Isaiah 43:1-62:2
Legacy Standard Bible
The Redemption of Israel
43 But now, thus says Yahweh, your (A)Creator, O Jacob,
And He who (B)formed you, O Israel,
“Do not (C)fear, for I have (D)redeemed you;
I have (E)called you by name; you are (F)Mine!
2 When you (G)pass through the waters, (H)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you (I)walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 For (J)I am Yahweh your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (K)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[a](L)Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you are (M)precious in My sight,
Since you are (N)honored and I (O)love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for (P)I am with you;
I will bring (Q)your seed from the east,
And (R)gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the (S)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My (T)sons from afar
And My daughters from the (U)ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is (V)called by My name,
And whom I have (W)created for My (X)glory,
(Y)Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is Yahweh’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are (Z)blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have (AA)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (AB)declare this
And make us hear the former things?
Let them present (AC)their witnesses (AD)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (AE)My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And (AF)My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that (AG)I am He.
(AH)Before Me there was no god formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 I, even I, am Yahweh,
And there is no (AI)savior (AJ)besides Me.
12 It is I who have declared and saved and caused it to be heard,
And there was no (AK)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares Yahweh,
“And I am God.
13 Even [b](AL)from eternity (AM)I am He,
And there is (AN)none who can deliver out of My hand;
(AO)I act and who can reverse it?”
Rivers in the Wasteland
14 Thus says Yahweh your (AP)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring down those who fled—all of them,
[c]Even the (AQ)Chaldeans—into the (AR)ships [d]in which they shouted for joy.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One,
(AS)The Creator of Israel, your (AT)King.”
16 Thus says Yahweh,
Who (AU)makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the (AV)chariot and the horse,
The military force and the mighty man;
They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been (AW)extinguished and quenched like a wick:
18 “(AX)Do not remember the former things,
Nor carefully consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I will do something (AY)new;
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not know it?
I will even (AZ)make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the wasteland.
20 The beasts of the field will glorify Me,
The (BA)jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have (BB)given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the wasteland,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom (BC)I formed for Myself
(BD)Will recount My praise.
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;
But you have become (BE)weary of Me, O Israel.
23 You have (BF)not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you (BG)glorified Me with your sacrifices.
I have not (BH)burdened you with [e]offerings,
Nor wearied you with (BI)frankincense.
24 You have not bought Me [f](BJ)sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather you have burdened Me with your sins;
You have (BK)wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am the one who (BL)wipes out your transgressions (BM)for My own sake,
And I will (BN)not remember your sins.
26 [g]Bring Me to remembrance, (BO)let us enter into judgment together;
Recount your cause, (BP)that you may be proved right.
27 Your (BQ)first father sinned,
And your [h](BR)spokesmen have [i]transgressed against Me.
28 So I will [j]profane the [k]princes of the sanctuary,
And I will give Jacob to be (BS)devoted to destruction and Israel to (BT)revilement.
No God Besides Yahweh
44 “But now hear, O Jacob, My (BU)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus says Yahweh who made you
And (BV)formed you from the womb, who (BW)will help you,
‘(BX)Do not fear, O Jacob My servant,
And you (BY)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 For (BZ)I will pour out water on [l]the thirsty ground
And streams on the dry land;
I will (CA)pour out My Spirit on your (CB)seed
And My blessing on your offspring;
4 And they will spring up [m]among the grass
Like (CC)poplars by streams of water.’
5 This one will say, ‘I am Yahweh’s’;
And this one [n]will call on the name of Jacob;
And this one will (CD)write [o]on his hand, ‘Belonging to Yahweh,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.
6 “Thus says Yahweh, the (CE)King of Israel and his (CF)Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:
‘I am the (CG)first, and I am the last,
And there is no God (CH)besides Me.
7 Who is like Me? (CI)Let him call out and declare it;
And let him tell it to Me in order,
[p]From the time that I established the ancient [q]people.
And let them declare to them the things that are to come
And the events that are going to take place.
8 Do not be in dread and do not be afraid;
(CJ)Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it?
And (CK)you are My witnesses.
Is there any God (CL)besides Me,
Or is there any other (CM)Rock?
I know of none.’”
The Futility of Idolatry
9 Those who form [r]a graven image are all of them [s]futile, and their desirable things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be (CN)put to shame. 10 Who has formed a god or cast a graven image to (CO)no profit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be (CP)put to shame. The craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them be in dread, let them together be put to shame.
12 The (CQ)man crafts iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [t]forming it with hammers and working it with his powerful arm. He also gets hungry and has no power; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 (CR)Another crafts wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with [u]a stylus. He makes it with planes and outlines it with a compass and makes it like the form of a man, like the glory of (CS)man, so that it may sit in a (CT)house. 14 In order to cut cedars for himself, he takes a [v]cypress or an oak and [w]raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also kindles a fire to bake bread. He also (CU)works to produce a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and (CV)falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm; I have seen the fire.” 17 But the rest of it he (CW)makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also (CX)prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
18 They do not (CY)know, nor do they understand, for He has (CZ)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they will have no insight. 19 No one causes this to return to his heart, nor is there (DA)knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then [x]I make the rest of it into an (DB)abomination; [y]I fall down before a block of wood!” 20 He [z](DC)feeds on ashes; a (DD)deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver his soul, and he cannot say, “(DE)Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
Yahweh Forgives and Redeems
21 “(DF)Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (DG)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will (DH)not be forgotten by Me.
22 I have (DI)wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a cloud.
(DJ)Return to Me, for I have (DK)redeemed you.”
23 (DL)Shout for joy, O heavens, for Yahweh has done it!
Make a loud shout, you lower parts of the earth;
(DM)Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For (DN)Yahweh has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He (DO)shows forth His beautiful glory.
24 Thus says Yahweh, your (DP)Redeemer, and the one who (DQ)formed you from the womb,
“I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things,
(DR)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth [aa]all alone,
25 (DS)Causing the [ab]omens of boasters to be annulled,
And [ac]making fools out of diviners,
(DT)Causing wise men to turn back,
And [ad]making foolishness out of their knowledge,
26 (DU)Confirming the word of His servant—
And the counsel of His messengers He will complete—
And being the One who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the (DV)cities of Judah, ‘(DW)They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her waste places again.
27 It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers (DX)dry.
28 It is I who says of (DY)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And all My good pleasure he will complete.’
And saying of Jerusalem, ‘(DZ)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[ae]Your foundation will be laid.’”
Cyrus, Yahweh’s Anointed
45 Thus says Yahweh to (EA)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken hold of by his right (EB)hand,
To (EC)subdue nations before him
And [af]to (ED)loose the loins of kings,
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and (EE)make the [ag]rough places smooth;
I will (EF)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (EG)bars.
3 I will give you the [ah](EH)treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
Yahweh, the God of Israel, who (EI)calls you by your name.
4 For the sake of (EJ)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (EK)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (EL)not known Me.
5 I am Yahweh, and (EM)there is no other;
(EN)Besides Me there is no God.
