Isaiah 52
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Let Zion Rejoice
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
shall enter you no more.(A)
2 Shake yourself from the dust; rise up,
O captive[a] Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!(B)
3 For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.(C) 4 For thus says the Lord God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause.(D) 5 Now therefore what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised.(E) 6 Therefore my people shall know my name; on[b] that day they shall know that it is I who speak—it is I!(F)
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”(G)
8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.(H)
9 Break forth; shout together for joy,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.(I)
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.(J)
11 Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it; purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.(K)
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.(L)
The Suffering Servant
13 See, my servant shall prosper;
he shall be exalted and lifted up
and shall be very high.(M)
14 Just as there were many who were astonished at him[c]
—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of mortals—(N)
15 so he shall startle[d] many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.(O)
Isaiah 52
International Standard Version
The Redemption of Zion
52 Awake, awake!
Clothe yourself with strength,[a] O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city,
for the uncircumcised and the unclean won’t enter you.[b]
2 Shake yourself from the dust and[c] arise,
and[d] sit on your throne, O Jerusalem!
Loosen the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you’ll be redeemed without money.”
4 For this is what the Lord[e] says: “My people went down long ago into Egypt to live[f] there; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause.
5 “Now therefore, what[g] am I doing here,” asks[h] the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Those who rule over them are deluded,”[i] says the Lord, “and continuously, all the day long, my name is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; in that day[j] they’ll know that it is I who speaks, ‘Here I am!’
7 “How beautiful[k] on the mountains
are the feet of the one who brings news of peace,[l]
who announces good things,
who announces salvation,[m]
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’
8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,[n]
together they sing for joy;
for they will see in plain sight
the return of the Lord to Zion with compassion.[o]
9 “Break forth together into singing,[p]
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
and[q] he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm[r]
in the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
11 “Depart! Depart! Go out from there;
touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her;
purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you won’t go out in haste,
nor will you go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you;
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
He is called the God of all the earth.”[s]
The Suffering Servant
13 “Look! My servant will prosper,
and[t] he will be exalted and lifted up,
and will be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you[u]—
so was he marred in[v] his appearance, more than any human,
and his form beyond that of human semblance[w]—
15 so will he startle[x] many nations.
Kings will shut their mouths at him;
for what had not been told them they will see,
and what they had not heard they will understand.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read with your strength
- Isaiah 52:1 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read you any more
- Isaiah 52:2 So 1QIsaa LXX; 4QIsab MT lack and
- Isaiah 52:2 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack and
- Isaiah 52:4 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads the Lord God
- Isaiah 52:4 Or sojourn
- Isaiah 52:5 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT reads who
- Isaiah 52:5 Lit. declares
- Isaiah 52:5 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read them wail; or them taunt
- Isaiah 52:6 So 1QIsaa LXX. MT reads therefore in that day
- Isaiah 52:7 Lit. they are beautiful; so 1QIsaa MTT LXXmss; 4QIsab reads It is beautiful
- Isaiah 52:7 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX read who brings good news
- Isaiah 52:7 So 1QIsaa; MT reads who announces peace, who brings news of good things, who announces salvation; cf. LXX
- Isaiah 52:8 Lit. their voice; so 1QIsaa; MT reads the voice
- Isaiah 52:8 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks with compassion
- Isaiah 52:9 Lit. sing for joy (sing.); so 1QIsaa; MT reads sing for joy (pl.)
- Isaiah 52:9 So 1QIsaa LXX; MT lacks and
- Isaiah 52:10 I.e. the Messiah
- Isaiah 52:12 So 1QIsaa; MT LXX lack this line
- Isaiah 52:13 So 1QIsaa; 1QIsab 4QIsac MT lack and; LXX lacks and he will be exalted
- Isaiah 52:14 So 1QIsaa MT LXX; MTmss Syriac read at him
- Isaiah 52:14 Or was my marring; so 1QIsaa; MT reads was the marring of
- Isaiah 52:14 Lit. of the descendants of humans; so 1QIsaa; LXX reads of the humans; MT reads of the human
- Isaiah 52:15 Or sprinkle
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