The Gentiles Bless Zion

60 Arise, (A)shine;
For your light has come!
And (B)the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
The (C)Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.

“Lift(D) up your eyes all around, and see:
They all gather together, (E)they come to you;
Your sons shall come from afar,
And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
Then you shall see and become radiant,
And your heart shall swell with joy;
Because (F)the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
The multitude of camels shall cover your land,
The dromedaries of Midian and (G)Ephah;
All those from (H)Sheba shall come;
They shall bring (I)gold and incense,
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.
All the flocks of (J)Kedar shall be gathered together to you,
The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
They shall ascend with (K)acceptance on My altar,
And (L)I will glorify the house of My glory.

“Who are these who fly like a cloud,
And like doves to their roosts?
(M)Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me;
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,
(N)To bring your sons from afar,
(O)Their silver and their gold with them,
To the name of the Lord your God,
And to the Holy One of Israel,
(P)Because He has glorified you.

10 “The(Q) sons of foreigners shall build up your walls,
(R)And their kings shall minister to you;
For (S)in My wrath I struck you,
(T)But in My favor I have had mercy on you.
11 Therefore your gates (U)shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.
12 (V)For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish,
And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

13 “The(W) glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make (X)the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come (Y)bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall (Z)fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
(AA)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
So that no one went through you,
I will make you an eternal excellence,
A joy of many generations.
16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles,
(AB)And milk the breast of kings;
You shall know that (AC)I, the Lord, am your Savior
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
Instead of iron I will bring silver,
Instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
I will also make your officers peace,
And your magistrates righteousness.
18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither [a]wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call (AD)your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.

God the Glory of His People

19 “The (AE)sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And (AF)your God your glory.
20 (AG)Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
21 (AH)Also your people shall all be righteous;
(AI)They shall inherit the land forever,
(AJ)The branch of My planting,
(AK)The work of My hands,
That I may be glorified.
22 (AL)A little one shall become a thousand,
And a small one a strong nation.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

The Good News of Salvation

61 “The (AM)Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord (AN)has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me (AO)to [b]heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim (AP)liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
(AQ)To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And (AR)the day of vengeance of our God;
(AS)To comfort all who mourn,
To [c]console those who mourn in Zion,
(AT)To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
(AU)The planting of the Lord, (AV)that He may be glorified.”

And they shall (AW)rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
(AX)Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
(AY)But you shall be named the priests of the Lord,
They shall call you the servants of our God.
(AZ)You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
(BA)Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

“For (BB)I, the Lord, love justice;
(BC)I hate robbery [d]for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
(BD)And will make with them an everlasting covenant.
Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
(BE)That they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”

10 (BF)I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For (BG)He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
(BH)As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause (BI)righteousness and (BJ)praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Assurance of Zion’s Salvation

62 For Zion’s sake I will not [e]hold My peace,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
(BK)The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all (BL)kings your glory.
(BM)You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
You shall also be (BN)a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
(BO)You shall no longer be termed (BP)Forsaken,[f]
Nor shall your land any more be termed (BQ)Desolate;[g]
But you shall be called [h]Hephzibah, and your land [i]Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
(BR)So shall your God rejoice over you.

(BS)I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall [j]never hold their peace day or night.
You who [k]make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem (BT)a praise in the earth.

The Lord has sworn by His right hand
And by the arm of His strength:
“Surely I will no longer (BU)give your grain
As food for your enemies;
And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,
For which you have labored.
But those who have gathered it shall eat it,
And praise the Lord;
Those who have brought it together shall drink it (BV)in My holy courts.”

10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
(BW)Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
(BX)Lift up a banner for the peoples!

11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
(BY)“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His (BZ)reward is with Him,
And His [l]work before Him.’ ”
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.

The Lord in Judgment and Salvation

63 Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is [m]glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—

“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

Why (CA)is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

“I have (CB)trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
For the (CC)day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.
(CD)I looked, but (CE)there was no one to help,
And I wondered
That there was no one to uphold;
Therefore My own (CF)arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.
I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,
Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth.”

