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Isaiah 54-58
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Isaiah 54-58
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 54
The New Zion
1 Raise a glad cry, you barren one[a] who never bore a child,
break forth in jubilant song, you who have never been in labor,
For more numerous are the children of the deserted wife
than the children of her who has a husband,
says the Lord.(A)
2 Enlarge the space for your tent,
spread out your tent cloths unsparingly;
lengthen your ropes and make firm your pegs.(B)
3 For you shall spread abroad to the right and left;
your descendants shall dispossess the nations
and shall people the deserted cities.[b]
4 [c]Do not fear, you shall not be put to shame;
do not be discouraged, you shall not be disgraced.
For the shame of your youth you shall forget,
the reproach of your widowhood no longer remember.
5 For your husband is your Maker;
the Lord of hosts is his name,
Your redeemer,[d] the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
6 The Lord calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
A wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.(C)
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
8 In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
But with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the Lord, your redeemer.
9 This is for me like the days of Noah:
As I swore then that the waters of Noah
should never again flood the earth,
So I have sworn now not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.(D)
10 Though the mountains fall away
and the hills be shaken,
My love shall never fall away from you
nor my covenant of peace[e] be shaken,
says the Lord, who has mercy on you.(E)
11 O afflicted one,[f] storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
your foundations in sapphires;(F)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord;
great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In justice shall you be established,
far from oppression, you shall not fear,
from destruction, it cannot come near.
15 If there be an attack, it is not my doing;
whoever attacks shall fall before you.
16 See, I have created the smith
who blows on the burning coals
and forges weapons as his work;
It is I also who have created
the destroyer to work havoc.
17 Every weapon fashioned against you shall fail;
every tongue that brings you to trial
you shall prove false.
This is the lot of the servants of the Lord,
their vindication from me—oracle of the Lord.
Chapter 55
An Invitation to Grace
1 All you who are thirsty,[g]
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, buy grain and eat;
Come, buy grain without money,
wine and milk without cost!(G)
2 Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what does not satisfy?
Only listen to me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
3 Pay attention and come to me;
listen, that you may have life.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
the steadfast loyalty promised to David.(H)
4 As I made him a witness to peoples,
a leader and commander of peoples,
5 So shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and a nation[h] that knew you not shall run to you,
Because of the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.(I)
6 [i]Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their way,
and sinners their thoughts;
Let them turn to the Lord to find mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10 [j]Yet just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
11 So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
12 Yes, in joy you shall go forth,
in peace you shall be brought home;
Mountains and hills shall break out in song before you,
all trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 In place of the thornbush, the cypress shall grow,
instead of nettles,[k] the myrtle.
This shall be to the Lord’s renown,
as an everlasting sign that shall not fail.
III. Isaiah 56—66
Chapter 56
Salvation for the Just[l]
1 [m]Thus says the Lord:
Observe what is right, do what is just,
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.(J)
2 Happy is the one who does this,
whoever holds fast to it:
Keeping the sabbath without profaning it,
keeping one’s hand from doing any evil.(K)
Obligations and Promises to Share in the Covenant
3 [n]The foreigner joined to the Lord should not say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people”;
Nor should the eunuch say,
“See, I am a dry tree.”(L)
4 For thus says the Lord:
To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me,
and who hold fast to my covenant,(M)
5 I will give them, in my house
and within my walls, a monument and a name[o]
Better than sons and daughters;
an eternal name, which shall not be cut off, will I give them.
6 And foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him,
To love the name of the Lord,
to become his servants—
All who keep the sabbath without profaning it
and hold fast to my covenant,
7 [p]Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.(N)
8 [q]Oracle of the Lord God,
who gathers the dispersed of Israel—
Others will I gather to them
besides those already gathered.(O)
Unworthy Shepherds[r]
9 All you beasts of the field,[s]
come to devour,
all you beasts in the forest!(P)
10 [t]All the sentinels of Israel are blind,
they are without knowledge;
They are all mute dogs,
unable to bark;
Dreaming, reclining,
loving their sleep.
11 Yes, the dogs have a ravenous appetite;
they never know satiety,
Shepherds who have no understanding;
all have turned their own way,
each one covetous for gain:
12 “Come, let me bring wine;
let us fill ourselves with strong drink,
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even greater.”(Q)
Chapter 57
1 The just have perished,
but no one takes it to heart;
The steadfast are swept away,
while no one understands.
