Zion’s Glory and New Name

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her (A)righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her (B)salvation like a torch that is burning.
The (C)nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new (D)name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
You will also be a (E)crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal headband in the hand of your God.
It will no longer be said to you, “[a](F)Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “[b]Desolate”;
But you will be called, “[c]My delight is in her,”
And your land, “[d](G)Married”;
For the (H)Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the [e]groom rejoices over the bride,
So your (I)God will rejoice over you.

On your walls, Jerusalem, I have appointed (J)watchmen;
All day and all night they will never keep silent.
You who (K)profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves;
And (L)give Him no rest until He establishes
And makes (M)Jerusalem an object of praise on the earth.
(N)The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm:
“I will (O)never again give your grain as food for your enemies,
Nor will [f]foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”
But those who (P)harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord;
And those who gather it will drink it in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

10 Go through, (Q)go through the gates,
Clear a way [g]for the people!
(R)Build up, build up the (S)highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a (T)flag over the peoples.
11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the (U)end of the earth:
(V)Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your (W)salvation is coming;
(X)Behold His reward is with Him, and His compensation before Him.”
12 And they will call them, “(Y)The holy people,
The (Z)redeemed of the Lord”;
And you will be called, “Sought Out, A City (AA)Not Abandoned.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 62:4 I.e., Azubah
  2. Isaiah 62:4 I.e., Shemamah
  3. Isaiah 62:4 I.e., Hephzibah
  4. Isaiah 62:4 I.e., Beulah
  5. Isaiah 62:5 Lit joy of the groom is over
  6. Isaiah 62:8 Lit sons of foreigners
  7. Isaiah 62:10 Lit of

62 I will not keep quiet for Zion’s sake;
    I will not remain silent
Until Jerusalem’s justice shines like the light of a new day
    and her liberation blazes like a torch in the dead of night.
Jerusalem, the nations of the world will witness your righteousness,
    the most powerful world leaders will see your brilliance,
And you will be called something new, something brand new,
    a name given by none other than the Eternal One.
And you will be the crowning glory of the Eternal’s power,
    a royal crown cradled in His palm and held aloft by your God for all to see.
People won’t talk about you anymore
    using words like “forsaken” or “empty.”
Instead, you will be called “My delight” and the land around you “Married,”
    because the Eternal is pleased with you and has bound Himself to your land.
As a young man marries the woman he loves,
    so your sons will marry you, Jerusalem.
As a groom takes joy in his bride,
    so your God will take joy in you.

I have stationed watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.
    Day and night, they never stop calling out.
You, too, must not rest or grow silent;
    keep reminding the Eternal to watch over Jerusalem.
Tirelessly pester God—give Him no rest—until He reestablishes Jerusalem
    and makes it worthy of praise throughout the whole world.
The Eternal has promised with all divine power and might:

Eternal One: I will never again turn over your assets to your enemies,
        never feed them from your grain stores
    Or give them the wine you have labored to produce.
    Instead, those who harvest the grain will eat its bounty,
        and offer praise to the Eternal;
    And those who gather the grapes will drink of their richness
        in the courtyards outside the temple.

10 So ready yourselves to pass through the gates, from old to new.
    Clear the way for the people;
Make it clear, easy, and straight.
    Unfurl the banners that proclaim these people are renewed!
11 For none other than the Eternal has announced for all to hear—

A divine drama is played out with the chorus on one side, the soloist on the other. The “people” ask a question, and God rings out a response. Dramatic, to say the least. What trials and tribulations the Israelites have been through! What highs and lows! It is all God’s doing in response to their faithlessness. But this is history, and now they find themselves living and working in a brand new time; a new day is coming—of restoration, peace, and glorious reputation for God’s people such as they’ve never had before. The renewal is international in scope, without peer in the world. And this, too, is God’s doing. His capacity for mercy is great. He loves His people beyond comprehension. This is why He should be recognized and appreciated by all as the one True God. He keeps saving and delivering, restoring and supporting the people, just as God has done since that moment of binding promise made so long ago.

Eternal One: Say to the daughter of Zion
        “See, your salvation is coming; your liberation is on the way—
    God’s reward is with Him: His work is by His side.”

12 And they will be called “The Holy People, Redeemed by the Eternal”;
    Jerusalem’s new name will be “Desirable City, No Longer Forsaken.”

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.
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.
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
    a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”[a]
    or “The Desolate Land.”[b]
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”[c]
    and “The Bride of God,”[d]
for the Lord delights in you
    and will claim you as his bride.
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.

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.
Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,
    until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.
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.
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,[e]
‘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.”

Footnotes

  1. 62:4a Hebrew Azubah, which means “forsaken.”
  2. 62:4b Hebrew Shemamah, which means “desolate.”
  3. 62:4c Hebrew Hephzibah, which means “my delight is in her.”
  4. 62:4d Hebrew Beulah, which means “married.”
  5. 62:11 Hebrew Tell the daughter of Zion.