God’s Mercy Remembered

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
And the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
(CG)In all their affliction He was [n]afflicted,
(CH)And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
(CI)In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And (CJ)He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
10 But they (CK)rebelled and (CL)grieved His Holy Spirit;
(CM)So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.

11 Then he (CN)remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people, saying:
“Where is He who (CO)brought them up out of the sea
With the [o]shepherd of His flock?
(CP)Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,
12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,
(CQ)With His glorious arm,
(CR)Dividing the water before them
To make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 (CS)Who led them through the deep,
As a horse in the wilderness,
That they might not stumble?”

14 As a beast goes down into the valley,
And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest,
So You lead Your people,
(CT)To make Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer of Penitence

15 (CU)Look down from heaven,
And see (CV)from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning (CW)of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 (CX)Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham (CY)was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O Lord, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O Lord, why have You (CZ)made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 (DA)Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
(DB)Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.

A Prayer for Help

64 Oh, that You would [p]rend the heavens!
That You would come down!
That the mountains might shake at Your (DC)presence—
As fire burns brushwood,
As fire causes water to boil—
To make Your name known to Your adversaries,
That the nations may tremble at Your presence!
When (DD)You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence.
For since the beginning of the world
(DE)Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
(DF)In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.

But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all (DG)our righteousnesses are like [q]filthy rags;
We all (DH)fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have [r]consumed us because of our iniquities.

But now, O Lord,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our (DI)potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Do not be furious, O Lord,
Nor remember iniquity forever;
Indeed, please look—we all are Your people!
10 Your holy cities are a wilderness,
Zion is a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful [s]temple,
Where our fathers praised You,
Is burned up with fire;
And all (DJ)our pleasant things [t]are laid waste.
12 (DK)Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord?
(DL)Will You [u]hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?

The Righteousness of God’s Judgment

65 “I was (DM)sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that (DN)was not called by My name.
(DO)I have stretched out My hands all day long to a (DP)rebellious people,
Who (DQ)walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts;
A people (DR)who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
(DS)Who sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
(DT)Who sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
(DU)Who eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of [v]abominable things is in their vessels;
(DV)Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These [w]are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.

“Behold, (DW)it is written before Me:
(DX)I will not keep silence, (DY)but will repay—
Even repay into their bosom—
Your iniquities and (DZ)the iniquities of your fathers together,”
Says the Lord,
(EA)“Who have burned incense on the mountains
(EB)And blasphemed Me on the hills;
Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

Thus says the Lord:

“As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,
For (EC)a blessing is in it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
That I may not destroy them (ED)all.
I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
And from Judah an heir of My mountains;
My (EE)elect shall inherit it,
And My servants shall dwell there.
10 (EF)Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,
And (EG)the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down,
For My people who have (EH)sought Me.

11 “But you are those who forsake the Lord,
Who forget (EI)My holy mountain,
Who prepare (EJ)a table for [x]Gad,
And who furnish a drink offering for [y]Meni.
12 Therefore I will number you for the sword,
And you shall all bow down to the slaughter;
(EK)Because, when I called, you did not answer;
When I spoke, you did not hear,
But did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And (EL)wail for [z]grief of spirit.
15 You shall leave your name (EM)as a curse to (EN)My chosen;
For the Lord God will slay you,
And (EO)call His servants by another name;
16 (EP)So that he who blesses himself in the earth
Shall bless himself in the God of truth;
And (EQ)he who swears in the earth
Shall swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten,
And because they are hidden from My eyes.

The Glorious New Creation

17 “For behold, I create (ER)new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or [aa]come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
19 (ES)I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The (ET)voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.

20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
(EU)But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 (EV)They shall build houses and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
They shall not plant and (EW)another eat;
For (EX)as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people,
And (EY)My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain,
(EZ)Nor bring forth children for trouble;
For (FA)they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord,
And their offspring with them.

24 “It shall come to pass
That (FB)before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will (FC)hear.
25 The (FD)wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
The lion shall eat straw like the ox,
(FE)And dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,”
Says the Lord.

