Isaiah 63
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Vengeance on Edom
63 “Who is this that comes from Edom,
from Bozrah in garments stained crimson?
Who is this so splendidly robed,
marching in his great might?”
“It is I, announcing vindication,
mighty to save.”
2 “Why are your robes red,
and your garments like theirs who tread the wine press?”
3 “I have trodden the wine press alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their juice spattered on my garments,
and stained all my robes.
4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year for my redeeming work had come.
5 I looked, but there was no helper;
I stared, but there was no one to sustain me;
so my own arm brought me victory,
and my wrath sustained me.
6 I trampled down peoples in my anger,
I crushed them in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”
God’s Mercy Remembered
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us,
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely”;
and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger[a] or angel
but his presence that saved them;[b]
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled
and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
he himself fought against them.
11 Then they[c] remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.[d]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
his holy spirit,
12 who caused his glorious arm
to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
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 cattle that go down into the valley,
the spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.
A Prayer of Penitence
15 Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and glorious habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The yearning of your heart and your compassion?
They are withheld from me.
16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17 Why, O Lord, do you make us stray from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
18 Your holy people took possession for a little while;
but now our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 We have long been like those whom you do not rule,
like those not called by your name.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 63:9 Gk: Heb anguish
- Isaiah 63:9 Or savior. 9 In all their distress he was distressed; the angel of his presence saved them;
- Isaiah 63:11 Heb he
- Isaiah 63:11 Cn: Heb his people
Isaiah 63
Authorized (King James) Version
63 Who is this that cometh from Edom,
with dyed garments from Bozrah?
this that is glorious in his apparel,
travelling in the greatness of his strength?
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel,
and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone;
and of the people there was none with me:
for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury;
and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments,
and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart,
and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and there was none to help;
and I wondered that there was none to uphold:
therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me;
and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger,
and make them drunk in my fury,
and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord,
and the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us,
and the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies,
and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
8 For he said, Surely they are my people,
children that will not lie:
so he was their Saviour.
9 In all their affliction he was afflicted,
and the angel of his presence saved them:
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit:
therefore he was turned to be their enemy,
and he fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying,
Where is he that brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherd of his flock?
where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?
12 that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm,
dividing the water before them,
to make himself an everlasting name?
13 that led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness,
that they should not stumble?
14 As a beast goeth down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest:
so didst thou lead thy people,
to make thyself a glorious name.
15 Look down from heaven,
and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory:
where is thy zeal and thy strength,
the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me?
are they restrained?
16 Doubtless thou art our father,
though Abraham be ignorant of us,
and Israel acknowledge us not:
thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer;
thy name is from everlasting.
17 O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways,
and hardened our heart from thy fear?
Return for thy servants’ sake,
the tribes of thine inheritance.
18 The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while:
our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.
19 We are thine: thou never barest rule over them;
they were not called by thy name.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.