³ A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way^(G) for the Lord^[a];
make straight^(H) in the desert
    a highway for our God.^[b](I)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,^(J)
    every mountain and hill^(K) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,^(L)
    the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory^(M) of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.^(N)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”^(O)

⁶ A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass,^(P)
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
⁷ The grass withers^(Q) and the flowers fall,
    because the breath^(R) of the Lord blows^(S) on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers and the flowers^(T) fall,
    but the word^(U) of our God endures^(V) forever.^(W)”

⁹ You who bring good news^(X) to Zion,
    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,^[c](Y)
    lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”^(Z)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes^(AA) with power,^(AB)
    and he rules^(AC) with a mighty arm.^(AD)
See, his reward^(AE) is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.
¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd:^(AF)
    He gathers the lambs in his arms^(AG)
and carries them close to his heart;^(AH)
    he gently leads^(AI) those that have young.^(AJ)

¹² Who has measured the waters^(AK) in the hollow of his hand,^(AL)
    or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?^(AM)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
    or weighed the mountains on the scales
    and the hills in a balance?^(AN)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit^[d](AO) of the Lord,
    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?^(AP)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
    and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,^(AQ)
    or showed him the path of understanding?^(AR)

¹⁵ Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
    they are regarded as dust on the scales;^(AS)
    he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.^(AT)
16 Lebanon^(AU) is not sufficient for altar fires,
    nor its animals^(AV) enough for burnt offerings.
¹⁷ Before him all the nations^(AW) are as nothing;^(AX)
    they are regarded by him as worthless
    and less than nothing.^(AY)

¹⁸ With whom, then, will you compare God?^(AZ)
    To what image^(BA) will you liken him?
¹⁹ As for an idol,^(BB) a metalworker casts it,
    and a goldsmith^(BC) overlays it with gold^(BD)
    and fashions silver chains for it.
²⁰ A person too poor to present such an offering
    selects wood^(BE) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
    to set up an idol^(BF) that will not topple.^(BG)

²¹ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?^(BH)
Has it not been told^(BI) you from the beginning?^(BJ)
    Have you not understood^(BK) since the earth was founded?^(BL)
22 He sits enthroned^(BM) above the circle of the earth,
    and its people are like grasshoppers.^(BN)
He stretches out the heavens^(BO) like a canopy,^(BP)
    and spreads them out like a tent^(BQ) to live in.^(BR)
23 He brings princes^(BS) to naught
    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.^(BT)
24 No sooner are they planted,
    no sooner are they sown,
    no sooner do they take root^(BU) in the ground,
than he blows^(BV) on them and they wither,^(BW)
    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.^(BX)

²⁵ “To whom will you compare me?^(BY)
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.^(BZ)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:^(CA)
    Who created^(CB) all these?
He who brings out the starry host^(CC) one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,^(CD)
    not one of them is missing.^(CE)

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?^(CF)
28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?^(CG)
The Lord is the everlasting^(CH) God,
    the Creator^(CI) of the ends of the earth.^(CJ)
He will not grow tired or weary,^(CK)
    and his understanding no one can fathom.^(CL)
29 He gives strength^(CM) to the weary^(CN)
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men^(CO) stumble and fall;^(CP)
31 but those who hope^(CQ) in the Lord
    will renew their strength.^(CR)
They will soar on wings like eagles;^(CS)
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.^(CT)

52 Awake, awake,^(A) Zion,
    clothe yourself with strength!^(B)
Put on your garments of splendor,^(C)
    Jerusalem, the holy city.^(D)
The uncircumcised^(E) and defiled^(F)
    will not enter you again.^(G)
2 Shake off your dust;^(H)
    rise up,^(I) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,^(J)
    Daughter Zion,^(K) now a captive.

“You were sold for nothing,^(L)
    and without money^(M) you will be redeemed.^(N)”

“At first my people went down to Egypt^(O) to live;
    lately, Assyria^(P) has oppressed them.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
    and those who rule them mock,^[a]”
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
    my name is constantly blasphemed.^(Q)
6 Therefore my people will know^(R) my name;^(S)
    therefore in that day^(T) they will know
that it is I who foretold^(U) it.
    Yes, it is I.”

⁷ How beautiful on the mountains^(V)
    are the feet of those who bring good news,^(W)
who proclaim peace,^(X)
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”^(Y)
8 Listen! Your watchmen^(Z) lift up their voices;^(AA)
    together they shout for joy.^(AB)
When the Lord returns^(AC) to Zion,^(AD)
    they will see it with their own eyes.
⁹ Burst into songs of joy^(AE) together,
    you ruins^(AF) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted^(AG) his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.^(AH)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm^(AI)
    in the sight of all the nations,^(AJ)
and all the ends of the earth^(AK) will see
    the salvation^(AL) of our God.