True Worship and False

66 Thus says the Lord:

(FF)“Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
(FG)“But on this one will I look:
(FH)On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

“He(FI) who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he (FJ)breaks a dog’s neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood;
He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.
Just as they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,
So will I choose their delusions,
And bring their fears on them;
(FK)Because, when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight.”

The Lord Vindicates Zion

Hear the word of the Lord,
You who tremble at His word:
“Your brethren who (FL)hated you,
Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said,
(FM)‘Let the Lord be glorified,
That (FN)we may see your joy.’
But they shall be ashamed.”

The sound of noise from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the Lord,
Who fully repays His enemies!

“Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.
Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord.
“Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
11 That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory.”

12 For thus says the Lord:

“Behold, (FO)I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.
Then you shall (FP)feed;
On her sides shall you be (FQ)carried,
And be dandled on her knees.
13 As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will (FR)comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

The Reign and Indignation of God

14 When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
And (FS)your bones shall flourish like grass;
The hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants,
And His indignation to His enemies.
15 (FT)For behold, the Lord will come with fire
And with His chariots, like a whirlwind,
To render His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by (FU)His sword
The Lord will judge all flesh;
And the slain of the Lord shall be (FV)many.

17 “Those(FW) who sanctify themselves and purify themselves,
To go to the gardens
[ab]After an idol in the midst,
Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse,
Shall [ac]be consumed together,” says the Lord.

18 “For I know their works and their (FX)thoughts. It shall be that I will (FY)gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. 19 (FZ)I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and [ad]Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. (GA)And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. 20 Then they shall (GB)bring all your brethren (GC)for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord. 21 And I will also take some of them for (GD)priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “For as (GE)the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And (GF)it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
(GG)All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

24 “And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their (GH)worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:18 devastation
  2. Isaiah 61:1 Lit. bind up
  3. Isaiah 61:3 Lit. appoint
  4. Isaiah 61:8 Or in
  5. Isaiah 62:1 keep silent
  6. Isaiah 62:4 Heb. Azubah
  7. Isaiah 62:4 Heb. Shemamah
  8. Isaiah 62:4 Lit. My Delight Is in Her
  9. Isaiah 62:4 Lit. Married
  10. Isaiah 62:6 not be silent
  11. Isaiah 62:6 remember
  12. Isaiah 62:11 recompense
  13. Isaiah 63:1 Or adorned
  14. Isaiah 63:9 Kt., LXX, Syr. not afflicted
  15. Isaiah 63:11 MT, Vg. shepherds
  16. Isaiah 64:1 tear open
  17. Isaiah 64:6 Lit. a filthy garment
  18. Isaiah 64:7 Lit. caused us to melt
  19. Isaiah 64:11 Lit. house
  20. Isaiah 64:11 have become a ruin
  21. Isaiah 64:12 keep silent
  22. Isaiah 65:4 Unclean meats, Lev. 7:18; 19:7
  23. Isaiah 65:5 Cause My wrath to smoke
  24. Isaiah 65:11 Lit. Troop or Fortune; a pagan deity
  25. Isaiah 65:11 Lit. Number or Destiny; a pagan deity
  26. Isaiah 65:14 Or a broken spirit
  27. Isaiah 65:17 Lit. come upon the heart
  28. Isaiah 66:17 Lit. After one
  29. Isaiah 66:17 come to an end
  30. Isaiah 66:19 So with MT, Tg.; LXX Put (cf. Jer. 46:9)

The Glory of Zion

60 “Arise,(A) shine, for your light(B) has come,
    and the glory(C) of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness(D) covers the earth
    and thick darkness(E) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
Nations(F) will come to your light,(G)
    and kings(H) to the brightness of your dawn.

“Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble(I) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(J)
    and your daughters(K) are carried on the hip.(L)
Then you will look and be radiant,(M)
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;(N)
the wealth(O) on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
Herds of camels(P) will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian(Q) and Ephah.(R)
And all from Sheba(S) will come,
    bearing gold and incense(T)
    and proclaiming the praise(U) of the Lord.
All Kedar’s(V) flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(W) on my altar,(X)
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.(Y)

“Who are these(Z) that fly along like clouds,(AA)
    like doves to their nests?
Surely the islands(AB) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[a](AC)
bringing(AD) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,(AE)
to the honor(AF) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One(AG) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.(AH)

10 “Foreigners(AI) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings(AJ) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor(AK) I will show you compassion.(AL)
11 Your gates(AM) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(AN)
    their kings(AO) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(AP) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.(AQ)

13 “The glory of Lebanon(AR) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(AS)
to adorn my sanctuary;(AT)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.(AU)
14 The children of your oppressors(AV) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down(AW) at your feet
and will call you the City(AX) of the Lord,
    Zion(AY) of the Holy One(AZ) of Israel.

15 “Although you have been forsaken(BA) and hated,
    with no one traveling(BB) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(BC)
    and the joy(BD) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed(BE) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(BF) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(BG)
    your Redeemer,(BH) the Mighty One of Jacob.(BI)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(BJ)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(BK) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.(BL)
18 No longer will violence(BM) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction(BN) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(BO)
    and your gates Praise.(BP)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(BQ)
    and your God will be your glory.(BR)
20 Your sun(BS) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow(BT) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(BU)
    and they will possess(BV) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(BW)
    the work of my hands,(BX)
    for the display of my splendor.(BY)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.(BZ)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”(CA)

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit(CB) of the Sovereign Lord(CC) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed(CD) me
    to proclaim good news(CE) to the poor.(CF)
He has sent me to bind up(CG) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom(CH) for the captives(CI)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,[b]
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(CJ)
    and the day of vengeance(CK) of our God,
to comfort(CL) all who mourn,(CM)
    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(CN) of beauty
    instead of ashes,(CO)
the oil(CP) of joy
    instead of mourning,(CQ)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting(CR) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.(CS)

They will rebuild the ancient ruins(CT)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers(CU) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests(CV) of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(CW) of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

Instead of your shame(CX)
    you will receive a double(CY) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(CZ) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy(DA) will be yours.

“For I, the Lord, love justice;(DB)
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant(DC) with them.
Their descendants(DD) will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(DE)

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices(DF) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(DG)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(DH) like a priest,
    and as a bride(DI) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden(DJ) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(DK)
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Zion’s New Name

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,(DL)
    for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication(DM) shines out like the dawn,(DN)
    her salvation(DO) like a blazing torch.
The nations(DP) will see your vindication,
    and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name(DQ)
    that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown(DR) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,(DS)
    or name your land Desolate.(DT)
But you will be called Hephzibah,[c](DU)
    and your land Beulah[d];
for the Lord will take delight(DV) in you,
    and your land will be married.(DW)
As a young man marries a young woman,
    so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom(DX) rejoices over his bride,
    so will your God rejoice(DY) over you.

I have posted watchmen(DZ) on your walls, Jerusalem;
    they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
    give yourselves no rest,(EA)
and give him no rest(EB) till he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes her the praise(EC) of the earth.

The Lord has sworn(ED) by his right hand
    and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain(EE)
    as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
    for which you have toiled;
but those who harvest it will eat(EF) it
    and praise the Lord,(EG)
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
    in the courts of my sanctuary.”(EH)

10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(EI)
    Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(EJ)
    Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(EK) for the nations.

11 The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:(EL)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(EM)
    ‘See, your Savior comes!(EN)
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”(EO)
12 They will be called(EP) the Holy People,(EQ)
    the Redeemed(ER) of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
    the City No Longer Deserted.(ES)

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,(ET)
    from Bozrah,(EU) with his garments stained crimson?(EV)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
    striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(EW)

“It is I, proclaiming victory,
    mighty to save.”(EX)

Why are your garments red,
    like those of one treading the winepress?(EY)

“I have trodden the winepress(EZ) alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(FA) them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;(FB)
their blood spattered my garments,(FC)
    and I stained all my clothing.
It was for me the day of vengeance;(FD)
    the year for me to redeem had come.
I looked, but there was no one(FE) to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(FF) achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.(FG)
I trampled(FH) the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk(FI)
    and poured their blood(FJ) on the ground.”

