Isaiah 40-55
New American Standard Bible 1995
The Greatness of God
40 “(A)Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
2 “(B)Speak [a]kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her [b](C)warfare has ended,
That her [c](D)iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
(E)Double for all her sins.”
3 (F)A voice [d]is calling,
“(G)Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 “Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 [e]Then the (H)glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And (I)all flesh will see it together;
For the (J)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Call out.”
Then [f]he answered, “What shall I call out?”
(K)All flesh is grass, and all its [g]loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The (L)grass withers, the flower fades,
[h]When the (M)breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But (N)the word of our God stands forever.
9 Get yourself up on a (O)high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of (P)good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the (Q)cities of Judah,
“(R)Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord [i]God will come (S)with might,
With His (T)arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His (U)reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will (V)tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
12 Who has (W)measured the [j]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the [k]span,
And [l]calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 (X)Who has [m]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (Y)counselor has informed Him?
14 (Z)With whom did He consult and who (AA)gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the (AB)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (AC)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [n]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
Nor its (AD)beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (AE)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [o]meaningless.
18 (AF)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [p](AG)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (AH)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (AI)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [q]prepare [r]an idol that (AJ)will not totter.
21 (AK)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (AL)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [s]sits above the [t](AM)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (AN)grasshoppers,
Who (AO)stretches out the heavens like a (AP)curtain
And spreads them out like a (AQ)tent to dwell in.
23 He it is who reduces (AR)rulers to nothing,
Who (AS)makes the judges of the earth [u]meaningless.
24 [v]Scarcely have they been planted,
[w]Scarcely have they been sown,
[x]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (AT)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “(AU)To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (AV)Lift up your eyes on high
And see (AW)who has created these stars,
The (AX)One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (AY)greatness of His might and the [y]strength of His power,
(AZ)Not one of them is missing.
27 (BA)Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is (BB)hidden from the Lord,
And the (BC)justice due me [z]escapes the notice of (BD)my God”?
28 (BE)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The (BF)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is (BG)inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the (BH)weary,
And to him who lacks might He (BI)increases power.
30 Though (BJ)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous (BK)young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [aa]wait for the Lord
Will (BL)gain new strength;
They will [ab](BM)mount up with [ac]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Israel Encouraged
41 “(BN)Coastlands, listen to Me (BO)in silence,
And let the peoples (BP)gain new strength;
(BQ)Let them come forward, then let them speak;
(BR)Let us come together for judgment.
2 “(BS)Who has aroused one from the east
Whom He (BT)calls in righteousness to His [ad]feet?
He (BU)delivers up nations before him
And subdues kings.
He makes them like (BV)dust with his sword,
As the wind-driven (BW)chaff with his bow.
3 “He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been [ae]traversing with his feet.
4 “(BX)Who has performed and accomplished it,
Calling forth the generations from the beginning?
‘(BY)I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. (BZ)I am He.’”
5 The (CA)coastlands have seen and are afraid;
The (CB)ends of the earth tremble;
They have drawn near and have come.
6 Each one helps his neighbor
And says to his brother, “Be strong!”
7 So the (CC)craftsman encourages the (CD)smelter,
And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
And he fastens it with nails,
(CE)So that it will not totter.
8 “But you, Israel, (CF)My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of (CG)Abraham My (CH)friend,
9 You whom I have [af](CI)taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its (CJ)remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are (CK)My servant,
I have (CL)chosen you and not rejected you.
10 ‘Do not (CM)fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely (CN)I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous (CO)right hand.’
11 “Behold, (CP)all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
(CQ)Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.
12 “(CR)You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.
13 “For I am the Lord your God, (CS)who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘(CT)Do not fear, I will help you.’
14 “Do not fear, you (CU)worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the Lord, “[ag]and (CV)your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
(CW)You will thresh the (CX)mountains and pulverize them,
And will make the hills like chaff.
16 “You will (CY)winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
And the storm will scatter them;
But you will (CZ)rejoice in the Lord,
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The [ah]afflicted and needy are seeking (DA)water, but there is none,
And their tongue is parched with thirst;
I, the Lord, (DB)will answer them Myself,
As the God of Israel I (DC)will not forsake them.
18 “I will open (DD)rivers on the bare heights
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make (DE)the wilderness a pool of water
And the dry land fountains of water.
19 “I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
The acacia and the (DF)myrtle and the [ai]olive tree;
I will place the (DG)juniper in the desert
Together with the box tree and the cypress,
20 That (DH)they may see and recognize,
And consider and gain insight as well,
That the (DI)hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
21 “[aj]Present your case,” the Lord says.
“Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The (DJ)King of Jacob says.
22 (DK)Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the (DL)former events, declare what they were,
That we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;
23 (DM)Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
That we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, (DN)do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.
24 Behold, (DO)you are of [ak]no account,
And (DP)your work amounts to nothing;
He who chooses you is an (DQ)abomination.