Yet the just are taken away from the presence of evil,
2 [u]and enter into peace;
They rest upon their couches,
the sincere, who walk in integrity.(R)
An Idolatrous People[v]
3 But you, draw near,
you children of a sorceress,
offspring of an adulterer and a prostitute![w]
4 Against whom do you make sport,
against whom do you open wide your mouth,
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not rebellious children,
deceitful offspring—
5 You who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every green tree;
You who immolate children in the wadies,
among the clefts of the rocks?[x](S)
6 Among the smooth stones[y] of the wadi is your portion,
they, they are your allotment;
Indeed, you poured out a drink offering to them,
and brought up grain offerings.
With these things, should I be appeased?
7 Upon a towering and lofty mountain
you set up your bed,
and there you went up to offer sacrifice.(T)
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
you set up your symbol.
Yes, deserting me, you carried up your bedding;
and spread it wide.
You entered an agreement with them,
you loved their couch, you gazed upon nakedness.[z]
9 You approached the king[aa] with oil,
and multiplied your perfumes;
You sent your ambassadors far away,
down even to deepest Sheol.
10 Though worn out with the length of your journey,
you never said, “It is hopeless”;
You found your strength revived,
and so you did not weaken.
11 Whom did you dread and fear,
that you told lies,
And me you did not remember
nor take to heart?
Am I to keep silent and conceal,
while you show no fear of me?
12 I will proclaim your justice[ab]
and your works;
but they shall not help you.
13 [ac]When you cry out,
let your collection of idols save you.
All these the wind shall carry off,
a mere breath shall bear them away;
But whoever takes refuge in me shall inherit the land,
and possess my holy mountain.
The Way to Peace for God’s People
14 And I say:
Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstacle from my people’s way.[ad](U)
15 [ae]For thus says the high and lofty One,
the One who dwells forever, whose name is holy:
I dwell in a high and holy place,
but also with the contrite and lowly of spirit,
To revive the spirit of the lowly,
to revive the heart of the crushed.
16 For I will not accuse forever,
nor always be angry;
For without me their spirit fails,
the life breath that I have given.(V)
17 Because of their wicked avarice I grew angry;
I struck them, hiding myself from them in wrath.
But they turned back, following the way
of their own heart.(W)
18 I saw their ways,
but I will heal them.
I will lead them and restore full comfort to them
and to those who mourn for them,(X)
19 creating words of comfort.[af]
Peace! Peace to those who are far and near,
says the Lord; and I will heal them.
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea
which cannot be still,
Its waters cast up mire and mud.(Y)
21 There is no peace for the wicked!
says my God.(Z)
Chapter 58
Reasons for Judgment[ag]
1 Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Proclaim to my people their transgression,
to the house of Jacob their sins.(AA)
2 They seek me day after day,
and desire to know my ways,
Like a nation that has done what is just
and not abandoned the judgment of their God;
They ask of me just judgments,
they desire to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see it?
afflict ourselves, but you take no note?”
See, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits,
and drive all your laborers.(AB)
4 See, you fast only to quarrel and fight
and to strike with a wicked fist!
Do not fast as you do today
to make your voice heard on high!
5 Is this the manner of fasting I would choose,
a day to afflict oneself?
To bow one’s head like a reed,
and lie upon sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?(AC)
Authentic Fasting That Leads to Blessing[ah]
6 Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke?(AD)
7 Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh?(AE)
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: “Here I am!”
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;(AF)
10 If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
11 Then the Lord will guide you always
and satisfy your thirst in parched places,
will give strength to your bones
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring whose waters never fail.(AG)
12 Your people shall rebuild the ancient ruins;
the foundations from ages past you shall raise up;
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you,
“Restorer of ruined dwellings.”(AH)
Authentic Sabbath Observance That Leads to Blessing[ai]
13 If you refrain from trampling the sabbath,
from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the sabbath a delight,
the Lord’s holy day glorious;
If you glorify it by not following your ways,
seeking your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs—
14 Then you shall delight in the Lord,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(AI)
Footnotes
- 54:1 Jerusalem, pictured as a wife who had been barren and deserted, now suddenly finds herself with innumerable children (the returning exiles); cf. Gal 4:27 for an application to a new context.
- 54:3 Those who had taken advantage of the exile to encroach on Jerusalem’s territory will be driven out, and the returning exiles will repopulate the cities of Judah.
- 54:4–8 As with some other Old Testament themes, Second Isaiah uses that of Israel as the Lord’s bride in a new manner. Whereas Hosea and Jeremiah had depicted Israel as the Lord’s spouse to emphasize both Israel’s infidelity and the Lord’s continued love (Hos 1–3; Jer 2:2; 3:1–15) and Ezekiel to accuse Israel unsparingly (Ez 16; 23), Second Isaiah speaks only of the love with which the Lord restores the people, speaking tender words with no hint of reproach.