I will [ai](EO)gird you, though you have not known Me,
6 That (EP)they may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (EQ)no one besides Me.
I am Yahweh, and there is no other,
7 The One (ER)forming light and (ES)creating darkness,
Producing peace and (ET)creating calamity;
I am Yahweh who does all these.
Yahweh the Maker
8 “(EU)Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the (EV)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(EW)And righteousness [aj]spring up with it.
I, Yahweh, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (EX)contends with his [ak]Maker—
An earthenware vessel [al]among the vessels of earth!
Will the (EY)clay say to the [am]potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
10 Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor pains?’”
11 Thus says (EZ)Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, and his [an](FA)Maker:
“[ao](FB)Ask Me about the things that are to come [ap]concerning My (FC)sons,
And you shall [aq]commit to Me (FD)the work of My hands.
12 It is I who (FE)made the earth and created man upon it.
I (FF)stretched out the heavens with My hands,
And I commanded (FG)all their host.
13 I have awakened him in (FH)righteousness,
And I will (FI)make all his ways smooth;
He will (FJ)build My city and will (FK)let My exiles go,
Without any payment or reward,” says Yahweh of hosts.
14 Thus says Yahweh,
“The fruit of the labor of (FL)Egypt and the profit of [ar](FM)Ethiopia
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (FN)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you; they will come over in (FO)chains
And will (FP)bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘[as]Surely, (FQ)God is [at]with you, and (FR)there is none else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (FS)hides Himself,
O God of Israel, (FT)Savior!
16 They will be (FU)put to shame and even dishonored, all of them;
The (FV)craftsmen of idols will go away together in dishonor.
17 Israel has been saved by Yahweh
With an (FW)everlasting salvation;
You (FX)will not be put to shame or dishonored
To all eternity.
18 For thus says Yahweh, who (FY)created the heavens (He is the God who (FZ)formed the earth and made it; He established it and did not create it [au]a (GA)formless place, but formed it to be (GB)inhabited),
“I am Yahweh, and (GC)there is none else.
19 (GD)I have not spoken in secret,
In [av]some dark land;
I did not say to the (GE)seed of Jacob,
‘(GF)Seek Me in [aw]a formless place’;
I, Yahweh, (GG)speak righteousness,
(GH)Declaring things that are upright.
20 “(GI)Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations;
(GJ)They do not know,
Who (GK)carry about their graven image of wood
And (GL)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 (GM)Declare and draw near with your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(GN)Who has made this heard from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, Yahweh?
And there is (GO)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (GP)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 (GQ)Turn to Me and (GR)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (GS)I have sworn by Myself,
The (GT)word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (GU)every knee will bow, every tongue will (GV)swear allegiance.
24 They will say of Me, ‘Only (GW)in Yahweh are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And (GX)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 In Yahweh all the seed of Israel
Will be (GY)justified and will (GZ)boast.”
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (HA)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are on the beasts and the cattle.
The things [ax]that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.
2 They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the load,
But [ay]have themselves (HB)gone into captivity.
3 “(HC)Hear Me, O house of Jacob,
And all (HD)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (HE)burdening Me from [az]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age [ba](HF)I will be the same,
And even to your [bb](HG)graying years I will bear you!
I have [bc]done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you, and I will rescue you.
5 “(HH)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 Those who (HI)lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale,
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (HJ)fall down, indeed they worship it.
7 They (HK)carry it upon the shoulder and bear it;
They set it in its place, and it stands there.
(HL)It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it (HM)cannot answer;
It (HN)cannot save him from his distress.
8 “(HO)Remember this, and be [bd]assured;
(HP)Cause it to return to your heart, you (HQ)transgressors.
9 Remember the (HR)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (HS)no other;
I am God, and there is (HT)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(HU)My counsel will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’,
11 Calling a (HV)bird of prey from the (HW)east,
The man of [be]My counsel from a far country.
Truly I have (HX)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have formed it, surely I will do it.
12 “(HY)Hear Me, you (HZ)stubborn of heart,
Who are (IA)far from righteousness.
13 I (IB)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (IC)salvation in Zion,
And My (ID)glory for Israel.
Lament for Babylon
47 “(IE)Come down and sit in the dust,
O (IF)virgin (IG)daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no longer be called (IH)tender and delicate.
2 Take the (II)millstones and (IJ)grind flour.
Uncover your (IK)veil, (IL)strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
3 Your (IM)nakedness will be uncovered;
Your reproach also will be seen;
I will (IN)take vengeance and will not [bf]spare a man.”
4 Our (IO)Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “(IP)Sit silently, and go into (IQ)darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans,
For you will no longer be called
The (IR)queen of (IS)kingdoms.
6 I was furious with My people;
I profaned My inheritance
And gave them into your hand.
You did not show compassion to them,
On the (IT)aged you made your yoke very heavy.
7 Yet you said, ‘I will be a (IU)queen forever.’
These things you did not (IV)put on your heart
Nor remember the (IW)outcome of [bg]them.
8 “So now, hear this, you (IX)sensual one,
Who (IY)sits securely,
Who says in [bh]your heart,
‘(IZ)I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will (JA)not sit as a widow,
Nor know loss of children.’
9 But these (JB)two things will come on you (JC)suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many (JD)sorceries,
In spite of the great might of your spells.
10 You felt (JE)secure in your evil and said,
‘(JF)No one sees me,’
Your (JG)wisdom and your knowledge [bi]have turned you astray;
So you have said in your heart,
‘(JH)I am, and there is no one besides me.’
11 But (JI)evil will come on you
Which you will not know how to charm away;
And disaster will fall on you
For which you cannot atone;
And (JJ)destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you (JK)suddenly.
12 “Stand fast now in your (JL)spells
And in your many sorceries
With which you have labored from your youth;
Perhaps you will be able to profit;
Perhaps you may cause trembling.
13 You are (JM)wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the (JN)astrologers,
Those who behold visions by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and (JO)save you from what will come upon you.
14 Behold, they have become (JP)like stubble,
(JQ)Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be (JR)no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 Thus they have become for you, those among whom you have labored,
Who have (JS)traded with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own [bj]way;
There is (JT)none to save you.
My Glory I Will Not Give to Another
48 “(JU)Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name Israel
And who came forth from the [bk](JV)loins of Judah,
Who (JW)swear by the name of Yahweh
And bring to remembrance the God of Israel,
But not in truth or in (JX)righteousness.
2 For they call themselves after the (JY)holy city
And (JZ)are supported by the God of Israel;
Yahweh of hosts is His name.
3 I (KA)declared the former things long ago,
And they went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to be heard.
(KB)Suddenly I acted, and they (KC)came to pass.
4 Because I know that you are [bl](KD)stiff,
And your (KE)neck is an iron sinew
And your (KF)forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [bm]they happened I caused them to be heard by you,
Lest you say, ‘My (KG)idol has done them,
And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’
6 You have heard; look at all this.
And you, will you not declare it?
I caused you to hear (KH)new things from this time,
Even hidden things which you have not known.
7 They are created now and not long ago;
And before today you have not heard them,
Lest you say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 Indeed, you have not (KI)heard; indeed, you have not known.