25 “I have aroused (DR)one from the north, and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
And he will come upon rulers as upon (DS)mortar,
Even as the potter treads clay.”
26 Who has (DT)declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
Surely there was (DU)no one who declared,
Surely there was no one who proclaimed,
Surely there was no one who heard your words.
27 “(DV)Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a (DW)messenger of good news.’
28 “But (DX)when I look, there is no one,
And there is no (DY)counselor [al]among them
Who, if I ask, can (DZ)give an answer.
29 “Behold, all of them are [am]false;
Their (EA)works are (EB)worthless,
Their molten images are (EC)wind and emptiness.
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “(ED)Behold, My (EE)Servant, whom I [an]uphold;
My (EF)chosen one in whom My (EG)soul delights.
I have put My (EH)Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth (EI)justice to the [ao]nations.
2 “He will not cry out or raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 “A bruised reed He will not break
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth (EJ)justice.
4 “He will not be (EK)disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice in the earth;
And the (EL)coastlands will wait expectantly for His [ap]law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
Who (EM)created the heavens and (EN)stretched them out,
Who spread out the (EO)earth and its [aq]offspring,
Who (EP)gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
6 “I am the Lord, I have (EQ)called You in righteousness,
I will also (ER)hold You by the hand and (ES)watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a (ET)covenant to the people,
As a (EU)light to the nations,
7 To (EV)open blind eyes,
To (EW)bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 “(EX)I am the Lord, that is (EY)My name;
I will not give My (EZ)glory to another,
Nor My praise to [ar]graven images.
9 “Behold, the (FA)former things have come to pass,
Now I declare (FB)new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
10 Sing to the Lord a (FC)new song,
Sing His praise from the (FD)end of the earth!
(FE)You who go down to the sea, and (FF)all that is in it.
You (FG)islands, and those who dwell on them.
11 Let the (FH)wilderness and its cities lift up their voices,
The settlements where (FI)Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of (FJ)Sela sing aloud,
Let them shout for joy from the tops of the (FK)mountains.
12 Let them (FL)give glory to the Lord
And declare His praise in the (FM)coastlands.
13 (FN)The Lord will go forth like a warrior,
He will arouse His (FO)zeal like a man of war.
He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry.
He will (FP)prevail against His enemies.
The Blindness of the People
14 “(FQ)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 “I will (FR)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (FS)make the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 “I will (FT)lead the blind by a way they do not know,
In paths they do not know I will guide them.
I will (FU)make darkness into light before them
And (FV)rugged places into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (FW)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (FX)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [as]idols,
Who say to molten images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (FY)Hear, you deaf!
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (FZ)servant,
Or so deaf as My (GA)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as he that is [at](GB)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (GC)You have seen many things, but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open, but none hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the law (GD)great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered and despoiled;
All of them are (GE)trapped in [au]caves,
Or are (GF)hidden away in prisons;
They have become a prey with none to deliver them,
And a spoil, with none to say, “Give them back!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will give heed and listen hereafter?
24 Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to plunderers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,
And in whose ways they (GG)were not willing to walk,
And whose law they did not (GH)obey?
25 So He poured out on him the heat of His anger
And the (GI)fierceness of battle;
And it set him aflame all around,
Yet he did not recognize it;
And it burned him, but he [av](GJ)paid no attention.
Israel Redeemed
43 But now, thus says the Lord, your (GK)Creator, O Jacob,
And He who (GL)formed you, O Israel,
“Do not (GM)fear, for I have (GN)redeemed you;
I have (GO)called you by name; you are (GP)Mine!
2 “When you (GQ)pass through the waters, (GR)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you (GS)walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 “For (GT)I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your (GU)Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
[aw](GV)Cush and Seba in your place.
4 “Since you are (GW)precious in My sight,
Since you are (GX)honored and I (GY)love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.
5 “Do not fear, for (GZ)I am with you;
I will bring (HA)your offspring from the east,
And (HB)gather you from the west.
6 “I will say to the (HC)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My (HD)sons from afar
And My daughters from the (HE)ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is (HF)called by My name,
And whom I have (HG)created for My (HH)glory,
(HI)Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Israel Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who are (HJ)blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears.
9 All the nations have (HK)gathered together
So that the peoples may be assembled.
Who among them can (HL)declare this
And proclaim to us the former things?
Let them present (HM)their witnesses (HN)that they may be justified,
Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are (HO)My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And (HP)My servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and believe Me
And understand that (HQ)I am He.
(HR)Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.
11 “I, even I, am the Lord,
And there is no (HS)savior (HT)besides Me.
12 “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,
And there was no (HU)strange god among you;
So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“And I am God.
13 “Even [ax](HV)from eternity (HW)I am He,
And there is (HX)none who can deliver out of My hand;
(HY)I act and who can reverse it?”