- 54:5 Redeemer: cf. note on 41:14.
- 54:10 Covenant of peace: this whole section, vv. 9–17, is given to various assurances of God’s love for Israel and of safety from various possible threats; the phrase sums up both the positive aspects of shalom, which implies a fullness of blessing, and protection from all that might harm. Cf. also 55:3; Nm 25:12; Ez 34:25; 37:26; Mal 2:5.
- 54:11 Afflicted one: Jerusalem.
- 55:1–3 The prophet invites all to return, under the figure of a banquet; cf. the covenant banquet in Ex 24:9–11 and wisdom’s banquet in Prv 9:1–6. The Lord’s covenant with David (2 Sm 7) is now to be extended beyond his dynasty.
- 55:5 The “nation” is Persia under Cyrus, but the perspective is worldwide.
- 55:6–9 The invitation to seek the Lord is motivated by the mercy of a God whose “ways” are completely mysterious.
- 55:10–11 The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8.
- 55:13 Thornbush…nettles: suggestive of the desert and therefore symbolic of suffering and hardship; cypress…myrtle: suggestive of fertile land and therefore symbolic of joy and strength. To the Lord’s renown: lit., “to the name of the Lord.”
- 56:1–8 This poem inaugurates the final section of the Book of Isaiah, often referred to as Third or Trito-Isaiah. While Second or Deutero-Isaiah (Is 40–55) gave numerous references to the hopes of the community of Israel during the Babylonian exile (ca. 587–538 B.C.), Third Isaiah witnesses to the struggles and hoped-for blessings of the postexilic community now back in the homeland of Israel. In this opening poem, the references to “keeping the sabbath” (vv. 2, 4, 6), “holding fast to the covenant” (vv. 4, 6) and “God’s holy mountain” as a house of prayer (v. 7), all tell of the postexilic community that was establishing itself again in the land according to the pattern of God’s word given through the prophet. The poem can be classified as a “prophetic exhortation” in which the prophet gives instruction for those who wish to live according to God’s word and covenant. What is important to note are the conditions placed upon the people of God; while Is 40–55 show an unconditional promise of redemption, these final chapters delineate clear expectations for receiving God’s salvific promises. Both the expectations and the great promises of God will unfold in the succeeding chapters of Third Isaiah.
- 56:1 This opening verse echoes themes that are well known throughout the Book of Isaiah: justice and right judgment (1:27; 5:7, 16; 9:6; 16:5; 26:9; 28:17; 32:1, 16; 33:5; 42:1, 4, 6; 45:8, 13, 19), salvation and deliverance (12:3; 26:18; 33:2; 45:8, 21; 46:13; 51:5, 6, 8). These themes will be developed also throughout Third Isaiah.
- 56:3 Eunuchs had originally been excluded from the community of the Lord; cf. Dt 23:2; Neh 13:1–3; Wis 3:14.
- 56:5 A monument and a name: literally in Hebrew, “a hand and a name”; a memorial inscription to prevent oblivion for one who had no children; cf. 2 Sm 18:18; Neh 7:5; 13:14.
- 56:7 This verse continues the theme of universalism found in Is 49:6. As Israel was to be “a light to the nations” so that God’s “salvation may reach to the ends of the earth,” so now does that come to pass as foreigners, faithful to the divine commands, are brought to the Temple by God and joined to the covenant community of Israel.
- 56:8 For the gathering of the dispersed people of Israel, cf. Jer 23:3; 31:8–9; Ez 11:17. Here the Lord not only gathers the displaced of Israel, but also unites other peoples to them. Cf. Is 60:3–10; 66:18–21.
- 56:9–57:21 This section is made up of two pronouncements of judgment (56:9–57:2; 57:3–13) and an oracle of salvation (57:14–21), each of which ends with a reversal of imagery and language. While there are harsh indictments against the corrupt leaders of Israel (56:9–12), a promise of peace is offered to those who are just (57:1–2). Then the judgment and its subsequent punishment for idolaters (57:3–13a) change to an announcement of reward for those who place their trust in God (57:13c). And the promises of salvation (57:14–19) then shift to a word of warning to the wicked (57:20–21).
- 56:9 Beasts of the field: foreign nations, which are invited to come and ravage Israel.
