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54 “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth;
    break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child:
    for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations;
    don’t spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left;
    and your offspring will possess the nations
    and settle in desolate cities.

“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed.
    Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed.
For you will forget the shame of your youth.
    You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name.
    The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.
    He will be called the God of the whole earth.
For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
    even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.

“For a small moment I have forsaken you,
    but I will gather you with great mercies.
In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment,
    but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says Yahweh your Redeemer.

“For this is like the waters of Noah to me;
    for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth,
    so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart,
    and the hills be removed;
but my loving kindness will not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace will not be removed,”
    says Yahweh who has mercy on you.

11 “You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted,
    behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors,
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
    your gates of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh;
    and your children’s peace will be great.
14 You will be established in righteousness.
    You will be far from oppression,
    for you will not be afraid,
    and far from terror,
    for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me.
    Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.

16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame,
    and forges a weapon for his work;
    and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you will prevail;
    and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of Yahweh’s servants,
    and their righteousness is of me,” says Yahweh.

The Fertility of Zion

54 (A)Shout for joy, infertile one, you who have not given birth to any child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor;
For the sons of the (B)desolate one will be (C)more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
(D)Enlarge the place of your tent;
[a]Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not spare them;
Lengthen your (E)ropes
And strengthen your (F)pegs.
For you will (G)spread out to the right and to the left.
And your [b]descendants will (H)possess nations
And will (I)resettle the desolate cities.

“Fear not, for you will (J)not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the (K)shame of your youth,
And no longer remember the (L)disgrace of your widowhood.
For your (M)husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of armies;
And your (N)Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the (O)God of all the earth.
For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife (P)forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
[c]For a (Q)brief moment I abandoned you,
But with great compassion I will (R)gather you.
In an [d](S)outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting (T)favor I will (U)have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your (V)Redeemer.

“For [e]this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would (W)not [f]flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will (X)not be angry with you
Nor rebuke you.
10 For the (Y)mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My [g]favor will not be removed from you,
Nor will My (Z)covenant of peace be shaken,”
Says (AA)the Lord who has compassion on you.

11 (AB)Afflicted one, storm-tossed, and (AC)not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And I will (AD)lay your foundations with [h](AE)sapphires.
12 Moreover, I will make your battlements of [i]rubies,
And your gates of [j]crystal,
And your entire [k]wall of precious stones.
13 (AF)All your sons will be [l]taught by the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be (AG)great.
14 In (AH)righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from (AI)oppression, for you will (AJ)not fear;
And from (AK)terror, for it will not come near you.
15 If anyone fiercely attacks you, it will not be from Me.
(AL)Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16 Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals
And produces a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin.
17 (AM)No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And you will condemn (AN)every tongue that [m]accuses you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their (AO)vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:2 Lit Let them stretch out
  2. Isaiah 54:3 Lit seed
  3. Isaiah 54:7 Lit In
  4. Isaiah 54:8 Lit overflowing
  5. Isaiah 54:9 Some mss the waters of Noah this is to Me
  6. Isaiah 54:9 Lit cross over
  7. Isaiah 54:10 Or faithfulness
  8. Isaiah 54:11 Or lapis lazuli
  9. Isaiah 54:12 I.e., bright red
  10. Isaiah 54:12 Or carbuncles
  11. Isaiah 54:12 Lit border, boundary
  12. Isaiah 54:13 Or disciples of
  13. Isaiah 54:17 Lit rises against