Babylon to Be Destroyed
14 Thus says the Lord your (HZ)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“For your sake I have sent to Babylon,
And will bring them all down as fugitives,
[ay]Even the (IA)Chaldeans, into the (IB)ships [az]in which they rejoice.
15 “I am the Lord, your Holy One,
(IC)The Creator of Israel, your (ID)King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
Who (IE)makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the (IF)chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty man
(They will lie down together and not rise again;
They have been (IG)quenched and extinguished like a wick):
18 “(IH)Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
19 “Behold, I will do something (II)new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even (IJ)make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20 “The beasts of the field will glorify Me,
The (IK)jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have (IL)given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 “The people whom (IM)I formed for Myself
(IN)Will declare My praise.
The Shortcomings of Israel
22 “Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob;
But you have become (IO)weary of Me, O Israel.
23 “You have (IP)not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings,
Nor have you (IQ)honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not (IR)burdened you with [ba]offerings,
Nor wearied you with (IS)incense.
24 “You have bought Me not [bb](IT)sweet cane with money,
Nor have you [bc]filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
Rather you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (IU)wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am the one who (IV)wipes out your transgressions (IW)for My own sake,
And I will (IX)not remember your sins.
26 “[bd]Put Me in remembrance, (IY)let us argue our case together;
State your cause, (IZ)that you may be proved right.
27 “Your (JA)first [be]forefather sinned,
And your [bf](JB)spokesmen have [bg]transgressed against Me.
28 “So I will [bh]pollute the [bi]princes of the sanctuary,
And I will consign Jacob to the (JC)ban and Israel to (JD)revilement.
The Blessings of Israel
44 “But now listen, O Jacob, My (JE)servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And (JF)formed you from the womb, who (JG)will help you,
‘(JH)Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you (JI)Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 ‘For (JJ)I will pour out water on [bj]the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will (JK)pour out My Spirit on your (JL)offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;
4 And they will spring up [bk]among the grass
Like (JM)poplars by streams of water.’
5 “This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one [bl]will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will (JN)write [bm]on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.
6 “Thus says the Lord, the (JO)King of Israel and his (JP)Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the (JQ)first and I am the last,
And there is no God (JR)besides Me.
7 ‘Who is like Me? (JS)Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
[bn]From the time that I established the ancient [bo]nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place.
8 ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid;
(JT)Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it?
And (JU)you are My witnesses.
Is there any God (JV)besides Me,
Or is there any other (JW)Rock?
I know of none.’”
The Folly of Idolatry
9 Those who fashion [bp]a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be (JX)put to shame. 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast [bq]an idol to (JY)no profit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be (JZ)put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame.
12 The (KA)man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, [br]fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and [bs]his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 (KB)Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of (KC)man, so that it may sit in a (KD)house. 14 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a [bt]cypress or an oak and [bu]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 makes a fire to bake bread. He also (KE)makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and (KF)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 (KG)makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also (KH)prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
18 They do not (KI)know, nor do they understand, for He has (KJ)smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19 No one [bv]recalls, nor is there (KK)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 [bw]I make the rest of it into an (KL)abomination, [bx]I fall down before a block of wood!” 20 He [by](KM)feeds on ashes; a (KN)deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver [bz]himself, nor say, “(KO)Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
God Forgives and Redeems
21 “(KP)Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are (KQ)My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will (KR)not be forgotten by Me.
22 “I have (KS)wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a [ca]heavy mist.
(KT)Return to Me, for I have (KU)redeemed you.”
23 (KV)Shout for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
(KW)Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For (KX)the Lord has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He (KY)shows forth His glory.
24 Thus says the Lord, your (KZ)Redeemer, and the one who (LA)formed you from the womb,
“I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
(LB)Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth [cb]all alone,
25 (LC)Causing the [cc]omens of boasters to fail,
[cd]Making fools out of diviners,
(LD)Causing wise men to draw back
And [ce]turning their knowledge into foolishness,
26 (LE)Confirming the word of His servant
And [cf]performing the purpose of His messengers.
It is I who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited!’
And of the (LF)cities of Judah, ‘(LG)They shall be built.’
And I will raise up her ruins again.
27 “It is I who says to the depth of the sea, ‘Be dried up!’
And I will make your rivers (LH)dry.
28 “It is I who says of (LI)Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd!
And he will perform all My desire.’
And [cg]he declares of Jerusalem, ‘(LJ)She will be built,’
And of the temple, ‘[ch]Your foundation will be laid.’”
God Uses Cyrus
45 Thus says the Lord to (LK)Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right (LL)hand,
To (LM)subdue nations before him
And [ci]to (LN)loose the loins of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you and (LO)make the [cj]rough places smooth;
I will (LP)shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron (LQ)bars.
3 “I will give you the [ck](LR)treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The Lord, the God of Israel, who (LS)calls you by your name.
4 “For the sake of (LT)Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also (LU)called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have (LV)not known Me.