Praise and Prayer

I will tell of the kindnesses(FK) of the Lord,
    the deeds for which he is to be praised,
    according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(FL)
    he has done for Israel,
    according to his compassion(FM) and many kindnesses.
He said, “Surely they are my people,(FN)
    children who will be true to me”;
    and so he became their Savior.(FO)
In all their distress he too was distressed,
    and the angel(FP) of his presence(FQ) saved them.[e]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(FR) them;
    he lifted them up and carried(FS) them
    all the days of old.(FT)
10 Yet they rebelled(FU)
    and grieved his Holy Spirit.(FV)
So he turned and became their enemy(FW)
    and he himself fought(FX) against them.

11 Then his people recalled[f] the days of old,
    the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(FY)
    with the shepherd of his flock?(FZ)
Where is he who set
    his Holy Spirit(GA) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(GB) of power
    to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(GC) before them,
    to gain for himself everlasting renown,(GD)
13 who led(GE) them through the depths?(GF)
Like a horse in open country,
    they did not stumble;(GG)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
    they were given rest(GH) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
    to make for yourself a glorious name.

15 Look down from heaven(GI) and see,
    from your lofty throne,(GJ) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(GK) and your might?
    Your tenderness and compassion(GL) are withheld(GM) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(GN)
    though Abraham does not know us
    or Israel acknowledge(GO) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
    our Redeemer(GP) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(GQ) from your ways
    and harden our hearts(GR) so we do not revere(GS) you?
Return(GT) for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes that are your inheritance.(GU)
18 For a little while(GV) your people possessed your holy place,
    but now our enemies have trampled(GW) down your sanctuary.(GX)
19 We are yours from of old;
    but you have not ruled over them,
    they have not been called[g] by your name.(GY)

64 [h]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(GZ) and come down,(HA)
    that the mountains(HB) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(HC) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(HD) before you!
For when you did awesome(HE) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(HF) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(HG)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(HH)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(HI)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(HJ)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(HK)
    and all our righteous(HL) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(HM)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(HN)
No one(HO) calls on your name(HP)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(HQ) your face from us
    and have given us over(HR) to[i] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(HS)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(HT)
    we are all the work of your hand.(HU)
Do not be angry(HV) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(HW) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(HX)
10 Your sacred cities(HY) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(HZ)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(IA) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured(IB) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(IC)
    Will you keep silent(ID) and punish us beyond measure?

Judgment and Salvation

65 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.(IE)
To a nation(IF) that did not call on my name,(IG)
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
All day long I have held out my hands
    to an obstinate people,(IH)
who walk in ways not good,
    pursuing their own imaginations(II)
a people who continually provoke me
    to my very face,(IJ)
offering sacrifices in gardens(IK)
    and burning incense(IL) on altars of brick;
who sit among the graves(IM)
    and spend their nights keeping secret vigil;
who eat the flesh of pigs,(IN)
    and whose pots hold broth of impure meat;
who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me,
    for I am too sacred(IO) for you!’
Such people are smoke(IP) in my nostrils,
    a fire that keeps burning all day.

“See, it stands written before me:
    I will not keep silent(IQ) but will pay back(IR) in full;
    I will pay it back into their laps(IS)
both your sins(IT) and the sins of your ancestors,”(IU)
    says the Lord.
“Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains
    and defied me on the hills,(IV)
I will measure into their laps
    the full payment(IW) for their former deeds.”

This is what the Lord says:

“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes(IX)
    and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
    there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;(IY)
    I will not destroy them all.
I will bring forth descendants(IZ) from Jacob,
    and from Judah those who will possess(JA) my mountains;
my chosen(JB) people will inherit them,
    and there will my servants live.(JC)
10 Sharon(JD) will become a pasture for flocks,(JE)
    and the Valley of Achor(JF) a resting place for herds,
    for my people who seek(JG) me.

