Add parallel Print Page Options

54 Sing, O childless woman! Break out into loud and joyful song, Jerusalem,[a] for she who was abandoned has more blessings now than she whose husband stayed! Enlarge your house; build on additions; spread out your home! For you will soon be bursting at the seams! And your descendants will possess the cities left behind during the exile and rule the nations that took their lands.

Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more, for your Creator will be your “husband.” The Lord Almighty is his name; he is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. For the Lord has called you back from your grief—a young wife abandoned by her husband. For a brief moment I abandoned you. But with great compassion I will take you back. In a moment of anger I turned my face a little while; but with everlasting love I will have pity on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Just as in the time of Noah I swore that I would never again permit the waters of a flood to cover the earth and destroy its life, so now I swear that I will never again pour out my anger on you. 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but my kindness shall not leave you. My promise of peace for you will never be broken, says the Lord who has mercy upon you.

11 O my afflicted people, tempest-tossed and troubled, I will rebuild you on a foundation of sapphires and make the walls of your houses from precious jewels. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling agate and your gates and walls of shining gems. 13 And all your citizens shall be taught by me, and their prosperity shall be great. 14 You will live under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away; you will live in peace. Terror shall not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it will not be sent by me to punish you. Therefore, it will be routed, for I am on your side.[b] 16 I have created the smith who blows the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you shall succeed, and you will have justice against every courtroom lie. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. This is the blessing I have given you, says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:1 Jerusalem, implied. blessings, literally, “children.”
  2. Isaiah 54:15 for I am on your side, literally, “because of you.”

A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

54 “Sing, O (A)barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
“Enlarge(B) the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will (C)inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.

“Do(D) not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
(E)For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called (F)the God of the whole earth.
For the Lord (G)has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
“For(H) a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies (I)I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
(J)But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

“For this is like the waters of (K)Noah to Me;
For as I have sworn
That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,
So have I sworn
That I would not be angry with (L)you, nor rebuke you.
10 For (M)the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
(N)But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

11 “O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with (O)colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be (P)taught by the Lord,
And (Q)great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me.
Whoever assembles against you shall (R)fall for your sake.

16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith
Who blows the coals in the fire,
Who brings forth an [a]instrument for his work;
And I have created the [b]spoiler to destroy.
17 No weapon formed against you shall (S)prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
(T)And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:16 Or weapon
  2. Isaiah 54:16 destroyer

54 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

54 “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth!
    Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child!
    For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations;
    don’t spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left;
    and your offspring will possess the nations
    and settle in desolate cities.

“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed.
    Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed.
For you will forget the shame of your youth.
    You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name.
    The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.
    He will be called the God of the whole earth.
For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
    even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.

“For a small moment I have forsaken you,
    but I will gather you with great mercies.
In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment,
    but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says Yahweh your Redeemer.

“For this is like the waters of Noah to me;
    for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth,
    so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart,
    and the hills be removed,
but my loving kindness will not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace will not be removed,”
    says Yahweh who has mercy on you.

11 “You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted,
    behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors,
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
    your gates of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by Yahweh,
    and your children’s peace will be great.
14 You will be established in righteousness.
    You will be far from oppression,
    for you will not be afraid,
    and far from terror,
    for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me.
    Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.

16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame,
    and forges a weapon for his work;
    and I have created the destroyer to destroy.
17 No weapon that is formed against you will prevail;
    and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of Yahweh’s servants,
    and their righteousness is of me,” says Yahweh.