Indeed, even from long ago your ear has not been open
Because I knew that you would deal very treacherously;
And you have been called a [bn](KJ)transgressor from the [bo]womb.
9 (KK)For the sake of My name I (KL)delay My anger,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 Behold, I have refined you, but (KM)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (KN)furnace of affliction.
11 (KO)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My (KP)glory I will not give to another.
Yahweh Redeems Jacob
12 “Hear Me, O Jacob, even Israel [bp]whom I called;
(KQ)I am He, (KR)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 Also, My hand (KS)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (KT)call to them, they stand together.
14 (KU)Assemble, all of you, and hear!
(KV)Who among them has declared these things?
Yahweh loves him; he will (KW)carry out His good pleasure on (KX)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have (KY)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 (KZ)Draw near to Me, hear this:
From the first I have (LA)not spoken in secret,
(LB)From the time it took place, I was there.
So now (LC)Lord Yahweh has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 Thus says Yahweh, your (LD)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who (LE)leads you in the way you should go.
18 If only you had (LF)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your (LG)peace would have been like a river,
And your (LH)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 Your (LI)seed would have been like the sand,
And the offspring from your loins like its grains;
(LJ)Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”
20 (LK)Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (LL)joyful shouting, cause this to be heard,
(LM)Bring it forth to the end of the earth;
Say, “(LN)Yahweh has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 And they did not (LO)thirst when He led them through the waste places.
He (LP)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock, and (LQ)the water gushed forth.
22 “(LR)There is no peace for the wicked,” says Yahweh.
I Will Give You as a Light of the Nations
49 Listen to Me, O (LS)coastlands,
And pay attention, you peoples from afar.
(LT)Yahweh called Me from the womb;
From the [bq]body of My mother He made My name to be remembered.
2 He has set My (LU)mouth like a sharp sword;
In the (LV)shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also set Me as a [br]select (LW)arrow;
He has hidden Me in His quiver.
3 He said to Me, “(LX)You are My Servant, Israel,
(LY)In Whom I will [bs]show forth My beautiful glory.”
4 But I said, “I have (LZ)toiled in vain;
I have spent My might for [bt]nothing and vanity;
Yet surely the justice due to Me is with Yahweh,
And My (MA)reward with My God.”
5 So now says (MB)Yahweh, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To return Jacob back to Him, so that (MC)Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am (MD)glorified in the sight of Yahweh,
And My God is My (ME)strength),
6 He says, “It is too [bu]small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to cause the (MF)preserved ones of Israel to return;
I will also give You as a (MG)light [bv]of the nations
So that My salvation may [bw]reach to the (MH)end of the earth.”
7 Thus says Yahweh, the (MI)Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One,
To the (MJ)despised One,
To the One abhorred by the nation,
To the Servant of rulers,
“(MK)Kings will see and arise,
Princes will also (ML)bow down,
Because of Yahweh who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”
8 Thus says Yahweh,
“In an (MM)acceptable time I have answered You,
And in a day of salvation I have helped You;
And I will (MN)guard You and (MO)give You for a covenant of the people,
To (MP)establish the land, to make them inherit the desolate [bx]inheritance;
9 Saying to those who are (MQ)bound, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘[by]Show yourselves.’
Along the roads they will [bz]feed,
And their pasture will be on all (MR)bare heights.
10 They will (MS)not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching (MT)heat or sun strike them down;
For (MU)He who has compassion on them will (MV)guide them
And will lead them to (MW)springs of water.
11 I will set all (MX)My mountains as a road,
And My (MY)highways will be raised up.
12 Behold, these will come (MZ)from afar;
And behold, these will come from the (NA)north and from the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 (NB)Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For (NC)Yahweh has comforted His people
And will (ND)have compassion on His afflicted.
Promise to Zion
14 But Zion said, “Yahweh has forsaken me,
And the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her infant
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but (NE)I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have (NF)inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your (NG)walls are continually before Me.
17 Your [ca]builders hurry;
Your (NH)destroyers and devastators
Will depart from you.
18 (NI)Lift up your eyes and look around;
(NJ)All of them gather together; (NK)they come to you.
(NL)As I live,” declares Yahweh,
“You will surely (NM)put on all of them as [cb]jewels and bind them on as a bride.
19 For (NN)your [cc]devastated and desolate places and your destroyed land—
Surely now you will be (NO)too cramped for the inhabitants,
And those who (NP)swallowed you will be far away.
20 The (NQ)children of [cd]whom you were bereaved will yet say in your ears,
‘The place is too cramped for me;
Make room for me that I may live here.’
21 Then you will (NR)say in your heart,
‘Who has borne these for me?
Indeed, I have been bereaved of my children
And am (NS)barren, an (NT)exile and a wanderer.
And who has reared these?
Behold, I (NU)remained alone;
[ce](NV)From where did these come?’”
22 Thus says Lord Yahweh,
“Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations
And make high My (NW)standard to the peoples;
And they will (NX)bring your sons in their bosom,
And your daughters will be lifted up on their shoulders.
23 (NY)Kings will be your guardians,
And their princesses your nurses.
They will (NZ)bow down to you with their [cf]faces to the earth
And (OA)lick the dust of your feet;
And you will (OB)know that I am Yahweh;
Those who (OC)hope in Me will (OD)not be put to shame.
24 “(OE)Can the prey be taken from the mighty man,
Or the captives of the [cg]righteous be granted escape?”
25 Surely, thus says Yahweh,
“Even the (OF)captives of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the tyrant will be granted escape;
For I will contend with the one who contends with you,
And I will (OG)save your sons.
26 I will feed (OH)those who mistreat you with their (OI)own flesh,
And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine;
And (OJ)all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your (OK)Savior
And your (OL)Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Yahweh Helps His Servant
50 Thus says Yahweh,
“Where is the (OM)certificate of divorce
By which I have (ON)sent your mother away?
Or to which of My creditors did I (OO)sell you?
Behold, you were sold for your (OP)iniquities,
And for your (OQ)transgressions your mother (OR)was sent away.
2 Why was there (OS)no man when I came?
When I called, why was there none to answer?
Is My (OT)hand so short that it cannot ransom?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, I (OU)dry up the sea with My rebuke;
I (OV)make the rivers a wilderness;
Their fish stink for lack of water
And die of thirst.
3 I (OW)clothe the heavens with blackness
And make sackcloth their covering.”
4 Lord Yahweh has given Me the tongue of (OX)disciples,
That I may know how to (OY)sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me (OZ)morning by morning;
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
5 Lord Yahweh has (PA)opened My ear;
And I did (PB)not rebel
Nor did I turn back.
6 I (PC)gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not hide My face from dishonor and spitting.
7 Even now Lord Yahweh (PD)helps Me,
Therefore, I am (PE)not dishonored;
Therefore, I have set My face like (PF)flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He who [ch](PG)vindicates Me is near;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us (PH)stand up to each other;
Who has a judgment against Me?
Let him approach Me.
9 Behold, (PI)Lord Yahweh helps Me;
(PJ)Who is he who condemns Me?
Behold, (PK)they will all wear out like a garment;
The moth will eat them.
