surprise [startle; or sprinkle; C as the blood of a sacrifice sprinkled on the altar; Lev. 4:6, 17] many nations.
    Kings will ·be amazed [L shut their mouths because of him].
They will see things they had not been ·told about him [L told],
    and they will understand things they had not heard.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 52:5 taunt The Dead Sea Scrolls read “wail.”

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.(A)

Shake yourself from the dust, arise,
O captive Jerusalem;
Rid yourself of the chains around your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.

For the Lord says this, “You were sold for nothing and you will be redeemed, but not with money.” 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. 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.(B) 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.’”(C)


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!”(D)

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.

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.(E)

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].(F)
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.(G)