The Lord's Day of Vengeance

63 Who is this who comes from (A)Edom,
    in crimsoned garments from (B)Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
    (C)marching in the greatness of his strength?
“It is I, speaking in righteousness,
    mighty to save.”

Why is your (D)apparel red,
    and your garments like his (E)who treads in the winepress?

(F)“I have trodden the winepress alone,
    (G)and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
    and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifeblood[a] spattered on my garments,
    and stained all my apparel.
(H)For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
    and my year of redemption[b] had come.
I looked, but (I)there was no one to help;
    I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
    and my wrath upheld me.
I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
    (J)I made them drunk in my wrath,
    and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”

The Lord's Mercy Remembered

I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    (K)and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
(L)In all their affliction he was afflicted,[c]
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
(M)in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    (N)he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

10 (O)But they rebelled
    (P)and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
    and himself fought against them.
11 Then he remembered (Q)the days of old,
    of Moses and his people.[d]
(R)Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
    with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
    his Holy Spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
    to go at the right hand of Moses,
(S)who divided the waters before them
    (T)to make for himself an everlasting name,
13     who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
    they did not stumble.
14 Like livestock that go down into the valley,
    (U)the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
    (V)to make for yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy

15 (W)Look down from heaven and see,
    (X)from your holy and beautiful[e] habitation.
Where are (Y)your zeal and your might?
    The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
    are held back from me.
16 For (Z)you are our Father,
    though Abraham does not know us,
    and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
    (AA)our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
    and (AB)harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
(AC)Return for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes of your heritage.
18 (AD)Your holy people held possession for a little while;[f]
    (AE)our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 (AF)We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
    like those who are not called by your name.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:3 Or their juice; also verse 6
  2. Isaiah 63:4 Or the year of my redeemed
  3. Isaiah 63:9 Or he did not afflict
  4. Isaiah 63:11 Or Then his people remembered the days of old, of Moses
  5. Isaiah 63:15 Or holy and glorious
  6. Isaiah 63:18 Or They have dispossessed your holy people for a little while

Vengeance against the nations

63 Who is this coming from Edom,
    from Bozrah in bright red garments,
    this splendidly dressed one, striding[a] with great power?
    It is I, proclaiming righteousness, powerful to save!
Why is your clothing red,
    and your garments like those of one who stomps on grapes?
I have pressed out in the vat by myself—from the peoples, no one was with me.
    I stomped on them in my anger,
    trampled them in my wrath.
Their blood splashed on my garments,
    and stained all my clothing,
    because I intended a day of vengeance;
    the year of my deliverance had arrived.
I looked and found no helper;
    I was astonished to find no supporter.
But my arm brought victory for me;
    my wrath helped me.
I trampled down nations in my anger
    and made them drunk on my wrath;
    I spilled their blood on the ground.

Prayer of yearning

I will recount the Lord’s faithful acts;
    I will sing the Lord’s praises,
    because of all the Lord did for us,
    for God’s great favor toward the house of Israel.
    God treated them compassionately
    and with deep affection.
God said, “Truly, they are my people,
    children who won’t do what is wrong.”
    God became their savior.
During all their distress, God also was distressed,
    so a messenger who served him saved them.
In love and mercy God redeemed them,
    lifting and carrying them throughout earlier times.
10 But they rebelled,
    and made God’s holy spirit terribly sad,
    so that he turned into their enemy—
    he fought against them!

11 Then they remembered earlier times,
    when he rescued his people.[b]
Where was the one who drew them up from the sea,
    the shepherd[c] of the flock?
Where was the one who put within them his holy spirit;
12     the one who guided Moses’ strong hand
    with his glorious arm;
    who split the water for them
    to create an enduring reputation for himself,
13     and who guided them through the depths?
    Like a horse in the desert, they didn’t stumble.
14 Like cattle descending to the valley,
    the Lord’s spirit brought them to rest.
In this way you led your people
    and made for yourself a glorious reputation.

15 Look down from heaven and see,
    from your holy and glorious perch.
Where are your energy and your might,
    your concern and your pity?
    Don’t hold back![d]
16 You are surely our father,
    even though Abraham doesn’t know us,
    and Israel doesn’t recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
    your reputation since long ago is that of our redeemer.
17 Why do you lead us astray, Lord,
    from your ways?
Why do you harden our heart
    so we don’t fear you?
Return for the sake of your servants
    the tribes that are your heritage!
18 Why did the wicked bring down your holy place?[e]
    Why did our enemies trample your sanctuary?
19 For too long we have been like those you don’t rule,
    like those not known by your name.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:1 Or stooping
  2. Isaiah 63:11 Or Moses, his people
  3. Isaiah 63:11 LXX, Tg; MT shepherds
  4. Isaiah 63:15 Heb uncertain
  5. Isaiah 63:18 Cf LXX, Vulg; Heb uncertain