10 Who is among you that fears Yahweh,
That listens to the voice of His (PL)Servant,
That (PM)walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him (PN)trust in the name of Yahweh and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who (PO)kindle a fire,
Who gird yourselves with firebrands,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the brands you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will (PP)lie down in torment.
Yahweh’s Righteousness Is Forever
51 “(PQ)Listen to Me, you who (PR)pursue righteousness,
Who seek Yahweh:
Look to the (PS)rock from which you were hewn
And to the [ci]quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to (PT)Abraham your father
And to Sarah who brought you forth through labor pains;
When he (PU)was but one I called him,
Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”
3 Indeed, (PV)Yahweh will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her (PW)waste places.
And her (PX)wilderness He will make like (PY)Eden,
And her desert like the (PZ)garden of Yahweh;
(QA)Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
4 “(QB)Pay attention to Me, O My people,
And give ear to Me, O My [cj]nation;
For a (QC)law will go forth from Me,
And I will [ck]set My (QD)justice for a (QE)light of the peoples.
5 My (QF)righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My (QG)arms will judge the peoples;
The (QH)coastlands will hope in Me,
And for My (QI)arm they will wait expectantly.
6 (QJ)Lift up your eyes to the sky,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the (QK)sky will vanish like smoke,
And the (QL)earth will wear out like a garment,
And its inhabitants will die [cl]in like manner;
But My (QM)salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not be dismayed.
7 (QN)Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose (QO)heart is My law;
Do not fear the (QP)reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 For the (QQ)moth will eat them like a garment,
And the (QR)grub will eat them like wool.
But My (QS)righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”
9 (QT)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of Yahweh;
Awake as in the (QU)days of old, the generations of long ago.
(QV)Was it not You who chopped Rahab in pieces,
Who pierced the (QW)dragon?
10 Was it not You who (QX)dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep,
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the (QY)redeemed to cross over?
11 So the (QZ)ransomed of Yahweh will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
And (RA)everlasting gladness will be on their heads.
They will obtain joy and gladness,
And (RB)sorrow and sighing will flee away.
12 “I, even I, am He who (RC)comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of (RD)man who dies
And of the son of man who is made (RE)like grass,
13 That you have (RF)forgotten Yahweh your Maker,
Who (RG)stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you (RH)tremble in dread continually all day long because of the wrath of the one who brings distress,
As he makes ready to bring ruin?
But where is the wrath of the (RI)one who brings distress?
14 The (RJ)one in chains will soon be set free and will not die in the pit, (RK)nor will his bread be lacking. 15 For I am Yahweh your God, who (RL)stirs up the sea, and its waves roar—Yahweh of hosts is His name. 16 I have (RM)put My words in your mouth and have (RN)covered you with the shadow of My hand, to [cm](RO)establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
17 (RP)Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who have (RQ)drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of His wrath;
The [cn]chalice of reeling you have [co]drained to the dregs.
18 There is (RR)none to guide her among all the sons she has borne,
Nor is there one to take hold of her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.
19 These two things have befallen you;
Who will console you?
The (RS)devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
How shall I comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted;
They (RT)lie helpless at the head of every street,
Like an (RU)antelope in a net,
Full of the wrath of Yahweh,
The (RV)rebuke of your God.
21 Therefore, now, listen to this, you (RW)afflicted,
Who are (RX)drunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Lord, Yahweh, even your God
Who (RY)contends for His people,
“Behold, I have taken out of your hand the (RZ)cup of reeling,
The [cp]chalice of My wrath;
You will never drink it again.
23 I will (SA)set it into the hand of those who cause you grief,
Who have said to [cq]you, ‘(SB)Lie down that we may walk over you.’
You have even set your back down like the ground
And like the street for those who walk over it.”
Hope for Captive Zion
52 (SC)Awake, awake,
Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion;
Clothe yourself in your (SD)glorious garments,
O Jerusalem, the (SE)holy city;
For the uncircumcised and the (SF)unclean
Will no longer come into you.
2 Shake yourself (SG)from the dust, (SH)rise up,
O captive Jerusalem;
(SI)Loose yourself from the chains around your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says Yahweh, “You were (SJ)sold for nothing, and you will be (SK)redeemed (SL)without money.” 4 For thus says Lord Yahweh, “My people (SM)went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 So now, what do I have here,” declares Yahweh, “since My people have been taken away for nothing?” Yahweh declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My (SN)name is continually blasphemed all day long. 6 Therefore My people shall (SO)know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’”
7 How lovely on the mountains
Are the feet of him who proclaims (SP)good news,
Who [cr]announces [cs]peace
And proclaims good news of good things,
Who [ct]announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your (SQ)God [cu]reigns!”
8 The voice of Your watchmen! They lift up their (SR)voices;
They shout joyfully together;
For they will see [cv]with their own eyes
When Yahweh returns to Zion.
9 (SS)Break forth, shout joyfully together,
You (ST)waste places of Jerusalem;
For Yahweh has comforted His people;
He has (SU)redeemed Jerusalem.
10 Yahweh has bared His holy (SV)arm
In the sight of all the nations,
[cw]That (SW)all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God.
11 (SX)Depart, depart, go out from there,
(SY)Touch nothing unclean;
Go out of the midst of her, (SZ)purify yourselves,
You who carry the vessels of Yahweh.
12 But you will not go out in (TA)haste,
Nor will you go as those who flee;
For (TB)Yahweh will go before you,
And (TC)the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Exalted Servant
13 Behold, My (TD)Servant will prosper;
He will be high and lifted up and [cx]greatly (TE)exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at you, My people,
So His (TF)appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
15 Thus He will (TG)sprinkle many nations,
Kings will (TH)shut their mouths on account of Him;
For (TI)what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.
The Suffering Servant
53 (TJ)Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a (TK)tender [cy]shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has (TL)no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should desire Him.
3 He was (TM)despised and forsaken of men,
A man of [cz]sorrows and (TN)acquainted with [da]grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was (TO)despised, and we did not (TP)esteem Him.
4 Surely our [db]griefs He Himself [dc](TQ)bore,
And our [dd]sorrows He [de]carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
[df]Smitten of (TR)God, and afflicted.
5 But He was [dg]pierced through for (TS)our transgressions,
He was crushed for (TT)our iniquities;
The (TU)chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by (TV)His [dh]wounds we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all
To [di]fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not (TW)open His mouth;
(TX)Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of [dj]the living,
(TY)That for the transgression of my people, striking was due to Him?
9 So His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a (TZ)rich man in His death,
(UA)Because He had (UB)done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But [dk]Yahweh was pleased
To (UC)crush Him, [dl](UD)putting Him to grief;
If You would place His soul as a guilt (UE)offering,
He will see (UF)His seed,
He will prolong His days,
And the [dm]good (UG)pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in His hand.