11 “But as for you who forsake(JH) the Lord
    and forget my holy mountain,(JI)
who spread a table for Fortune
    and fill bowls of mixed wine(JJ) for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,(JK)
    and all of you will fall in the slaughter;(JL)
for I called but you did not answer,(JM)
    I spoke but you did not listen.(JN)
You did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”(JO)

13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“My servants will eat,(JP)
    but you will go hungry;(JQ)
my servants will drink,(JR)
    but you will go thirsty;(JS)
my servants will rejoice,(JT)
    but you will be put to shame.(JU)
14 My servants will sing(JV)
    out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out(JW)
    from anguish of heart
    and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
    for my chosen ones to use in their curses;(JX)
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
    but to his servants he will give another name.(JY)
16 Whoever invokes a blessing(JZ) in the land
    will do so by the one true God;(KA)
whoever takes an oath in the land
    will swear(KB) by the one true God.
For the past troubles(KC) will be forgotten
    and hidden from my eyes.

New Heavens and a New Earth

17 “See, I will create
    new heavens and a new earth.(KD)
The former things will not be remembered,(KE)
    nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice(KF) forever
    in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem(KG) to be a delight
    and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice(KH) over Jerusalem
    and take delight(KI) in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying(KJ)
    will be heard in it no more.

20 “Never again will there be in it
    an infant(KK) who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not live out his years;(KL)
the one who dies at a hundred
    will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach[j] a hundred
    will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses(KM) and dwell in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.(KN)
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,(KO)
    or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,(KP)
    so will be the days(KQ) of my people;
my chosen(KR) ones will long enjoy
    the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,(KS)
    nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;(KT)
for they will be a people blessed(KU) by the Lord,
    they and their descendants(KV) with them.
24 Before they call(KW) I will answer;(KX)
    while they are still speaking(KY) I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb(KZ) will feed together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,(LA)
    and dust will be the serpent’s(LB) food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,”(LC)
says the Lord.

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,(LD)
    and the earth is my footstool.(LE)
Where is the house(LF) you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things,(LG)
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,(LH)
    and who tremble at my word.(LI)
But whoever sacrifices a bull(LJ)
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s(LK) blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense(LL)
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,(LM)
    and they delight in their abominations;(LN)
so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.(LO)
For when I called, no one answered,(LP)
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil(LQ) in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”(LR)

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:(LS)
“Your own people who hate(LT) you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.(LU)
Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound(LV) of the Lord
    repaying(LW) his enemies all they deserve.

“Before she goes into labor,(LX)
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.(LY)
Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen(LZ) things like this?
Can a country be born in a day(MA)
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.(MB)
Do I bring to the moment of birth(MC)
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
10 “Rejoice(MD) with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love(ME) her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn(MF) over her.
11 For you will nurse(MG) and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;(MH)
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”(MI)

12 For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace(MJ) to her like a river,(MK)
    and the wealth(ML) of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried(MM) on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,(MN)
    so will I comfort(MO) you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice(MP)
    and you will flourish(MQ) like grass;
the hand(MR) of the Lord will be made known to his servants,(MS)
    but his fury(MT) will be shown to his foes.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,(MU)
    and his chariots(MV) are like a whirlwind;(MW)
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke(MX) with flames of fire.
16 For with fire(MY) and with his sword(MZ)
    the Lord will execute judgment(NA) on all people,
    and many will be those slain(NB) by the Lord.

17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,(NC) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,(ND) rats(NE) and other unclean things—they will meet their end(NF) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

18 “And I, because of what they have planned and done,(NG) am about to come[k] and gather the people of all nations(NH) and languages, and they will come and see my glory.(NI)

19 “I will set a sign(NJ) among them, and I will send some of those who survive(NK) to the nations—to Tarshish,(NL) to the Libyans[l] and Lydians(NM) (famous as archers), to Tubal(NN) and Greece,(NO) and to the distant islands(NP) that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.(NQ) They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring(NR) all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain(NS) in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,”(NT) says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.(NU) 21 And I will select some of them also to be priests(NV) and Levites,” says the Lord.

22 “As the new heavens and the new earth(NW) that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure.(NX) 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath(NY) to another, all mankind will come and bow down(NZ) before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies(OA) of those who rebelled(OB) against me; the worms(OC) that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched,(OD) and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
  2. Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
  3. Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
  4. Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
  5. Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
  6. Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
  7. Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
  8. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  9. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of
  10. Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches
  11. Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  12. Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul