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Isaiah 60-66
New Living Translation
Isaiah 60-66
New Living Translation
Future Glory for Jerusalem
60 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
mighty kings will come to see your radiance.
4 “Look and see, for everyone is coming home!
Your sons are coming from distant lands;
your little daughters will be carried home.
5 Your eyes will shine,
and your heart will thrill with joy,
for merchants from around the world will come to you.
They will bring you the wealth of many lands.
6 Vast caravans of camels will converge on you,
the camels of Midian and Ephah.
The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense
and will come worshiping the Lord.
7 The flocks of Kedar will be given to you,
and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars.
I will accept their offerings,
and I will make my Temple glorious.
8 “And what do I see flying like clouds to Israel,
like doves to their nests?
9 They are ships from the ends of the earth,
from lands that trust in me,
led by the great ships of Tarshish.
They are bringing the people of Israel home from far away,
carrying their silver and gold.
They will honor the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has filled you with splendor.
10 “Foreigners will come to rebuild your towns,
and their kings will serve you.
For though I have destroyed you in my anger,
I will now have mercy on you through my grace.
11 Your gates will stay open day and night
to receive the wealth of many lands.
The kings of the world will be led as captives
in a victory procession.
12 For the nations that refuse to serve you
will be destroyed.
13 “The glory of Lebanon will be yours—
the forests of cypress, fir, and pine—
to beautify my sanctuary.
My Temple will be glorious!
14 The descendants of your tormentors
will come and bow before you.
Those who despised you
will kiss your feet.
They will call you the City of the Lord,
and Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Though you were once despised and hated,
with no one traveling through you,
I will make you beautiful forever,
a joy to all generations.
16 Powerful kings and mighty nations
will satisfy your every need,
as though you were a child
nursing at the breast of a queen.
You will know at last that I, the Lord,
am your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Israel.[a]
17 I will exchange your bronze for gold,
your iron for silver,
your wood for bronze,
and your stones for iron.
I will make peace your leader
and righteousness your ruler.
18 Violence will disappear from your land;
the desolation and destruction of war will end.
Salvation will surround you like city walls,
and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there.
19 “No longer will you need the sun to shine by day,
nor the moon to give its light by night,
for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set;
your moon will not go down.
For the Lord will be your everlasting light.
Your days of mourning will come to an end.
21 All your people will be righteous.
They will possess their land forever,
for I will plant them there with my own hands
in order to bring myself glory.
22 The smallest family will become a thousand people,
and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation.
At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”
Good News for the Oppressed
61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.[b]
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,[c]
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,[d]
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many generations.
5 Foreigners will be your servants.
They will feed your flocks
and plow your fields
and tend your vineyards.
6 You will be called priests of the Lord,
ministers of our God.
You will feed on the treasures of the nations
and boast in their riches.
7 Instead of shame and dishonor,
you will enjoy a double share of honor.
You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice.
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be recognized
and honored among the nations.
Everyone will realize that they are a people
the Lord has blessed.”
10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.
I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding
or a bride with her jewels.
11 The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world.
Everyone will praise him!
His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring,
with plants springing up everywhere.
Isaiah’s Prayer for Jerusalem
62 Because I love Zion,
I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
by the Lord’s own mouth.
3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
4 Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”[e]
or “The Desolate Land.”[f]
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”[g]
and “The Bride of God,”[h]
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride.
5 Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,
just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.
6 O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;
they will pray day and night, continually.
Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.
7 Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,
until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.
8 The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:
“I will never again hand you over to your enemies.
Never again will foreign warriors come
and take away your grain and new wine.
9 You raised the grain, and you will eat it,
praising the Lord.
Within the courtyards of the Temple,
you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”
10 Go out through the gates!
Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;
raise a flag for all the nations to see.
11 The Lord has sent this message to every land:
“Tell the people of Israel,[i]
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”
Judgment against the Lord’s Enemies
63 Who is this who comes from Edom,
from the city of Bozrah,
with his clothing stained red?
Who is this in royal robes,
marching in his great strength?
“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!
It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!”
2 Why are your clothes so red,
as if you have been treading out grapes?
3 “I have been treading the winepress alone;
no one was there to help me.
In my anger I have trampled my enemies
as if they were grapes.
In my fury I have trampled my foes.
Their blood has stained my clothes.
4 For the time has come for me to avenge my people,
to ransom them from their oppressors.
5 I was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.
So I myself stepped in to save them with my strong arm,
and my wrath sustained me.
6 I crushed the nations in my anger
and made them stagger and fall to the ground,
spilling their blood upon the earth.”
Praise for Deliverance
7 I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
8 He said, “They are my very own people.
Surely they will not betray me again.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering he also suffered,
and he personally[j] rescued them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them
through all the years.
10 But they rebelled against him
and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he became their enemy
and fought against them.
11 Then they remembered those days of old
when Moses led his people out of Egypt.
They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea,
with Moses as their shepherd?
Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit
to be among his people?
12 Where is the one whose power was displayed
when Moses lifted up his hand—
the one who divided the sea before them,
making himself famous forever?
13 Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea?
They were like fine stallions
racing through the desert, never stumbling.
14 As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
You led your people, Lord,
and gained a magnificent reputation.”
Prayer for Mercy and Pardon
15 Lord, look down from heaven;
look from your holy, glorious home, and see us.
Where is the passion and the might
you used to show on our behalf?
Where are your mercy and compassion now?
16 Surely you are still our Father!
Even if Abraham and Jacob[k] would disown us,
Lord, you would still be our Father.
You are our Redeemer from ages past.
17 Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from your path?
Why have you given us stubborn hearts so we no longer fear you?
Return and help us, for we are your servants,
the tribes that are your special possession.
18 How briefly your holy people possessed your holy place,
and now our enemies have destroyed it.
19 Sometimes it seems as though we never belonged to you,
as though we had never been known as your people.
64 [l]Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!
How the mountains would quake in your presence!
2 [m]As fire causes wood to burn
and water to boil,
your coming would make the nations tremble.
Then your enemies would learn the reason for your fame!
3 When you came down long ago,
you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
4 For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!
5 You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
7 Yet no one calls on your name
or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us
and turned us over[n] to our sins.
8 And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand.
9 Don’t be so angry with us, Lord.
Please don’t remember our sins forever.
Look at us, we pray,
and see that we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities are destroyed.
Zion is a wilderness;
yes, Jerusalem is a desolate ruin.
11 The holy and beautiful Temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been burned down,
and all the things of beauty are destroyed.
12 After all this, Lord, must you still refuse to help us?
Will you continue to be silent and punish us?
Judgment and Final Salvation
65 The Lord says,
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.[o]
2 All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.[p]
But they follow their own evil paths
and their own crooked schemes.
3 All day long they insult me to my face
by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens.
They burn incense on pagan altars.
4 At night they go out among the graves,
worshiping the dead.
They eat the flesh of pigs
and make stews with other forbidden foods.
5 Yet they say to each other,
‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me!
I am holier than you!’
These people are a stench in my nostrils,
an acrid smell that never goes away.
6 “Look, my decree is written out[q] in front of me:
I will not stand silent;
I will repay them in full!
Yes, I will repay them—
7 both for their own sins
and for those of their ancestors,”
says the Lord.
“For they also burned incense on the mountains
and insulted me on the hills.
I will pay them back in full!
8 “But I will not destroy them all,”
says the Lord.
“For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones
(and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away—
some of those grapes are good!’),
so I will not destroy all Israel.
For I still have true servants there.
9 I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel[r]
and of Judah to possess my land.
Those I choose will inherit it,
and my servants will live there.
10 The plain of Sharon will again be filled with flocks
for my people who have searched for me,
and the valley of Achor will be a place to pasture herds.
11 “But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord
and have forgotten his Temple,
and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate
and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny,
12 now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.
All of you will bow down before the executioner.
For when I called, you did not answer.
When I spoke, you did not listen.
You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes—
and chose to do what you know I despise.”
13 Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will starve.
My servants will drink,
but you will be thirsty.
My servants will rejoice,
but you will be sad and ashamed.
14 My servants will sing for joy,
but you will cry in sorrow and despair.
15 Your name will be a curse word among my people,
for the Sovereign Lord will destroy you
and will call his true servants by another name.
16 All who invoke a blessing or take an oath
will do so by the God of truth.
For I will put aside my anger
and forget the evil of earlier days.
17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
18 Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “No longer will babies die when only a few days old.
No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.
No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!
Only the cursed will die that young!
21 In those days people will live in the houses they build
and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.
22 Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses
and confiscate their vineyards.
For my people will live as long as trees,
and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
23 They will not work in vain,
and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.
For they are people blessed by the Lord,
and their children, too, will be blessed.
24 I will answer them before they even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
But the snakes will eat dust.
In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?
2 My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.[s]
I, the Lord, have spoken!
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.
3 But those who choose their own ways—
delighting in their detestable sins—
will not have their offerings accepted.
When such people sacrifice a bull,
it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice.
When they sacrifice a lamb,
it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog!
When they bring an offering of grain,
they might as well offer the blood of a pig.
When they burn frankincense,
it’s as if they had blessed an idol.
4 I will send them great trouble—
all the things they feared.
For when I called, they did not answer.
When I spoke, they did not listen.
They deliberately sinned before my very eyes
and chose to do what they know I despise.”
5 Hear this message from the Lord,
all you who tremble at his words:
“Your own people hate you
and throw you out for being loyal to my name.
‘Let the Lord be honored!’ they scoff.
‘Be joyful in him!’
But they will be put to shame.
6 What is all the commotion in the city?
What is that terrible noise from the Temple?
It is the voice of the Lord
taking vengeance against his enemies.
7 “Before the birth pains even begin,
Jerusalem gives birth to a son.
8 Who has ever seen anything as strange as this?
Who ever heard of such a thing?
Has a nation ever been born in a single day?
Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment?
But by the time Jerusalem’s[t] birth pains begin,
her children will be born.
9 Would I ever bring this nation to the point of birth
and then not deliver it?” asks the Lord.
“No! I would never keep this nation from being born,”
says your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem!
Be glad with her, all you who love her
and all you who mourn for her.
11 Drink deeply of her glory
even as an infant drinks at its mother’s comforting breasts.”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“I will give Jerusalem a river of peace and prosperity.
The wealth of the nations will flow to her.
Her children will be nursed at her breasts,
carried in her arms, and held on her lap.
13 I will comfort you there in Jerusalem
as a mother comforts her child.”
14 When you see these things, your heart will rejoice.
You will flourish like the grass!
Everyone will see the Lord’s hand of blessing on his servants—
and his anger against his enemies.
15 See, the Lord is coming with fire,
and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
16 The Lord will punish the world by fire
and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
and many will be killed by him.
17 “Those who ‘consecrate’ and ‘purify’ themselves in a sacred garden with its idol in the center—feasting on pork and rats and other detestable meats—will come to a terrible end,” says the Lord.
18 “I can see what they are doing, and I know what they are thinking. So I will gather all nations and peoples together, and they will see my glory. 19 I will perform a sign among them. And I will send those who survive to be messengers to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans[u] and Lydians[v] (who are famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece,[w] and to all the lands beyond the sea that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. There they will declare my glory to the nations. 20 They will bring the remnant of your people back from every nation. They will bring them to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. They will ride on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will appoint some of them to be my priests and Levites. I, the Lord, have spoken!
22 “As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain,
so will you always be my people,
with a name that will never disappear,”
says the Lord.
23 “All humanity will come to worship me
from week to week
and from month to month.
24 And as they go out, they will see
the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me.
For the worms that devour them will never die,
and the fire that burns them will never go out.
All who pass by
will view them with utter horror.”
Footnotes
- 60:16 Hebrew of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
- 61:1 Greek version reads and the blind will see. Compare Luke 4:18.
- 61:2 Or to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
- 61:3 Hebrew in Zion.
- 62:4a Hebrew Azubah, which means “forsaken.”
- 62:4b Hebrew Shemamah, which means “desolate.”
- 62:4c Hebrew Hephzibah, which means “my delight is in her.”
- 62:4d Hebrew Beulah, which means “married.”
- 62:11 Hebrew Tell the daughter of Zion.
- 63:9 Hebrew and the angel of his presence.
- 63:16 Hebrew Israel. See note on 14:1.
- 64:1 In the Hebrew text this verse is included in 63:19.
- 64:2 Verses 64:2-12 are numbered 64:1-11 in Hebrew text.
- 64:7 As in Greek, Syriac, and Aramaic versions; Hebrew reads melted us.
- 65:1 Or to a nation that did not bear my name.
- 65:1-2 Greek version reads I was found by people who were not looking for me. / I showed myself to those who were not asking for me. / All day long I opened my arms to them, / but they were disobedient and rebellious. Compare Rom 10:20-21.
- 65:6 Or their sins are written out; Hebrew reads it stands written.
- 65:9 Hebrew remnant of Jacob. See note on 14:1.
- 66:2 As in Greek, Latin, and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads these things are.
- 66:8 Hebrew Zion’s.
- 66:19a As in some Greek manuscripts, which read Put [that is, Libya]; Hebrew reads Pul.
- 66:19b Hebrew Lud.
- 66:19c Hebrew Javan.
Isaiah 60-66
New International Version
Isaiah 60-66
New International Version
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(A) shine, for your light(B) has come,
and the glory(C) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 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.
3 Nations(F) will come to your light,(G)
and kings(H) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “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)
5 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.
6 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.
7 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)
8 “Who are these(Z) that fly along like clouds,(AA)
like doves to their nests?
9 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]
2 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)
3 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)
4 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.
5 Strangers(CU) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 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.
7 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.
8 “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.
9 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.
2 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.
3 You will be a crown(DR) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 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)
5 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.
6 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)
7 and give him no rest(EB) till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise(EC) of the earth.
8 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;
9 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)
2 Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?(EY)
3 “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.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;(FD)
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 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)
6 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
7 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.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(FN)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(FO)
9 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!
2 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!
3 For when you did awesome(HE) things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled(HF) before you.
4 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)
5 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?
6 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)
7 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.
8 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)
9 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.’
2 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)—
3 a people who continually provoke me
to my very face,(IJ)
offering sacrifices in gardens(IK)
and burning incense(IL) on altars of brick;
4 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;
5 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.
6 “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)—
7 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.”
8 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.
9 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?
2 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)
3 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)
4 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)
5 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)
6 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.
7 “Before she goes into labor,(LX)
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.(LY)
8 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)
9 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
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
- Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
- Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
- Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior 9 in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
- Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
- Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
- Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
- Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of
- Isaiah 65:20 Or the sinner who reaches
- Isaiah 66:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Isaiah 66:19 Some Septuagint manuscripts Put (Libyans); Hebrew Pul
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