11 As a result of the [dn]anguish of His soul,
He will (UH)see [do]it and be satisfied;
By His (UI)knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will [dp]justify the many,
As He will (UJ)bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will divide for Him a (UK)portion with the many,
And He will divide the spoil with the strong;
Because He poured out (UL)His soul to death,
And was (UM)numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself [dq](UN)bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
The Inheritance of the Slaves of Yahweh
54 “(UO)Shout for joy, O barren woman, who has not given birth;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not been in [dr]labor;
For (UP)more numerous are the sons of the (UQ)desolate one
Than the sons of the married woman,” says Yahweh.
2 “(UR)Enlarge the place of your tent;
[ds]Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back;
Lengthen your (US)cords
And strengthen your (UT)pegs.
3 For you will (UU)spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your seed will (UV)possess nations
And will (UW)resettle the desolate cities.
4 “Do not be afraid, for you will (UX)not be put to shame;
And do not feel dishonored, for you will not be humiliated;
But you will forget the (UY)shame of your virginity,
And the (UZ)reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your (VA)husband is your Maker,
Whose name is Yahweh of hosts;
And your (VB)Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the (VC)God of all the earth.
6 For Yahweh has called you,
Like a wife (VD)forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
7 “[dt]For a (VE)brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will (VF)gather you.
8 In [du]a (VG)flood of fury
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting (VH)lovingkindness I will (VI)have compassion on you,”
Says Yahweh your (VJ)Redeemer.
9 “For [dv]this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would (VK)not [dw]overflow the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will (VL)not be furious with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10 For the (VM)mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My (VN)covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says (VO)Yahweh who has compassion on you.
11 “O (VP)afflicted one, storm-tossed, and (VQ)not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will (VR)set in [dx](VS)sapphires.
12 Moreover, I will make your battlements of [dy]rubies,
And your gates of [dz]crystal,
And your entire [ea]wall of [eb]precious stones.
13 (VT)All your sons will be [ec]taught of Yahweh;
And the peace of your sons will be (VU)great.
14 In (VV)righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from (VW)oppression, for you will (VX)not fear,
And from (VY)terror, for it will not come near you.
15 If anyone fiercely attacks you it will not be from Me.
(VZ)Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16 Behold, I Myself have created the craftsman who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the bringer of ruin to wreak destruction.
17 (WA)No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And (WB)every tongue that [ed]accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the inheritance of the [ee]slaves of Yahweh,
And their (WC)righteousness is from Me,” declares Yahweh.
Seek Yahweh While He May Be Found
55 “Ho! Every one who (WD)thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have (WE)no [ef]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy (WF)wine and milk
(WG)Without money and without cost.
2 Why do you [eg]spend money for what is (WH)not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and (WI)eat what is good,
And (WJ)delight your soul in richness.
3 (WK)Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that your soul may (WL)live;
And I will cut (WM)an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the (WN)faithful lovingkindnesses of David.
4 Behold, I have given (WO)him as a witness to the peoples,
A (WP)ruler and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you will call a (WQ)nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will (WR)run to you,
Because of Yahweh your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has (WS)adorned you with beautiful glory.”
6 (WT)Seek Yahweh while He may be found;
(WU)Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (WV)Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his (WW)thoughts;
And let him (WX)return to Yahweh,
And He will have (WY)compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will (WZ)abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not (XA)your thoughts,
Nor are (XB)your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh.
9 “For (XC)as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the (XD)rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And giving (XE)seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 So will My (XF)word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will (XG)not return to Me empty,
Without (XH)accomplishing what pleases Me,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12 For you will go out with (XI)gladness
And be led forth with (XJ)peace;
The (XK)mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the (XL)trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the (XM)thorn bush the (XN)cypress will come up,
And instead of the (XO)nettle the myrtle will come up,
And [eh]it will be to Yahweh for His [ei](XP)renown,
For an everlasting (XQ)sign which (XR)will not be cut off.”
Salvation for the Foreigner
56 Thus says Yahweh,
“(XS)Keep justice and do righteousness,
For My (XT)salvation is about to come
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 How (XU)blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who (XV)takes hold of it,
Who (XW)keeps from profaning the sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
3 Let not the (XX)foreigner who has joined himself to Yahweh say,
“Yahweh will surely separate me from His people.”
Nor let the (XY)eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For thus says Yahweh,
“To the eunuchs who (XZ)keep My sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And (YA)hold fast My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My (YB)house and within My (YC)walls a [ej]memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give [ek]them an everlasting (YD)name which (YE)will not be cut off.
6 “Also the (YF)foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of Yahweh,
To be His [el]slaves, every one who (YG)keeps from profaning the sabbath
And takes hold of My covenant,
7 Even (YH)those I will bring to My (YI)holy mountain
And (YJ)make them glad in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on (YK)My altar;
For (YL)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8 Lord Yahweh, who (YM)gathers the banished of Israel, declares,
“Yet (YN)others I will gather to [em]them, to those already gathered.”
9 All you (YO)beasts of the field,
All you beasts in the forest,
Come to eat.
10 His (YP)watchmen are (YQ)blind;
All of them know nothing.
All of them are mute dogs unable to bark,
[en]Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber;
11 And the dogs have a (YR)strong [eo]appetite; they do not know satisfaction.
And they are shepherds who (YS)do not know understanding;
They have all (YT)turned to their own way,
Each one to his greedy gain, to the last one.
12 “Come,” they say, “let [ep]us take (YU)wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink;
And (YV)tomorrow will be like today—[eq]beyond exceedingly great.”
Evil Leaders Rebuked
57 The righteous man perishes, and no man (YW)puts it upon his heart;
And men of lovingkindness are gathered away, while no one understands.
For the righteous man is gathered away from (YX)evil,
2 He enters into peace;
They rest in their [er]beds,
Each one who (YY)walked in his upright way.
3 “But draw near, you sons of a (YZ)soothsayer,
(ZA)Seed of an adulterer and [es]a (ZB)prostitute.
4 Against whom do you jest?
Against whom do you open wide your mouth
And stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of (ZC)transgression,
Seed of lying,
5 Who inflame yourselves among the [et](ZD)oaks,
(ZE)Under every green tree,
Who (ZF)slaughter the children in the [eu]ravines,
Under the clefts of the cliffs?
6 Among the [ev](ZG)smooth stones of the [ew]ravine
Is your portion, [ex]they are your lot;
Even to them you have (ZH)poured out a drink offering;
You have made a grain offering.
Shall I [ey](ZI)relent concerning these things?
7 Upon a mountain (ZJ)lofty and lifted up
You have (ZK)made your bed.
You also went up there to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the door and the doorpost
You have set up your memorial;
Indeed, far removed from Me, you have (ZL)uncovered yourself,
And have gone up and made your bed wide,
And you have cut a covenant for yourself with them;
You have loved their [ez]bed;
You have looked on their [fa]manhood.
9 You have journeyed to the king with oil
And increased your perfumes;
You have (ZM)sent your envoys a great distance
And made them go down to Sheol.
10 You were tired out by the length of your road,
Yet you did not say, ‘(ZN)It is hopeless.’
You found [fb]renewed strength;
Therefore you did not [fc]faint.
11 “Of (ZO)whom were you anxious and fearful
When you lied and did (ZP)not remember Me,
Nor even (ZQ)put Me upon your heart?
Was I not silent even for a long time
So you do not fear Me?