- 56:10–11 These shepherds of Israel are without “knowledge,” a theme developed earlier in the Isaian corpus; cf. 1:3; 6:9–10. Ezekiel 34 has similar condemnatory words against the unfaithful shepherds of Israel.
- 57:2 Despite their sad fate, the just will ultimately attain peace (most likely in this world); cf. v. 13.
- 57:3–13 In this courtroom imagery, the idolaters are summoned before the judge (v. 3), their crimes are graphically described (vv. 4–11), their guilt is established, and condemnation is carried out (vv. 12–13b). In contrast to this, v. 13c describes the inheritance of God’s land and holy mountain given to those who place their confidence in God instead of in idols.
- 57:3 Language of sexual infidelity is often used in a figurative way to describe idolatry. Cf. Ez 16:15–22; Hos 2:4–7; Col 3:5.
- 57:5 Child sacrifice is also attested in 2 Kgs 23:10; Jer 7:31; Ez 16:20; 20:28, 31; 23:37–39.
- 57:6 Smooth stones: the Hebrew word for this expression has the same consonants as the word for “portion”; instead of making the Lord their portion (cf. Ps 16:5), the people adored slabs of stone which they took from the streambeds in valleys and set up as idols; cf. Jer 3:9. Therefore, it is implied, they will be swept away as by a sudden torrent of waters carrying them down the rocky-bottomed gorge to destruction and death without burial.
- 57:8 Nakedness: literally in Hebrew, “hand.” In this context, it may euphemistically refer to a phallus.
- 57:9 The king: in Hebrew, the word for king is melek, similar in sound to the Canaanite god Molech, to whom children were offered as a sacrifice in pagan ritual. The expression “your ambassadors” could be a figurative expression for the children whose death served as an offering to this deity.
- 57:12 Justice: here used sarcastically. The activity described in these verses is far from the justice which God demands of those who are aligned with the covenant (cf. 56:1, 4, 6). In the larger context of Third Isaiah and the whole of the Isaian tradition, justice is a key theological motif. The justice to which God calls Israel will eventually come to its fulfillment in an act of divine intervention (cf. 60:21; 61:3c). Until then, the people of God must strive to live in the ways of justice and right judgment (56:1).
- 57:13 In v. 6, the smooth stones of the valley are the portion which the unfaithful will receive as their due reward (cf. note on v. 6); while in v. 13c, an inheritance of the land and possession of God’s holy mountain will be the portion of the upright.
- 57:14 The way…my people’s way: the language and imagery are reminiscent of 40:1–2, but in this context, when the people have already returned, the physical road through the desert is replaced by the spiritual way that leads to redemption.
- 57:15 The God of Israel is presented in both a transcendent and an immanent manner. God’s holiness is the transcendent quality; the immanence is shown in the choice of dwelling among the downtrodden and humble.
- 57:19 Creating words of comfort: lit., “fruit of the lips,” perhaps referring to praise and thanksgiving for the divine healing; cf. Hos 14:3.
- 58:1–5 The prophet is commanded to condemn the formalism of the people, specifically their hypocritical fasting.
- 58:6–12 Fasting is not genuine without reforming one’s way of life. A true social morality will ensure prosperity.
- 58:13–14 Sabbath observance becomes a cornerstone of postexilic piety; cf. 56:2, 4, 6.
Isaiah 54-58
New International Version
Isaiah 54-58
New International Version
The Future Glory of Zion
54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
than of her who has a husband,(F)”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(G)
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.(H)
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants(I) will dispossess nations(J)
and settle in their desolate(K) cities.
4 “Do not be afraid;(L) you will not be put to shame.(M)
Do not fear disgrace;(N) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(O)
and remember no more the reproach(P) of your widowhood.(Q)
5 For your Maker(R) is your husband(S)—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(T) of Israel is your Redeemer;(U)
he is called the God of all the earth.(V)
6 The Lord will call you back(W)
as if you were a wife deserted(X) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,(Y)
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment(Z) I abandoned(AA) you,
but with deep compassion(AB) I will bring you back.(AC)
8 In a surge of anger(AD)
I hid(AE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness(AF)
I will have compassion(AG) on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.(AH)
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.(AI)
So now I have sworn(AJ) not to be angry(AK) with you,
never to rebuke(AL) you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken(AM)
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love(AN) for you will not be shaken(AO)
nor my covenant(AP) of peace(AQ) be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion(AR) on you.