5 “I am the Lord, and (LW)there is no other;
(LX)Besides Me there is no God.
I will [cl](LY)gird you, though you have not known Me;
6 That [cm](LZ)men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is (MA)no one besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
7 The One (MB)forming light and (MC)creating darkness,
Causing [cn]well-being and (MD)creating calamity;
I am the Lord who does all these.
God’s Supreme Power
8 “(ME)Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the (MF)earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
(MG)And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “Woe to the one who (MH)quarrels with his [co]Maker—
An earthenware vessel [cp]among the vessels of earth!
Will the (MI)clay say to the [cq]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, ‘To what are you [cr]giving birth?’”
11 Thus says the (MJ)Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his [cs](MK)Maker:
“[ct](ML)Ask Me about the things to come [cu]concerning My (MM)sons,
And you shall commit to Me (MN)the work of My hands.
12 “It is I who (MO)made the earth, and created man upon it.
I (MP)stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I [cv]ordained (MQ)all their host.
13 “I have aroused him in (MR)righteousness
And I will (MS)make all his ways smooth;
He will (MT)build My city and will let My exiles go (MU)free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the Lord of hosts.
14 Thus says the Lord,
“The [cw]products of (MV)Egypt and the merchandise of [cx](MW)Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will (MX)come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in (MY)chains
And will (MZ)bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘[cy]Surely, (NA)God is [cz]with you, and (NB)there is none else,
No other God.’”
15 Truly, You are a God who (NC)hides Himself,
O God of Israel, (ND)Savior!
16 They will be (NE)put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The (NF)manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.
17 Israel has been saved by the Lord
With an (NG)everlasting salvation;
You (NH)will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.
18 For thus says the Lord, who (NI)created the heavens (He is the God who (NJ)formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it [da]a (NK)waste place, but formed it to be (NL)inhabited),
“I am the Lord, and (NM)there is none else.
19 “(NN)I have not spoken in secret,
In [db]some dark land;
I did not say to the [dc](NO)offspring of Jacob,
‘(NP)Seek Me in [dd]a waste place’;
I, the Lord, (NQ)speak righteousness,
(NR)Declaring things that are upright.
20 “(NS)Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
(NT)They have no knowledge,
Who (NU)carry about [de]their wooden idol
And (NV)pray to a god who cannot save.
21 “(NW)Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
(NX)Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the Lord?
And there is (NY)no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a (NZ)Savior;
There is none except Me.
22 “(OA)Turn to Me and (OB)be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 “(OC)I have sworn by Myself,
The (OD)word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me (OE)every knee will bow, every tongue will (OF)swear allegiance.
24 “They will say of Me, ‘Only (OG)in the Lord are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And (OH)all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.
25 “In the Lord all the offspring of Israel
Will be (OI)justified and will (OJ)glory.”
Babylon’s Idols and the True God
46 (OK)Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things [df]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 burden,
But [dg]have themselves (OL)gone into captivity.
3 “(OM)Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all (ON)the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been (OO)borne by Me from [dh]birth
And have been carried from the womb;
4 Even to your old age (OP)I [di]will be the same,
And even to your [dj](OQ)graying years I will bear you!
I have [dk]done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.
5 “(OR)To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?
6 “Those who (OS)lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They (OT)bow down, indeed they worship it.
7 “They (OU)lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
(OV)It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it (OW)cannot answer;
It (OX)cannot deliver him from his distress.
8 “(OY)Remember this, and be [dl]assured;
(OZ)Recall it to [dm]mind, you (PA)transgressors.
9 “Remember the (PB)former things long past,
For I am God, and there is (PC)no other;
I am God, and there is (PD)no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘(PE)My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a (PF)bird of prey from the (PG)east,
The man of [dn]My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have (PH)spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.
12 “(PI)Listen to Me, you (PJ)stubborn-minded,
Who are (PK)far from righteousness.
13 “I (PL)bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant (PM)salvation in Zion,
And My (PN)glory for Israel.
Lament for Babylon
47 “(PO)Come down and sit in the dust,
O (PP)virgin (PQ)daughter of Babylon;
Sit on the ground without a throne,
O daughter of the Chaldeans!
For you shall no longer be called (PR)tender and delicate.
2 “Take the (PS)millstones and (PT)grind meal.
Remove your (PU)veil, (PV)strip off the skirt,
Uncover the leg, cross the rivers.
3 “Your (PW)nakedness will be uncovered,
Your shame also will be exposed;
I will (PX)take vengeance and will not [do]spare a man.”
4 Our (PY)Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name,
The Holy One of Israel.
5 “(PZ)Sit silently, and go into (QA)darkness,
O daughter of the Chaldeans,
For you will no longer be called
The (QB)queen of (QC)kingdoms.
6 “I was angry with My people,
I profaned My heritage
And gave them into your hand.
You did not show mercy to them,
On the (QD)aged you made your yoke very heavy.
7 “Yet you said, ‘I will be a (QE)queen forever.’
These things you did not (QF)consider
Nor remember the (QG)outcome of [dp]them.
8 “Now, then, hear this, you (QH)sensual one,
Who (QI)dwells securely,
Who says in [dq]your heart,
‘(QJ)I am, and there is no one besides me.
I will (QK)not sit as a widow,
Nor know loss of children.’
9 “But these (QL)two things will come on you (QM)suddenly in one day:
Loss of children and widowhood.
They will come on you in full measure
In spite of your many (QN)sorceries,
In spite of the great power of your spells.
10 “You felt (QO)secure in your wickedness and said,
‘(QP)No one sees me,’
Your (QQ)wisdom and your knowledge, [dr]they have deluded you;
For you have said in your heart,
‘(QR)I am, and there is no one besides me.’
11 “But (QS)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 (QT)destruction about which you do not know
Will come on you (QU)suddenly.
12 “Stand fast now in your (QV)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 (QW)wearied with your many counsels;
Let now the (QX)astrologers,
Those who prophesy by the stars,
Those who predict by the new moons,
Stand up and (QY)save you from what will come upon you.
14 “Behold, they have become (QZ)like stubble,
(RA)Fire burns them;
They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame;
There will be (RB)no coal to warm by
Nor a fire to sit before!
15 “So have those become to you with whom you have labored,
Who have (RC)trafficked with you from your youth;
Each has wandered in his own [ds]way;
There is (RD)none to save you.
Israel’s Obstinacy
48 “(RE)Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are named Israel
And who came forth from the [dt](RF)loins of Judah,
Who (RG)swear by the name of the Lord
And invoke the God of Israel,
But not in truth nor in (RH)righteousness.
2 “For they call themselves after the (RI)holy city
And (RJ)lean on the God of Israel;
The Lord of hosts is His name.
3 “I (RK)declared the former things long ago
And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them.
(RL)Suddenly I acted, and they (RM)came to pass.
4 “Because I know that you are [du](RN)obstinate,
And your (RO)neck is an iron sinew
And your (RP)forehead bronze,
5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago,
Before [dv]they took place I proclaimed them to you,
So that you would not say, ‘My (RQ)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 proclaim to you (RR)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,
So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
8 “You have not (RS)heard, you have not known.
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 [dw](RT)rebel from [dx]birth.
9 “(RU)For the sake of My name I (RV)delay My wrath,
And for My praise I restrain it for you,
In order not to cut you off.
10 “Behold, I have refined you, but (RW)not as silver;
I have tested you in the (RX)furnace of affliction.
11 “(RY)For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act;
For how can My name be profaned?
And My (RZ)glory I will not give to another.
Deliverance Promised
12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel [dy]whom I called;
(SA)I am He, (SB)I am the first, I am also the last.
13 “Surely My hand (SC)founded the earth,
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I (SD)call to them, they stand together.
14 “(SE)Assemble, all of you, and listen!
(SF)Who among them has declared these things?
The Lord loves him; he will (SG)carry out His good pleasure on (SH)Babylon,
And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 “I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have (SI)called him,
I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful.
16 “(SJ)Come near to Me, listen to this:
From the first I have (SK)not spoken in secret,
(SL)From the time it took place, I was there.
And now (SM)the Lord [dz]God has sent Me, and His Spirit.”
17 Thus says the Lord, your (SN)Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit,
Who (SO)leads you in the way you should go.
18 “If only you had (SP)paid attention to My commandments!
Then your [ea](SQ)well-being would have been like a river,
And your (SR)righteousness like the waves of the sea.
19 “Your [eb](SS)descendants would have been like the sand,
And [ec]your offspring like its grains;
(ST)Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”
20 (SU)Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of (SV)joyful shouting, proclaim this,
(SW)Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “(SX)The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not (SY)thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He (SZ)made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and (TA)the water gushed forth.
22 “(TB)There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord.
Salvation Reaches to the End of the Earth
49 Listen to Me, O (TC)islands,
And pay attention, you peoples from afar.
(TD)The Lord called Me from the womb;
From the [ed]body of My mother He named Me.
2 He has made My (TE)mouth like a sharp sword,
In the (TF)shadow of His hand He has concealed Me;
And He has also made Me a [ee]select (TG)arrow,
He has hidden Me in His quiver.
3 He said to Me, “(TH)You are My Servant, Israel,
(TI)In Whom I will [ef]show My glory.”
4 But I said, “I have (TJ)toiled in vain,
I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity;
Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the Lord,
And My (TK)reward with My God.”