12 I will (ZR)declare your righteousness and your (ZS)deeds,
But they will not profit you.
13 When you cry out, (ZT)let your collection of idols deliver you.
But the wind will lift all of them up,
And a breath will take them away.
But he who (ZU)takes refuge in Me will (ZV)inherit the land
And will (ZW)possess My holy mountain.”
Yahweh Revives the Spirit of the Lowly
14 And it will be said,
“(ZX)Build up, build up, prepare the way,
[fd]Remove every stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
15 For thus says the One (ZY)high and lifted up
Who (ZZ)dwells forever, whose name is Holy,
“I (AAA)dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the (AAB)crushed and lowly of spirit
In order to (AAC)revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the crushed.
16 For I will (AAD)not contend forever,
(AAE)Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the (AAF)breath of those whom I have made.
17 Because of the iniquity of his (AAG)greedy gain I was angry and struck him;
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on (AAH)turning away, in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, but I will (AAI)heal him;
I will (AAJ)lead him and (AAK)pay him and his mourners in full with comfort,
19 Creating the [fe](AAL)praise of the lips.
(AAM)Peace, peace to him who is (AAN)far and to him who is near,”
Says Yahweh, “and I will heal him.”
20 But the (AAO)wicked are like the tossing sea,
For it cannot be quiet,
And its waters toss up refuse and mud.
21 “(AAP)There is no peace,” says (AAQ)my God, “for the wicked.”
Fasting as Yahweh Chooses
58 “(AAR)Call out from your throat, do not hold back;
Raise your voice like a trumpet,
And declare to My people their (AAS)transgression
And to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they (AAT)seek Me day by day and find pleasure in knowing My ways,
As a nation that has done (AAU)righteousness
And (AAV)has not forsaken the judgment of their God.
They ask Me for righteous judgments;
They find pleasure in (AAW)the nearness of God.
3 ‘Why have we (AAX)fasted and You do not see?
Why have we afflicted our souls and You do not know?’
Behold, on the (AAY)day of your fast you find your desire,
And oppress all your workers.
4 Behold, you fast for contention and (AAZ)quarreling and to strike with a wicked fist.
You do not fast like you do today to (ABA)make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to afflict himself?
Is it for bowing [ff]one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out (ABB)sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an (ABC)acceptable day to Yahweh?
6 Is this not the fast which I choose,
To (ABD)loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To release the bands of [fg]the yoke,
And to (ABE)let the oppressed go free
And (ABF)break every [fh]yoke?
7 Is it not to (ABG)divide your bread [fi]with the hungry
And (ABH)bring the afflicted homeless into the house;
When you see the (ABI)naked, you cover him;
And not to (ABJ)hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your (ABK)light will break out like the dawn,
And your (ABL)recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your (ABM)righteousness will go before you;
The glory of (ABN)Yahweh will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will (ABO)call, and Yahweh will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you (ABP)remove the [fj]yoke from your midst,
The [fk](ABQ)pointing of the finger and (ABR)speaking wickedness,
10 And if you [fl](ABS)offer your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the soul of the afflicted,
Then your (ABT)light will rise in darkness
And your thick darkness will become like midday.
11 And (ABU)Yahweh will continually guide you,
And (ABV)satisfy your soul in scorched places,
And (ABW)fortify your bones;
And you will be like a (ABX)watered garden,
And like a (ABY)spring of water whose waters do not [fm]fail.
12 Those from among you will (ABZ)rebuild the ancient waste places;
You will (ACA)raise up the foundations of past generation upon generation;
And you will be called the repairer of the (ACB)breach,
The restorer of the paths for one to inhabit.
Keeping the Sabbath
13 “If because of the sabbath, you (ACC)turn your foot
From doing your own desire on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a (ACD)delight, the holy day of Yahweh honorable,
And honor it, by not doing your (ACE)own ways,
By not finding your own desire
And (ACF)speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take (ACG)delight in Yahweh,
And I will make you ride (ACH)on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father,
For the (ACI)mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”
Separation from Yahweh
59 Behold, (ACJ)the hand of Yahweh is not so short
That it cannot save;
(ACK)Nor is His ear so [fn]dull
That it cannot hear.
2 But your (ACL)iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His [fo]face from you so that He does (ACM)not hear.
3 For your (ACN)hands are defiled with blood
And your fingers with iniquity;
Your lips have spoken a (ACO)lie;
Your tongue mutters unrighteousness.
4 (ACP)No one calls in righteousness, and (ACQ)no one seeks justice in truth.
They (ACR)trust in [fp]confusion and speak worthlessness;
They (ACS)conceive trouble and give birth to wickedness.
5 They break open vipers’ eggs and (ACT)weave the spider’s web;
He who eats of their eggs dies,
And from that which is crushed a snake breaks forth.
6 Their webs will not become a garment,
Nor will they (ACU)cover themselves with their works;
Their (ACV)works are works of wickedness,
And a (ACW)deed of violence is in their [fq]hands.
7 (ACX)Their feet run to evil,
And they are quick to shed innocent blood;
(ACY)Their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness;
Devastation and destruction are in their highways.
8 They do not know the (ACZ)way of peace,
And there is (ADA)no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,
(ADB)Whoever treads on [fr]them does not know peace.
Trangressing and Denying Yahweh
9 Therefore (ADC)justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us;
We (ADD)hope for light, but behold, darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in thick darkness.
10 We (ADE)grope along the wall like blind men;
We grope like those who have no eyes;
We (ADF)stumble at midday as in the twilight,
Among those who are vigorous we are (ADG)like dead men.
11 All of us growl like bears,
And (ADH)moan sadly like doves;
We hope for (ADI)justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our (ADJ)transgressions are multiplied before You,
And our (ADK)sins answer against us;
For our transgressions are with us,
And [fs]we know our iniquities:
13 Transgressing and (ADL)denying Yahweh,
And turning back from our God,
Speaking (ADM)oppression and revolt,
Conceiving in and (ADN)uttering from the heart lying words.
14 (ADO)Justice is turned back,
And (ADP)righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And rightness cannot enter.
15 So it is that truth is missing;
And he who turns aside from evil (ADQ)makes himself plunder.
Then Yahweh saw,
And it was evil in His eyes (ADR)that there was no justice.
16 And He saw that there was (ADS)no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His (ADT)own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on (ADU)righteousness like a breastplate,
And a (ADV)helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on (ADW)garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with (ADX)zeal as a mantle.
18 (ADY)According to [ft]what they deserve, [fu]so He will pay in full,
Wrath to His adversaries, [fv]what is deserved to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will [fw]pay what they deserve.
19 So they will fear the name of Yahweh from the (ADZ)west
And His glory from the (AEA)rising of the sun,
For He will (AEB)come like a [fx]rushing stream
Which the wind of Yahweh makes flee.
20 “A (AEC)Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who (AED)turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares Yahweh.
21 “As for Me, this is My (AEE)covenant with them,” says Yahweh: “My (AEF)Spirit which is upon you, and My (AEG)words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says Yahweh, “from now and forever.”