11 “Afflicted(AS) city, lashed by storms(AT) and not comforted,(AU)
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a](AV)
your foundations(AW) with lapis lazuli.(AX)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates(AY) of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(AZ)
and great will be their peace.(BA)
14 In righteousness(BB) you will be established:(BC)
Tyranny(BD) will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.(BE)
Terror(BF) 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(BG) to you.
16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(BH)
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon(BI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(BJ) to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,(BK)
and you will refute(BL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(BM) of the Lord,
and this is their vindication(BN) from me,”
declares the Lord.
Invitation to the Thirsty
55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(BO)
come to the waters;(BP)
and you who have no money,
come, buy(BQ) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(BR)
without money and without cost.(BS)
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?(BT)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(BU)
and you will delight in the richest(BV) of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen,(BW) that you may live.(BX)
I will make an everlasting covenant(BY) with you,
my faithful love(BZ) promised to David.(CA)
4 See, I have made him a witness(CB) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander(CC) of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations(CD) you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,(CE)
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(CF) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”(CG)
6 Seek(CH) the Lord while he may be found;(CI)
call(CJ) on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake(CK) their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.(CL)
Let them turn(CM) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(CN) on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(CO)
8 “For my thoughts(CP) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(CQ)
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,(CR)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.(CS)
10 As the rain(CT) and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(CU)
so that it yields seed(CV) for the sower and bread for the eater,(CW)
11 so is my word(CX) that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,(CY)
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose(CZ) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(DA)
and be led forth in peace;(DB)
the mountains and hills
will burst into song(DC) before you,
and all the trees(DD) of the field
will clap their hands.(DE)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers(DF) the myrtle(DG) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(DH)
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(DI)
and do what is right,(DJ)
for my salvation(DK) is close at hand
and my righteousness(DL) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(DM) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(DN) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(DO) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(DP)
And let no eunuch(DQ) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(DR) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(DS)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(DT)
a memorial(DU) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(DV)
that will endure forever.(DW)
6 And foreigners(DX) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(DY) to him,
to love the name(DZ) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(EA) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(EB)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(EC)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(ED)”(EE)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(EF) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(EG)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(EH) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(EI)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(EJ)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(EK) who lack understanding;(EL)
they all turn to their own way,(EM)
they seek their own gain.(EN)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(EO)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(EP)
57 The righteous perish,(EQ)
and no one takes it to heart;(ER)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(ES)
2 Those who walk uprightly(ET)
enter into peace;
they find rest(EU) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(EV)
you offspring of adulterers(EW) and prostitutes!(EX)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(EY)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(EZ)
and under every spreading tree;(FA)
you sacrifice your children(FB) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(FC) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(FD)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(FE)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(FF)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(FG)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(FH)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(FI)
9 You went to Molek[b](FJ) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(FK)
You sent your ambassadors[c](FL) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(FM)
10 You wearied(FN) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(FO)
You found renewal of your strength,(FP)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(FQ)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(FR) me
nor taken this to heart?(FS)
Is it not because I have long been silent(FT)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(FU)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(FV) for help,
let your collection of idols save(FW) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(FX) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(FY) in me
will inherit the land(FZ)
and possess my holy mountain.”(GA)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(GB)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(GC)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(GD) One says—
he who lives forever,(GE) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(GF) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(GG) and lowly in spirit,(GH)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(GI)
16 I will not accuse(GJ) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(GK)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(GL) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(GM)
I punished them, and hid(GN) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(GO)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(GP) them;
I will guide(GQ) them and restore comfort(GR) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(GS)
Peace, peace,(GT) to those far and near,”(GU)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(GV) are like the tossing sea,(GW)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(GX) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(GY) says my God, “for the wicked.”(GZ)
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(HA) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(HB)
Declare to my people their rebellion(HC)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(HD)
2 For day after day they seek(HE) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(HF) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(HG) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(HH) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(HI) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(HJ)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(HK)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(HL)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(HM) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(HN) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(HO) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(HP)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(HQ)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(HR) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(HS)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(HT) free
and break every yoke?(HU)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(HV)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(HW)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(HX) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(HY)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(HZ)
and your healing(IA) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[d](IB) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(IC)
9 Then you will call,(ID) and the Lord will answer;(IE)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(IF) and malicious talk,(IG)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(IH)
then your light(II) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(IJ)
11 The Lord will guide(IK) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(IL) in a sun-scorched land(IM)
and will strengthen(IN) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(IO)
like a spring(IP) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(IQ)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(IR)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(IS)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(IT)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(IU)
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(IV)
14 then you will find your joy(IW) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(IX) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(IY) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(IZ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
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