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52 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, Zion.
    Put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city:
    for from now on the uncircumcised and the unclean will no more come into you.
Shake yourself from the dust!
    Arise, sit up, Jerusalem!
    Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion!

For Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing;
    and you will be redeemed without money.”

For the Lord Yahweh says:

“My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there:
    and the Assyrian has oppressed them without cause.

“Now therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh,
    “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing?
Those who rule over them mock,” says Yahweh,
    “and my name is blasphemed continually all day long.
Therefore my people shall know my name.
    Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he who speaks.
    Behold, it is I.”

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
    who publishes peace,
    who brings good news,
    who proclaims salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Your watchmen lift up their voice.
    Together they sing;
    for they shall see eye to eye when Yahweh returns to Zion.
Break out into joy!
    Sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem;
    for Yahweh has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations.
    All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there! Touch no unclean thing!
    Go out from among her!
    Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels.
12 For you shall not go out in haste,
    neither shall you go by flight:
for Yahweh will go before you;
    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

13 Behold, my servant will deal wisely.
    He will be exalted and lifted up,
    and will be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you—
    his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—
15 so he will cleanse[a] many nations.
    Kings will shut their mouths at him;
    for they will see that which had not been told them,
    and they will understand that which they had not heard.

Footnotes

  1. 52:15 or, sprinkle

Deliverance for Jerusalem

52 Wake up, wake up, O Zion!
    Clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,
    for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer.
Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.
    Sit in a place of honor.
Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,
    O captive daughter of Zion.
For this is what the Lord says:
“When I sold you into exile,
    I received no payment.
Now I can redeem you
    without having to pay for you.”

This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Long ago my people chose to live in Egypt. Now they are oppressed by Assyria. What is this?” asks the Lord. “Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation.[a] My name is blasphemed all day long.[b] But I will reveal my name to my people, and they will come to know its power. Then at last they will recognize that I am the one who speaks to them.”

How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
    the news that the God of Israel[c] reigns!
The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
    for before their very eyes
    they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.[d]
Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
    for the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
    before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
    the victory of our God.

11 Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,
    where everything you touch is unclean.
Get out of there and purify yourselves,
    you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord.
12 You will not leave in a hurry,
    running for your lives.
For the Lord will go ahead of you;
    yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.

The Lord’s Suffering Servant

13 See, my servant will prosper;
    he will be highly exalted.
14 But many were amazed when they saw him.[e]
    His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
    and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
15 And he will startle[f] many nations.
    Kings will stand speechless in his presence.
For they will see what they had not been told;
    they will understand what they had not heard about.[g]

Footnotes

  1. 52:5a As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads Those who rule them wail.
  2. 52:5b Greek version reads The Gentiles continually blaspheme my name because of you. Compare Rom 2:24.
  3. 52:7 Hebrew of Zion.
  4. 52:8 Hebrew to Zion.
  5. 52:14 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads you.
  6. 52:15a Or cleanse.
  7. 52:15b Greek version reads Those who have never been told about him will see, / and those who have never heard of him will understand. Compare Rom 15:21.