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Isaiah 63
The Message
Isaiah 63
The Message
Who Goes There?
63 The watchmen call out,
“Who goes there, marching out of Edom,
out of Bozrah in clothes dyed red?
Name yourself, so splendidly dressed,
advancing, bristling with power!”
“It is I: I speak what is right,
I, mighty to save!”
2 “And why are your robes so red,
your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?”
3-6 “I’ve been treading the winepress alone.
No one was there to help me.
Angrily, I stomped the grapes;
raging, I trampled the people.
Their blood spurted all over me—
all my clothes were soaked with blood.
I was set on vengeance.
The time for redemption had arrived.
I looked around for someone to help
—no one.
I couldn’t believe it
—not one volunteer.
So I went ahead and did it myself,
fed and fueled by my rage.
I trampled the people in my anger,
crushed them under foot in my wrath,
soaked the earth with their lifeblood.”
All the Things God Has Done That Need Praising
7-9 I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
love extravagant.
He said, “Without question these are my people,
children who would never betray me.”
So he became their Savior.
In all their troubles,
he was troubled, too.
He didn’t send someone else to help them.
He did it himself, in person.
Out of his own love and pity
he redeemed them.
He rescued them and carried them along
for a long, long time.
10 But they turned on him;
they grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned on them,
became their enemy and fought them.
11-14 Then they remembered the old days,
the days of Moses, God’s servant:
“Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock
up and out of the sea?
And what happened to the One who set
his Holy Spirit within them?
Who linked his arm with Moses’ right arm,
divided the waters before them,
Making him famous ever after,
and led them through the muddy abyss
as surefooted as horses on hard, level ground?
Like a herd of cattle led to pasture,
the Spirit of God gave them rest.”
14-19 That’s how you led your people!
That’s how you became so famous!
Look down from heaven, look at us!
Look out the window of your holy and magnificent house!
Whatever happened to your passion,
your famous mighty acts,
Your heartfelt pity, your compassion?
Why are you holding back?
You are our Father.
Abraham and Israel are long dead.
They wouldn’t know us from Adam.
But you’re our living Father,
our Redeemer, famous from eternity!
Why, God, did you make us wander from your ways?
Why did you make us cold and stubborn
so that we no longer worshiped you in awe?
Turn back for the sake of your servants.
You own us! We belong to you!
For a while your holy people had it good,
but now our enemies have wrecked your holy place.
For a long time now, you’ve paid no attention to us.
It’s like you never knew us.
Isaiah 63
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 63
New American Standard Bible
God’s Vengeance on the Nations
63 Who is this who comes from (A)Edom,
With (B)garments of [a]glowing colors from (C)Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
[b]Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I, the One who speaks in righteousness, (D)mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who (E)treads in the wine press?
3 “(F)I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no one with Me.
I also (G)trod them in My anger
And (H)trampled them in My wrath;
And (I)their [c]lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I [d]stained all My clothes.
4 For the (J)day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.
5 I looked, but there was (K)no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My (L)own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me.
6 I (M)trampled down the peoples in My anger
And made them (N)drunk with My wrath,
And I [e]poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
God’s Ancient Mercies Recalled
7 I will make mention of the (O)mercies of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has granted us,
And the great (P)goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has granted them according to His (Q)compassion
And according to the abundance of His mercies.
8 For He said, “Certainly they are (R)My people,
Sons who will not deal falsely.”
So He became their (S)Savior.
9 In all their distress [f](T)He was distressed,
And the (U)angel of His presence saved them;
In His (V)love and in His mercy He (W)redeemed them,
And He (X)lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they (Y)rebelled
And grieved His (Z)Holy Spirit;
Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy,
He fought against them.
11 Then (AA)His people remembered the days of old, of Moses.
Where is (AB)He who brought them up out of the sea with the [g]shepherds of His flock?
Where is He who (AC)put His Holy Spirit in the midst of [h]them,
12 Who caused His (AD)glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses,
Who (AE)divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 Who led them through the depths?
Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not (AF)stumble;
14 Like the cattle which go down into the valley,
The Spirit of the (AG)Lord gave [i]them rest.
So You (AH)led Your people,
To make for Yourself a glorious name.
You Are Our Father
15 (AI)Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious (AJ)lofty habitation;
Where are Your (AK)zeal and Your mighty deeds?
The (AL)stirrings of Your heart and Your compassion are restrained toward me.
16 For You are our (AM)Father, though (AN)Abraham does not know us
And Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our Father,
Our (AO)Redeemer from ancient times is Your name.
17 Why, Lord, do You (AP)cause us to stray from Your ways
And (AQ)harden our heart from fearing You?
(AR)Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage.
18 Your holy people possessed Your sanctuary for a little while,
Our adversaries have (AS)trampled it down.
19 We have become like those over whom You have never ruled,
Like those who were not called by Your name.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 63:1 Or crimson
- Isaiah 63:1 Lit Inclining
- Isaiah 63:3 Lit juice
- Isaiah 63:3 Lit defiled
- Isaiah 63:6 Lit brought down their juice to the earth
- Isaiah 63:9 Another reading is He was not an adversary
- Isaiah 63:11 Some mss shepherd
- Isaiah 63:11 Lit him
- Isaiah 63:14 Lit him
Isaiah 63
New International Version
Isaiah 63
New International Version
God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption
63 Who is this coming from Edom,(A)
from Bozrah,(B) with his garments stained crimson?(C)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(D)
“It is I, proclaiming victory,
mighty to save.”(E)
2 Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?(F)
3 “I have trodden the winepress(G) alone;
from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(H) them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;(I)
their blood spattered my garments,(J)
and I stained all my clothing.
4 It was for me the day of vengeance;(K)
the year for me to redeem had come.
5 I looked, but there was no one(L) to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(M) achieved salvation for me,
and my own wrath sustained me.(N)
6 I trampled(O) the nations in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk(P)
and poured their blood(Q) on the ground.”
Praise and Prayer
7 I will tell of the kindnesses(R) 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(S)
he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion(T) and many kindnesses.
8 He said, “Surely they are my people,(U)
children who will be true to me”;
and so he became their Savior.(V)
9 In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel(W) of his presence(X) saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(Y) them;
he lifted them up and carried(Z) them
all the days of old.(AA)
10 Yet they rebelled(AB)
and grieved his Holy Spirit.(AC)
So he turned and became their enemy(AD)
and he himself fought(AE) against them.
11 Then his people recalled[b] the days of old,
the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(AF)
with the shepherd of his flock?(AG)
Where is he who set
his Holy Spirit(AH) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(AI) of power
to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(AJ) before them,
to gain for himself everlasting renown,(AK)
13 who led(AL) them through the depths?(AM)
Like a horse in open country,
they did not stumble;(AN)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest(AO) 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(AP) and see,
from your lofty throne,(AQ) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(AR) and your might?
Your tenderness and compassion(AS) are withheld(AT) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(AU)
though Abraham does not know us
or Israel acknowledge(AV) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer(AW) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(AX) from your ways
and harden our hearts(AY) so we do not revere(AZ) you?
Return(BA) for the sake of your servants,
the tribes that are your inheritance.(BB)
18 For a little while(BC) your people possessed your holy place,
but now our enemies have trampled(BD) down your sanctuary.(BE)
19 We are yours from of old;
but you have not ruled over them,
they have not been called[c] by your name.(BF)
Footnotes
- 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
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.