5 And now says (TL)the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him, so that (TM)Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am (TN)honored in the sight of the Lord,
And My God is My (TO)strength),
6 He says, “It is too [eg]small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the (TP)preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a (TQ)light [eh]of the nations
So that My salvation may [ei]reach to the (TR)end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the Lord, the (TS)Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One,
To the (TT)despised One,
To the One abhorred by the nation,
To the Servant of rulers,
“(TU)Kings will see and arise,
Princes will also (TV)bow down,
Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord,
“In a (TW)favorable time I have answered You,
And in a day of salvation I have helped You;
And I will (TX)keep You and (TY)give You for a covenant of the people,
To [ej](TZ)restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;
9 Saying to those who are (UA)bound, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
Along the roads they will feed,
And their pasture will be on all (UB)bare heights.
10 “They will (UC)not hunger or thirst,
Nor will the scorching (UD)heat or sun strike them down;
For (UE)He who has compassion on them will (UF)lead them
And will guide them to (UG)springs of water.
11 “I will make all (UH)My mountains a road,
And My (UI)highways will be raised up.
12 “Behold, these will come (UJ)from afar;
And lo, these will come from the (UK)north and from the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 (UL)Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the (UM)Lord has comforted His people
And will (UN)have compassion on His afflicted.
Promise to Zion
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And the Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but (UO)I will not forget you.
16 “Behold, I have (UP)inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your (UQ)walls are continually before Me.
17 “Your [ek]builders hurry;
Your (UR)destroyers and devastators
Will depart from you.
18 “(US)Lift up your eyes and look around;
(UT)All of them gather together, (UU)they come to you.
(UV)As I live,” declares the Lord,
“You will surely (UW)put on all of them as [el]jewels and bind them on as a bride.
19 “For (UX)your waste and desolate places and your destroyed land—
Surely now you will be (UY)too cramped for the inhabitants,
And those who (UZ)swallowed you will be far away.
20 “The (VA)children of [em]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 (VB)say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have been bereaved of my children
And am (VC)barren, an (VD)exile and a wanderer?
And who has reared these?
Behold, I was (VE)left alone;
[en](VF)From where did these come?’”
22 Thus says the Lord [eo]God,
“Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations
And set up My (VG)standard to the peoples;
And they will (VH)bring your sons in their bosom,
And your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.
23 “(VI)Kings will be your guardians,
And their princesses your nurses.
They will (VJ)bow down to you with their faces to the earth
And (VK)lick the dust of your feet;
And you will (VL)know that I am the Lord;
Those who hopefully (VM)wait for Me will (VN)not be put to shame.
25 Surely, thus says the Lord,
“Even the (VP)captives of the mighty man will be taken away,
And the prey of the tyrant will be rescued;
For I will contend with the one who contends with you,
And I will (VQ)save your sons.
26 “I will feed your (VR)oppressors with their (VS)own flesh,
And they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine;
And (VT)all flesh will know that I, the Lord, am your (VU)Savior
And your (VV)Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
God Helps His Servant
50 Thus says the Lord,
“Where is the (VW)certificate of divorce
By which I have (VX)sent your mother away?
Or to whom of My creditors did I (VY)sell you?
Behold, you were sold for your (VZ)iniquities,
And for your (WA)transgressions your mother (WB)was sent away.
2 “Why was there (WC)no man when I came?
When I called, why was there none to answer?
Is My (WD)hand so short that it cannot ransom?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, I (WE)dry up the sea with My rebuke,
I (WF)make the rivers a wilderness;
Their fish stink for lack of water
And die of thirst.
3 “I (WG)clothe the heavens with blackness
And make sackcloth their covering.”
4 The Lord [eq]God has given Me the tongue of (WH)disciples,
That I may know how to (WI)sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me (WJ)morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
5 The Lord God has (WK)opened My ear;
And I was (WL)not disobedient
Nor did I turn back.
6 I (WM)gave My back to those who strike Me,
And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard;
I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.
7 For the Lord God (WN)helps Me,
Therefore, I am (WO)not disgraced;
Therefore, I have set My face like (WP)flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He who (WQ)vindicates Me is near;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us (WR)stand up to each other;
Who has a case against Me?
Let him draw near to Me.
9 Behold, (WS)the Lord God helps Me;
(WT)Who is he who condemns Me?
Behold, (WU)they will all wear out like a garment;
The moth will eat them.
10 Who is among you that fears the Lord,
That obeys the voice of His (WV)servant,
That (WW)walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him (WX)trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who (WY)kindle a fire,
Who [er]encircle 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 (WZ)lie down in torment.
Israel Exhorted
51 “(XA)Listen to me, you who (XB)pursue righteousness,
Who seek the Lord:
Look to the (XC)rock from which you were hewn
And to the [es]quarry from which you were dug.
2 “Look to (XD)Abraham your father
And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;
When he (XE)was but one I called him,
Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”
3 Indeed, (XF)the Lord will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her (XG)waste places.
And her (XH)wilderness He will make like (XI)Eden,
And her desert like the (XJ)garden of the Lord;
(XK)Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
4 “(XL)Pay attention to Me, O My people,
And give ear to Me, O My [et]nation;
For a (XM)law will go forth from Me,
And I will [eu]set My (XN)justice for a (XO)light of the peoples.