A Glorified Zion
60 “(AEH)Arise, shine, for your (AEI)light has come,
And the (AEJ)glory of Yahweh has risen upon you.
2 For behold, (AEK)darkness will cover the earth
And dense gloom the peoples;
But Yahweh will rise upon you,
And His (AEL)glory will appear upon you.
3 (AEM)Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
4 “(AEN)Lift up your eyes round about and see;
They all gather together; they (AEO)come to you.
Your sons will come from afar,
And your (AEP)daughters will be [fy]carried on the nurses’ hip.
5 Then you will see and be (AEQ)radiant,
And your heart will tremble and be large with joy;
Because the (AER)abundance of the sea will be turned to you,
The (AES)wealth of the nations will come to you.
6 A multitude of camels will cover you,
The young camels of Midian and (AET)Ephah;
All those from (AEU)Sheba will come;
They will bring (AEV)gold and frankincense,
And will (AEW)bear good news of the praises of Yahweh.
7 All the flocks of (AEX)Kedar will be gathered together to you;
The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you;
They will go up with acceptance on My (AEY)altar,
And I shall [fz](AEZ)adorn My [ga]glorious house with beautiful glory.
8 (AFA)Who are these who fly like a cloud
And like the doves to their [gb]lattices?
9 Surely the (AFB)coastlands will hope in Me;
And the (AFC)ships of Tarshish will come first,
To (AFD)bring your sons from afar,
Their silver and their gold with them,
For the name of Yahweh your God,
And for the Holy One of Israel because He has [gc](AFE)adorned you with beautiful glory.
10 “(AFF)Foreigners will build up your walls,
And their (AFG)kings will minister to you;
For in My (AFH)wrath I struck you,
And in My favor I have had compassion on you.
11 Your (AFI)gates will be open continually;
They will not be closed day or night,
So that men may (AFJ)bring to you the wealth of the nations,
With (AFK)their kings led in procession.
12 For the (AFL)nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish,
And the nations will surely be laid waste.
13 The (AFM)glory of Lebanon will come to you,
The (AFN)juniper, the box tree, and the cypress together,
To adorn the place of My sanctuary with beautiful glory;
And I shall make the (AFO)place of My feet glorious.
14 The (AFP)sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you,
And all those who spurned you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet;
And they will call you the (AFQ)City of Yahweh,
The (AFR)Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Instead of being (AFS)forsaken and (AFT)hated
With no one passing through,
I will make you an everlasting (AFU)pride,
A joy from generation to generation.
16 You will also (AFV)suck the milk of nations
And suck the breast of kings;
Then you will know that I, Yahweh, am your (AFW)Savior
And your (AFX)Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
And instead of iron I will bring silver,
And instead of wood, bronze,
And instead of stones, iron.
And I will make peace your overseers
And righteousness your taskmasters.
18 (AFY)Violence will not be heard again in your land,
Nor (AFZ)devastation or destruction within your borders;
But you will call your (AGA)walls salvation, and your (AGB)gates praise.
19 No longer will you have the (AGC)sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;
But you will have (AGD)Yahweh for an everlasting light,
And your (AGE)God for your [gd]glory.
20 Your (AGF)sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have Yahweh for an everlasting light,
And the days of your (AGG)mourning will be finished.
21 Then all your (AGH)people will be righteous;
They will (AGI)possess the land forever,
The branch of [ge]My planting,
The (AGJ)work of My hands,
That I may show forth My (AGK)beautiful glory.
22 The (AGL)smallest one will become a [gf]clan,
And the miniscule one a mighty nation.
I, Yahweh, will hasten it in its time.”
Exaltation of the Afflicted
61 The (AGM)Spirit of Lord Yahweh is upon me
Because Yahweh has anointed me
To (AGN)bring good news to the [gg](AGO)afflicted;
He has sent me to (AGP)bind up the brokenhearted,
To (AGQ)proclaim release to captives
And [gh]freedom to prisoners,
2 To (AGR)proclaim the favorable year of Yahweh
And the (AGS)day of vengeance of our God,
To (AGT)comfort all who mourn,
3 To (AGU)grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a headdress instead of ashes,
The (AGV)oil of rejoicing instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called [gi](AGW)oaks of righteousness,
The planting of Yahweh, that He may show forth His beautiful glory.
4 Then they will (AGX)rebuild the ancient waste places;
They will raise up the former desolations;
And they will make new the ruined cities,
The desolations from generation to generation.
5 (AGY)Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And [gj]foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
6 But you will be called the (AGZ)priests of Yahweh;
You will be spoken of as (AHA)ministers of our God.
You will eat the (AHB)wealth of nations,
And in their glories you will boast.
7 Instead of your (AHC)shame you will have a (AHD)double portion,
And instead of dishonor they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land;
(AHE)Everlasting gladness will be theirs.
8 For I, Yahweh, (AHF)love justice,
I hate robbery [gk]in the burnt offering;
And in truth I will give them their recompense
And cut an (AHG)everlasting covenant with them.
9 Then their seed will be known among the nations,
And their offspring in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the (AHH)seed whom Yahweh has blessed.
10 I will (AHI)rejoice greatly in Yahweh;
My soul will rejoice in (AHJ)my God,
For He has (AHK)clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a headdress,
And (AHL)as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the (AHM)earth brings forth its branches,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to branch out,
So Lord Yahweh will (AHN)cause (AHO)righteousness and praise
To branch out before all the nations.
Zion’s Glory and New Name
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her (AHP)righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her (AHQ)salvation like a torch that is burning.
2 The (AHR)nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new (AHS)name
Which the mouth of Yahweh will designate.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 43:3 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
- Isaiah 43:13 As in Gr; Heb from the day
- Isaiah 43:14 Or As for the Chaldeans, their rejoicing is turned into lamentations
- Isaiah 43:14 Lit of their rejoicing
- Isaiah 43:23 Or a meal offering
- Isaiah 43:24 Or calamus
- Isaiah 43:26 Or Report to Me
- Isaiah 43:27 Or interpreters
- Isaiah 43:27 Or rebelled
- Isaiah 43:28 Or pierce through
- Isaiah 43:28 Or holy princes
- Isaiah 44:3 Or him who is thirsty
- Isaiah 44:4 Or like grass among the waters
- Isaiah 44:5 Or will be called by the name of Jacob
- Isaiah 44:5 Or with
- Isaiah 44:7 Lit From My establishing of
- Isaiah 44:7 Or nation
- Isaiah 44:9 Or an idol
- Isaiah 44:9 Lit formless
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit and forms
- Isaiah 44:13 Or red chalk
- Isaiah 44:14 Or holm-oak
- Isaiah 44:14 Lit makes strong
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I make...?
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I fall...?
- Isaiah 44:20 Or is a companion of ashes
- Isaiah 44:24 Or who was with Me?
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit signs
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He makes
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He makes
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit You will be founded
- Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will open, cf. 45:1b
- Isaiah 45:2 Or mountains
- Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
- Isaiah 45:5 Or arm
- Isaiah 45:8 Or branch forth, cf. 61:11
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask...?
- Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit command
- Isaiah 45:14 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
- Isaiah 45:14 Or God is with you alone
- Isaiah 45:14 Or in
- Isaiah 45:18 Or in vain
- Isaiah 45:19 Lit a place of a land of darkness
- Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
- Isaiah 46:1 Lit carried by you
- Isaiah 46:2 Or their soul has
- Isaiah 46:3 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit I am He
- Isaiah 46:4 Lit gray hairs
- Isaiah 46:4 Or made you
- Isaiah 46:8 Lit firm
- Isaiah 46:11 Lit His
- Isaiah 47:3 Lit meet
- Isaiah 47:7 Lit it
- Isaiah 47:8 Lit her
- Isaiah 47:10 Lit it has
- Isaiah 47:15 Lit side, region
- Isaiah 48:1 Lit waters
- Isaiah 48:4 Or harsh
- Isaiah 48:5 Lit it
- Isaiah 48:8 Or rebel
- Isaiah 48:8 Lit belly
- Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
- Isaiah 49:1 Lit inward parts
- Isaiah 49:2 Or sharpened
- Isaiah 49:3 Or glorify Myself
- Isaiah 49:4 Lit formlessness
- Isaiah 49:6 Lit light
- Isaiah 49:6 Or to
- Isaiah 49:6 Lit be
- Isaiah 49:8 Lit inheritances
- Isaiah 49:9 Lit Reveal
- Isaiah 49:9 Or be shepherded
- Isaiah 49:17 As in DSS and ancient versions; M.T. sons
- Isaiah 49:18 Lit an ornament
- Isaiah 49:19 Or waste
- Isaiah 49:20 Lit your bereavement
- Isaiah 49:21 Lit These, where are they?
- Isaiah 49:23 Lit noses
- Isaiah 49:24 DSS and ancient versions tyrant, cf. 49:25
- Isaiah 50:8 Or justifies, cf. 53:11
- Isaiah 51:1 Lit excavation of a pit
- Isaiah 51:4 Or people
- Isaiah 51:4 Lit cause to rest
- Isaiah 51:6 Or like gnats
- Isaiah 51:16 Lit plant
- Isaiah 51:17 Lit bowl of the cup of
- Isaiah 51:17 Lit drunk
- Isaiah 51:22 Lit bowl of the cup of
- Isaiah 51:23 Lit your soul
- Isaiah 52:7 Or causes peace to be heard
- Isaiah 52:7 Or well-being
- Isaiah 52:7 Or causes peace to be heard
- Isaiah 52:7 Or is King
- Isaiah 52:8 Lit eye to eye
- Isaiah 52:10 Lit And...earth will see
- Isaiah 52:13 Or very high, exceedingly lofty; cf. 5:16; 7:11
- Isaiah 53:2 Lit suckling
- Isaiah 53:3 Or pains
- Isaiah 53:3 Or sickness
- Isaiah 53:4 Or sickness
- Isaiah 53:4 Or carried
- Isaiah 53:4 Or pains
- Isaiah 53:4 Or bore
- Isaiah 53:4 Or Struck down by
- Isaiah 53:5 Or wounded
- Isaiah 53:5 Lit wound
- Isaiah 53:6 Lit encounter Him
- Isaiah 53:8 Or life
- Isaiah 53:10 Or it was the desire of Yahweh, cf. Ps 40:6
- Isaiah 53:10 Or He put Him to grief; lit He made Him sick
- Isaiah 53:10 Or will of, desire of; cf. Ps 40:6
- Isaiah 53:11 Or toilsome labor
- Isaiah 53:11 Or light
- Isaiah 53:11 Or declare the many righteous, cf. 53:11a; 5:23
- Isaiah 53:12 Or carried
- Isaiah 54:1 Or labor pains
- Isaiah 54:2 Lit Let them stretch out
- Isaiah 54:7 Lit In
- Isaiah 54:8 Lit an overflowing
- Isaiah 54:9 Some mss the waters of Noah this is to Me
- Isaiah 54:9 Lit cross over
- Isaiah 54:11 Or lapis lazuli
- Isaiah 54:12 Bright red
- Isaiah 54:12 Or carbuncles
- Isaiah 54:12 Lit border, boundary
- Isaiah 54:12 Lit desirable
- Isaiah 54:13 Or disciples
- Isaiah 54:17 Lit rises against
- Isaiah 54:17 Or servants
- Isaiah 55:1 Lit silver
- Isaiah 55:2 Lit weigh out silver
- Isaiah 55:13 The transformation of the desert
- Isaiah 55:13 Lit name
- Isaiah 56:5 Lit hand
- Isaiah 56:5 As in DSS; M.T. him
- Isaiah 56:6 Or servants
- Isaiah 56:8 Lit him
- Isaiah 56:10 As in DSS; M.T. Ravers
- Isaiah 56:11 Lit soul
- Isaiah 56:12 As in DSS and many versions; M.T. me
- Isaiah 56:12 Lit remainder
- Isaiah 57:2 Graves
- Isaiah 57:3 As in ancient versions; Heb she prostitutes herself
- Isaiah 57:5 Or terebinths
- Isaiah 57:5 Or wadis
- Isaiah 57:6 Symbols of fertility gods
- Isaiah 57:6 Or wadi
- Isaiah 57:6 Lit they, they
- Isaiah 57:6 Or regret, be comforted; cf. 40:1
- Isaiah 57:8 Or lying down
- Isaiah 57:8 Lit hand
- Isaiah 57:10 Lit the life of your hand
- Isaiah 57:10 Or become sick
- Isaiah 57:14 Lit Make high, cf. 57:15; 6:1
- Isaiah 57:19 Lit fruit of the lips
- Isaiah 58:5 Lit his
- Isaiah 58:6 Lit the bar of the yoke
- Isaiah 58:6 Lit the bar of the yoke
- Isaiah 58:7 Lit for
- Isaiah 58:9 Lit bar of the yoke
- Isaiah 58:9 Lit sending out
- Isaiah 58:10 Lit furnish
- Isaiah 58:11 Or deceive
- Isaiah 59:1 Lit heavy, hardened; cf. Ex 8:15; 1 Sam 6:6
- Isaiah 59:2 As in versions; M.T. faces
- Isaiah 59:4 Lit formless
- Isaiah 59:6 Lit palms
- Isaiah 59:8 Lit it
- Isaiah 59:12 Lit our iniquities we know them
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit recompense
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit accordingly
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit recompense
- Isaiah 59:18 Lit recompense
- Isaiah 59:19 Lit narrow
- Isaiah 60:4 Lit nursed upon the side
- Isaiah 60:7 Or beautify
- Isaiah 60:7 Or beautiful
- Isaiah 60:8 Or dovecotes, windows
- Isaiah 60:9 Lit beautified
- Isaiah 60:19 Or beauty
- Isaiah 60:21 Lit His
- Isaiah 60:22 Or thousand
- Isaiah 61:1 Or humble
- Isaiah 61:1 Lit opening to those who are bound
- Isaiah 61:3 Or terebinths
- Isaiah 61:5 Lit sons of the foreigner
- Isaiah 61:8 Or with iniquity
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