¹¹ Depart,^(AM) depart, go out from there!
    Touch no unclean thing!^(AN)
Come out from it and be pure,^(AO)
    you who carry the articles^(AP) of the Lord’s house.
¹² But you will not leave in haste^(AQ)
    or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,^(AR)
    the God of Israel will be your rear guard.^(AS)

53 Who has believed our message^(BC)
    and to whom has the arm^(BD) of the Lord been revealed?^(BE)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,^(BF)
    and like a root^(BG) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance^(BH) that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,^(BI) and familiar with pain.^(BJ)
Like one from whom people hide^(BK) their faces
    he was despised,^(BL) and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,^(BM)
yet we considered him punished by God,^(BN)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.^(BO)
5 But he was pierced^(BP) for our transgressions,^(BQ)
    he was crushed^(BR) for our iniquities;
the punishment^(BS) that brought us peace^(BT) was on him,
    and by his wounds^(BU) we are healed.^(BV)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,^(BW)
    each of us has turned to our own way;^(BX)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity^(BY) of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed^(BZ) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;^(CA)
he was led like a lamb^(CB) to the slaughter,^(CC)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression^[e] and judgment^(CD) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;^(CE)
    for the transgression^(CF) of my people he was punished.^[f]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,^(CG)
    and with the rich^(CH) in his death,
though he had done no violence,^(CI)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.^(CJ)

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will^(CK) to crush^(CL) him and cause him to suffer,^(CM)
    and though the Lord makes^[g] his life an offering for sin,^(CN)
he will see his offspring^(CO) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper^(CP) in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,^(CQ)
    he will see the light^(CR) of life^[h] and be satisfied^[i];
by his knowledge^[j] my righteous servant^(CS) will justify^(CT) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.^(CU)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,^[k](CV)
    and he will divide the spoils^(CW) with the strong,^[l]
because he poured out his life unto death,^(CX)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.^(CY)
For he bore^(CZ) the sin of many,^(DA)
    and made intercession^(DB) for the transgressors.

⁴ “Do not be afraid;^(DN) you will not be put to shame.^(DO)
    Do not fear disgrace;^(DP) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth^(DQ)
    and remember no more the reproach^(DR) of your widowhood.^(DS)
5 For your Maker^(DT) is your husband^(DU)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One^(DV) of Israel is your Redeemer;^(DW)
    he is called the God of all the earth.^(DX)
6 The Lord will call you back^(DY)
    as if you were a wife deserted^(DZ) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,^(EA)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷ “For a brief moment^(EB) I abandoned^(EC) you,
    but with deep compassion^(ED) I will bring you back.^(EE)
8 In a surge of anger^(EF)
    I hid^(EG) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness^(EH)
    I will have compassion^(EI) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.^(EJ)

⁹ “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(EK)
So now I have sworn^(EL) not to be angry^(EM) with you,
    never to rebuke^(EN) you again.
¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken^(EO)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(EP) for you will not be shaken^(EQ)
    nor my covenant^(ER) of peace^(ES) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(ET) on you.

¹¹ “Afflicted^(EU) city, lashed by storms^(EV) and not comforted,^(EW)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[m](EX)
    your foundations^(EY) with lapis lazuli.^(EZ)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(FA) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(FB)
    and great will be their peace.^(FC)
14 In righteousness^(FD) you will be established:^(FE)
Tyranny^(FF) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(FG)
Terror^(FH) will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.
¹⁵ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender^(FI) to you.

¹⁶ “See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(FJ)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon^(FK) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer^(FL) to wreak havoc;
¹⁷     no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(FM)
    and you will refute^(FN) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants^(FO) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication^(FP) from me,”
declares the Lord.

⁶ Seek^(GJ) the Lord while he may be found;^(GK)
    call^(GL) on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake^(GM) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(GN)
Let them turn^(GO) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(GP) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(GQ)

⁸ “For my thoughts^(GR) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(GS)
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(GT)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(GU)
10 As the rain^(GV) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(GW)
    so that it yields seed^(GX) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(GY)
11 so is my word^(GZ) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(HA)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(HB) for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy^(HC)
    and be led forth in peace;^(HD)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(HE) before you,
and all the trees^(HF) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(HG)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(HH) the myrtle^(HI) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(HJ)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”