5 “My (XP)righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My (XQ)arms will judge the peoples;
The (XR)coastlands will wait for Me,
And for My (XS)arm they will wait expectantly.
6 “(XT)Lift up your eyes to the sky,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the (XU)sky will vanish like smoke,
And the (XV)earth will wear out like a garment
And its inhabitants will die [ev]in like manner;
But My (XW)salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not [ew]wane.
7 “(XX)Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose (XY)heart is My law;
Do not fear the (XZ)reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 “For the (YA)moth will eat them like a garment,
And the (YB)grub will eat them like wool.
But My (YC)righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”
9 (YD)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord;
Awake as in the (YE)days of old, the generations of long ago.
(YF)Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces,
Who pierced the (YG)dragon?
10 Was it not You who (YH)dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep;
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the (YI)redeemed to cross over?
11 So the (YJ)ransomed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
And (YK)everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And (YL)sorrow and sighing will flee away.
12 “I, even I, am He who (YM)comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of (YN)man who dies
And of the son of man who is made (YO)like grass,
13 That you have (YP)forgotten the Lord your Maker,
Who (YQ)stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you (YR)fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,
As he makes ready to destroy?
But where is the fury of the (YS)oppressor?
14 The [ex](YT)exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, (YU)nor will his bread be lacking. 15 For I am the Lord your God, who (YV)stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). 16 I have (YW)put My words in your mouth and have (YX)covered you with the shadow of My hand, to [ey](YY)establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
17 (YZ)Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who have (ZA)drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger;
The [ez]chalice of reeling you have [fa]drained to the dregs.
18 There is (ZB)none to guide her among all the sons she has borne,
Nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.
19 These two things have befallen you;
Who will mourn for you?
The (ZC)devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
How shall I comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted,
They (ZD)lie helpless at the head of every street,
Like an (ZE)antelope in a net,
Full of the wrath of the Lord,
The (ZF)rebuke of your God.
21 Therefore, please hear this, you (ZG)afflicted,
Who are (ZH)drunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord, even your God
Who (ZI)contends for His people,
“Behold, I have taken out of your hand the (ZJ)cup of reeling,
The [fb]chalice of My anger;
You will never drink it again.
23 “I will (ZK)put it into the hand of your tormentors,
Who have said to [fc]you, ‘(ZL)Lie down that we may walk over you.’
You have even made your back like the ground
And like the street for those who walk over it.”
Cheer for Prostrate Zion
52 (ZM)Awake, awake,
Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion;
Clothe yourself in your (ZN)beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the (ZO)holy city;
For the uncircumcised and the (ZP)unclean
Will no longer come into you.
2 Shake yourself (ZQ)from the dust, (ZR)rise up,
O captive Jerusalem;
(ZS)Loose yourself from the chains around your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the Lord, “You were (ZT)sold for nothing and you will be (ZU)redeemed (ZV)without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord [fd]God, “My people (ZW)went down at the first into Egypt to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?” Again the Lord declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My (ZX)name is continually blasphemed all day long. 6 Therefore My people shall (ZY)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 brings (ZZ)good news,
Who announces [fe]peace
And brings good news of [ff]happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your (AAA)God [fg]reigns!”
8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their (AAB)voices,
They shout joyfully together;
For they will see [fh]with their own eyes
When the Lord restores Zion.
9 (AAC)Break forth, shout joyfully together,
You (AAD)waste places of Jerusalem;
For the Lord has comforted His people,
He has (AAE)redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared His holy (AAF)arm
In the sight of all the nations,
[fi]That (AAG)all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God.
11 (AAH)Depart, depart, go out from there,
(AAI)Touch nothing unclean;
Go out of the midst of her, (AAJ)purify yourselves,
You who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 But you will not go out in (AAK)haste,
Nor will you go [fj]as fugitives;
For the (AAL)Lord will go before you,
And (AAM)the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The Exalted Servant
13 Behold, My (AAN)servant will prosper,
He will be high and lifted up and [fk]greatly (AAO)exalted.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people,
So His (AAP)appearance was marred more than any man
And His form more than the sons of men.
15 Thus He will (AAQ)sprinkle many nations,
Kings will (AAR)shut their mouths on account of Him;
For (AAS)what had not been told them they will see,
And what they had not heard they will understand.
The Suffering Servant
53 (AAT)Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a (AAU)tender [fl]shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has (AAV)no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should [fm]be attracted to Him.
3 He was (AAW)despised and forsaken of men,
A man of [fn]sorrows and (AAX)acquainted with [fo]grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was (AAY)despised, and we did not (AAZ)esteem Him.
4 Surely our [fp]griefs He Himself (ABA)bore,
And our [fq]sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
[fr]Smitten of (ABB)God, and afflicted.
