Isaiah 52
Expanded Bible
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.
2 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.
3 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.”
4 This is what the Lord God says:
“First my people went down to Egypt to live.
Later Assyria ·made them slaves [oppressed them].
5 “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.
6 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].”
7 ·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].”
8 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].
9 ·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
- Isaiah 52:5 taunt The Dead Sea Scrolls read “wail.”
Isaiah 52
New American Standard Bible
Cheer for Prostrate Zion
52 (A)Awake, awake,
Clothe yourself in your strength, Zion;
Clothe yourself with your (B)beautiful garments,
Jerusalem, the (C)holy city;
For the uncircumcised and the (D)unclean
Will no longer come into you.
2 Shake yourself (E)from the dust, (F)rise up,
Captive Jerusalem;
(G)Release yourself from the chains around your neck,
Captive daughter of Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were (H)sold for nothing, and you will be (I)redeemed (J)without money.” 4 For this is what the Lord [a]God says: “My people (K)went down to Egypt first to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without reason. 5 And now, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without reason?” Again the Lord declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My (L)name is continually reviled all day long. 6 Therefore, My people shall (M)know My name; therefore on that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’”
7 How delightful on the mountains
Are the feet of one who brings (N)good news,
Who announces [b]peace
And brings good news of [c]happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your (O)God [d]reigns!”
8 Listen! Your watchmen raise their (P)voices,
They shout joyfully together;
For they will see [e]with their own eyes
When the Lord restores Zion.
9 (Q)Be cheerful, shout joyfully together,
You (R)ruins of Jerusalem;
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has (S)redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared His holy (T)arm
In the sight of all the nations,
[f]So that (U)all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God.
11 (V)Depart, depart, go out from there,
(W)Do not touch what is unclean;
Go out of the midst of her, (X)purify yourselves,
You who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 But you will not go out in (Y)a hurry,
Nor will you go [g]as fugitives;
For the (Z)Lord will go before you,
And (AA)the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Exalted Servant
13 Behold, My (AB)Servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and [h]greatly (AC)exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at you, My people,
So His (AD)appearance was marred beyond that of a man,
And His form beyond the sons of mankind.
15 So [i]He will (AE)sprinkle many nations,
Kings will (AF)shut their mouths on account of Him;
For (AG)what they had not been told, they will see,
And what they had not heard, they will understand.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 52:7 Or well-being
- Isaiah 52:7 Lit good
- Isaiah 52:7 Or is King
- Isaiah 52:8 Lit eye to eye
- Isaiah 52:10 Or And all...will see
- Isaiah 52:12 Lit in flight
- Isaiah 52:13 Or very high
- Isaiah 52:15 LXX many nations will wonder at Him
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
