Praise and Prayer

I will tell of the kindnesses(A) of the Lord,
    the deeds for which he is to be praised,
    according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(B)
    he has done for Israel,
    according to his compassion(C) and many kindnesses.
He said, “Surely they are my people,(D)
    children who will be true to me”;
    and so he became their Savior.(E)
In all their distress he too was distressed,
    and the angel(F) of his presence(G) saved them.[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(H) them;
    he lifted them up and carried(I) them
    all the days of old.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about all[a] the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel,[b]
because of[c] his compassion and great faithfulness.
He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.”[d]
He became their deliverer.
Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.[e]
The messenger sent from his very presence[f] delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protected[g] them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.[h]

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to all which.”
  2. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “greatness of goodness to the house of Israel which he did for them.”
  3. Isaiah 63:7 tn Heb “according to.”
  4. Isaiah 63:8 tn Heb “children [who] do not act deceitfully.” Here the verb refers to covenantal loyalty.
  5. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “in all their distress, there was distress to him” (reading לוֹ [lo] with the margin/Qere).
  6. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “the messenger [or “angel”] of his face”; NIV “the angel of his presence.”sn This may refer to the “angel of God” mentioned in Exod 14:19, who in turn may be identical to the divine “presence” (literally, “face”) referred to in Exod 33:14-15 and Deut 4:37. Here in Isa 63 this messenger may be equated with God’s “holy Spirit” (see vv. 10-11) and “the Spirit of the Lord” (v. 14). See also Ps 139:7, where God’s “Spirit” seems to be equated with his “presence” (literally, “face”) in the synonymous parallelistic structure.
  7. Isaiah 63:9 tn Or “redeemed” (KJV, NAB, NIV), or “delivered.”
  8. Isaiah 63:9 tn Heb “all the days of antiquity”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “days of old.”