Isaiah 54
New American Standard Bible
The Fertility of Zion
54 “(A)Shout for joy, infertile one, you who have not given birth to any child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor;
For the sons of the (B)desolate one will be (C)more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 “(D)Enlarge the place of your tent;
[a]Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not spare them;
Lengthen your (E)ropes
And strengthen your (F)pegs.
3 For you will (G)spread out to the right and to the left.
And your [b]descendants will (H)possess nations
And will (I)resettle the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will (J)not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the (K)shame of your youth,
And no longer remember the (L)disgrace of your widowhood.
5 For your (M)husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of armies;
And your (N)Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the (O)God of all the earth.
6 For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife (P)forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
7 “[c]For a (Q)brief moment I abandoned you,
But with great compassion I will (R)gather you.
8 In an [d](S)outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting (T)favor I will (U)have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your (V)Redeemer.
9 “For [e]this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would (W)not [f]flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will (X)not be angry with you
Nor rebuke you.
10 For the (Y)mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My [g]favor will not be removed from you,
Nor will My (Z)covenant of peace be shaken,”
Says (AA)the Lord who has compassion on you.
11 “(AB)Afflicted one, storm-tossed, and (AC)not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And I will (AD)lay your foundations with [h](AE)sapphires.
12 Moreover, I will make your battlements of [i]rubies,
And your gates of [j]crystal,
And your entire [k]wall of precious stones.
13 (AF)All your sons will be [l]taught by the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be (AG)great.
14 In (AH)righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from (AI)oppression, for you will (AJ)not fear;
And from (AK)terror, for it will not come near you.
15 If anyone fiercely attacks you, it will not be from Me.
(AL)Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16 Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals
And produces a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin.
17 (AM)No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And you will condemn (AN)every tongue that [m]accuses you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their (AO)vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 54:2 Lit Let them stretch out
- Isaiah 54:3 Lit seed
- Isaiah 54:7 Lit In
- Isaiah 54:8 Lit overflowing
- Isaiah 54:9 Some mss the waters of Noah this is to Me
- Isaiah 54:9 Lit cross over
- Isaiah 54:10 Or faithfulness
- Isaiah 54:11 Or lapis lazuli
- Isaiah 54:12 I.e., bright red
- Isaiah 54:12 Or carbuncles
- Isaiah 54:12 Lit border, boundary
- Isaiah 54:13 Or disciples of
- Isaiah 54:17 Lit rises against
Isaiah 54
New English Translation
Zion Will Be Secure
54 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out![a]
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep.[b]
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer[c] nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame.
Don’t be intimidated,[d] for you will not be humiliated.
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment.[e]
5 For your husband is the one who made you—
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name.
He is your Protector,[f] the Holy One of Israel.[g]
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression,[h]
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a short time I abandoned[i] you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In a burst[j] of anger I rejected you[k] momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your Protector,[l] the Lord.
9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time,[m]
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood[n] would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship[o] be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one, driven away,[p] and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundation with lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems,[q]
your gates out of beryl,[r]
and your outer wall[s] out of beautiful[t] stones.
13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity.[u]
14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you.[v]
You will not experience oppression;[w]
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified,[x]
for nothing frightening[y] will come near you.
15 If anyone dares to[z] challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated.[aa]
16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon.[ab]
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you.[ac]
This is what the Lord will do for his servants—
I will vindicate them,”[ad]
says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 54:2 tn Heb “the curtains of your dwelling places let them stretch out.”
- Isaiah 54:2 tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
- Isaiah 54:3 tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.”
- Isaiah 54:4 tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.”
- Isaiah 54:4 tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (ʾalmanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
- Isaiah 54:5 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 54:5 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
- Isaiah 54:6 tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
- Isaiah 54:7 tn Or “forsook” (NASB).
- Isaiah 54:8 tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.”
- Isaiah 54:8 tn Heb “I hid my face from you.”
- Isaiah 54:8 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.
- Isaiah 54:9 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כִּימֵי (kime, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
- Isaiah 54:9 tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).
- Isaiah 54:10 tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.”
- Isaiah 54:11 tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm-tossed.”
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
- Isaiah 54:12 tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (ʾeqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.”
- Isaiah 54:12 tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.”
- Isaiah 54:13 tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsedaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
- Isaiah 54:14 tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned.
- Isaiah 54:15 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis.
- Isaiah 54:15 tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ʿal) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
- Isaiah 54:16 tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
- Isaiah 54:17 tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
- Isaiah 54:17 tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
Isaiah 54
New Living Translation
Future Glory for Jerusalem
54 “Sing, O childless woman,
you who have never given birth!
Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem,
you who have never been in labor.
For the desolate woman now has more children
than the woman who lives with her husband,”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge your house; build an addition.
Spread out your home, and spare no expense!
3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams.
Your descendants will occupy other nations
and resettle the ruined cities.
4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame.
Don’t be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you.
You will no longer remember the shame of your youth
and the sorrows of widowhood.
5 For your Creator will be your husband;
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
the God of all the earth.
6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief—
as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,”
says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will take you back.
8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “Just as I swore in the time of Noah
that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,
so now I swear
that I will never again be angry and punish you.
10 For the mountains may move
and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.
My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”
says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 “O storm-battered city,
troubled and desolate!
I will rebuild you with precious jewels
and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies,
your gates of shining gems,
and your walls of precious stones.
13 I will teach all your children,
and they will enjoy great peace.
14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair.
Your enemies will stay far away.
You will live in peace,
and terror will not come near.
15 If any nation comes to fight you,
it is not because I sent them.
Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.
16 “I have created the blacksmith
who fans 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 will succeed.
You will silence every voice
raised up to accuse you.
These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord;
their vindication will come from me.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Isaiah 54
English Standard Version
The Eternal Covenant of Peace
54 (A)“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of (B)the desolate one (C)will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 (D)“Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 (E)For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, (F)for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 (G)For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
(H)and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
(I)the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 (J)For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 (K)For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 (L)In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
(M)but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “This is like (N)the days of Noah[a] to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and (O)my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 (P)“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, (Q)I will set your stones in antimony,
(R)and lay your foundations with sapphires.[b]
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,[c]
your gates of carbuncles,[d]
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 (S)All your children (T)shall be taught by the Lord,
(U)and 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 (V)If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
(W)and their vindication[e] from me, declares the Lord.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 54:9 Some manuscripts For this is as the waters of Noah
- Isaiah 54:11 Or lapis lazuli
- Isaiah 54:12 Or jasper, or ruby
- Isaiah 54:12 Or crystal
- Isaiah 54:17 Or righteousness
Isaiah 54
New International Version
The Future Glory of Zion
54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
than of her who has a husband,(F)”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(G)
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.(H)
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants(I) will dispossess nations(J)
and settle in their desolate(K) cities.
4 “Do not be afraid;(L) you will not be put to shame.(M)
Do not fear disgrace;(N) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(O)
and remember no more the reproach(P) of your widowhood.(Q)
5 For your Maker(R) is your husband(S)—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(T) of Israel is your Redeemer;(U)
he is called the God of all the earth.(V)
6 The Lord will call you back(W)
as if you were a wife deserted(X) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,(Y)
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment(Z) I abandoned(AA) you,
but with deep compassion(AB) I will bring you back.(AC)
8 In a surge of anger(AD)
I hid(AE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness(AF)
I will have compassion(AG) on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.(AH)
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.(AI)
So now I have sworn(AJ) not to be angry(AK) with you,
never to rebuke(AL) you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken(AM)
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love(AN) for you will not be shaken(AO)
nor my covenant(AP) of peace(AQ) be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion(AR) on you.
11 “Afflicted(AS) city, lashed by storms(AT) and not comforted,(AU)
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a](AV)
your foundations(AW) with lapis lazuli.(AX)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates(AY) of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(AZ)
and great will be their peace.(BA)
14 In righteousness(BB) you will be established:(BC)
Tyranny(BD) will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.(BE)
Terror(BF) 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(BG) to you.
16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(BH)
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon(BI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(BJ) to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,(BK)
and you will refute(BL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(BM) of the Lord,
and this is their vindication(BN) from me,”
declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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