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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!”

Why are your clothes so red,
    as if you have been treading out grapes?

“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.
For the time has come for me to avenge my people,
    to ransom them from their oppressors.
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.
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

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.
He said, “They are my very own people.
    Surely they will not betray me again.”
    And he became their Savior.
In all their suffering he also suffered,
    and he personally[a] 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[b] 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 [c]Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down!
    How the mountains would quake in your presence!
[d]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!
When you came down long ago,
    you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
    And oh, how the mountains quaked!
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!
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?
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.
Yet no one calls on your name
    or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us
    and turned us over[e] to our sins.

And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
    We are the clay, and you are the potter.
    We all are formed by your hand.
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?

Footnotes

  1. 63:9 Hebrew and the angel of his presence.
  2. 63:16 Hebrew Israel. See note on 14:1.
  3. 64:1 In the Hebrew text this verse is included in 63:19.
  4. 64:2 Verses 64:2-12 are numbered 64:1-11 in Hebrew text.
  5. 64:7 As in Greek, Syriac, and Aramaic versions; Hebrew reads melted us.

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)

Why are your garments red,
    like those of one treading the winepress?(F)

“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.
It was for me the day of vengeance;(K)
    the year for me to redeem had come.
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)
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

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.
He said, “Surely they are my people,(U)
    children who will be true to me”;
    and so he became their Savior.(V)
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)

64 [d]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(BG) and come down,(BH)
    that the mountains(BI) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(BJ) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(BK) before you!
For when you did awesome(BL) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(BM) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(BN)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(BO)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(BP)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(BQ)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(BR)
    and all our righteous(BS) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(BT)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(BU)
No one(BV) calls on your name(BW)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(BX) your face from us
    and have given us over(BY) to[e] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(BZ)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(CA)
    we are all the work of your hand.(CB)
Do not be angry(CC) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(CD) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(CE)
10 Your sacred cities(CF) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(CG)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(CH) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured(CI) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(CJ)
    Will you keep silent(CK) and punish us beyond measure?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
  2. Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
  3. Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
  4. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  5. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of