11 “Afflicted(A) city, lashed by storms(B) and not comforted,(C)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a](D)
    your foundations(E) with lapis lazuli.(F)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates(G) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(H)
    and great will be their peace.(I)
14 In righteousness(J) you will be established:(K)
Tyranny(L) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.(M)
Terror(N) 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(O) to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(P)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon(Q) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(R) to wreak havoc;
17     no weapon forged against you will prevail,(S)
    and you will refute(T) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(U) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication(V) from me,”
declares the Lord.

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(W)
    come to the waters;(X)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy(Y) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(Z)
    without money and without cost.(AA)
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?(AB)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(AC)
    and you will delight in the richest(AD) of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
    listen,(AE) that you may live.(AF)
I will make an everlasting covenant(AG) with you,
    my faithful love(AH) promised to David.(AI)
See, I have made him a witness(AJ) to the peoples,
    a ruler and commander(AK) of the peoples.
Surely you will summon nations(AL) you know not,
    and nations you do not know will come running to you,(AM)
because of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(AN) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.”(AO)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.