5 But He was [fs]pierced through for (ABC)our transgressions,
He was crushed for (ABD)our iniquities;
The (ABE)chastening for our [ft]well-being fell upon Him,
And by (ABF)His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To [fu]fall on Him.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not (ABG)open His mouth;
(ABH)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 the [fv]living
(ABI)For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a (ABJ)rich man in His death,
(ABK)Because He had (ABL)done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the Lord was pleased
To (ABM)crush Him, [fw](ABN)putting Him to grief;
If [fx]He would render Himself as a guilt (ABO)offering,
He will see (ABP)His [fy]offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the [fz]good (ABQ)pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the [ga]anguish of His soul,
He will (ABR)see [gb]it and be satisfied;
By His (ABS)knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will (ABT)bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a (ABU)portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out [gc](ABV)Himself to death,
And was (ABW)numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself (ABX)bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.
The Fertility of Zion
54 “(ABY)Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed;
For the sons of the (ABZ)desolate one will be (ACA)more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 “(ACB)Enlarge the place of your tent;
[gd]Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your (ACC)cords
And strengthen your (ACD)pegs.
3 “For you will (ACE)spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your [ge]descendants will (ACF)possess nations
And will (ACG)resettle the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will (ACH)not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the (ACI)shame of your youth,
And the (ACJ)reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 “For your (ACK)husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your (ACL)Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the (ACM)God of all the earth.
6 “For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife (ACN)forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God.
7 “[gf]For a (ACO)brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will (ACP)gather you.
8 “In an [gg](ACQ)outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting (ACR)lovingkindness I will (ACS)have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your (ACT)Redeemer.
9 “For [gh]this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would (ACU)not [gi]flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will (ACV)not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the (ACW)mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My (ACX)covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says (ACY)the Lord who has compassion on you.
11 “O (ACZ)afflicted one, storm-tossed, and (ADA)not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will (ADB)lay in [gj](ADC)sapphires.
12 “Moreover, I will make your battlements of [gk]rubies,
And your gates of [gl]crystal,
And your entire [gm]wall of precious stones.
13 “(ADD)All your sons will be [gn]taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be (ADE)great.
14 “In (ADF)righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from (ADG)oppression, for you will (ADH)not fear;
And from (ADI)terror, for it will not come near you.
15 “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
(ADJ)Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
16 “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin.
17 “(ADK)No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And (ADL)every tongue that [go]accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their (ADM)vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.
The Free Offer of Mercy
55 “Ho! Every one who (ADN)thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have (ADO)no [gp]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy (ADP)wine and milk
(ADQ)Without money and without cost.
2 “Why do you [gq]spend money for what is (ADR)not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and (ADS)eat what is good,
And (ADT)delight yourself in abundance.
3 “(ADU)Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that [gr]you may (ADV)live;
And I will make (ADW)an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the (ADX)faithful mercies [gs]shown to David.
4 “Behold, I have made (ADY)him a witness to the peoples,
A (ADZ)leader and commander for the peoples.
5 “Behold, you will call a (AEA)nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will (AEB)run to you,
Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has (AEC)glorified you.”
6 (AED)Seek the Lord while He may be found;
(AEE)Call upon Him while He is near.
7 (AEF)Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his (AEG)thoughts;
And let him (AEH)return to the Lord,
And He will have (AEI)compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will (AEJ)abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not (AEK)your thoughts,
Nor are (AEL)your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For (AEM)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 (AEN)rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing (AEO)seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My (AEP)word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will (AEQ)not return to Me empty,
Without (AER)accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
12 “For you will go out with (AES)joy
And be led forth with (AET)peace;
The (AEU)mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the (AEV)trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 “Instead of the (AEW)thorn bush the (AEX)cypress will come up,
And instead of the (AEY)nettle the myrtle will come up,
And [gt]it will be a [gu](AEZ)memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting (AFA)sign which (AFB)will not be cut off.”
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:2 Lit to the heart of
- Isaiah 40:2 Or hard service
- Isaiah 40:2 Or penalty of iniquity accepted as paid off
- Isaiah 40:3 Or of one calling out
- Isaiah 40:5 Or In order that the
- Isaiah 40:6 Another reading is I said
- Isaiah 40:6 Or constancy
- Isaiah 40:7 Or Because
- Isaiah 40:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 40:12 DSS reads waters of the sea
- Isaiah 40:12 Or half cubit; i.e. 9 in.
- Isaiah 40:12 Lit contained or comprehended
- Isaiah 40:13 Or measured, marked off
- Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands
- Isaiah 40:17 Or void
- Isaiah 40:19 Or graven image
- Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
- Isaiah 40:20 Or a graven image
- Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
- Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
- Isaiah 40:23 Or void
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:26 So DSS and ancient versions; M.T. strong
- Isaiah 40:27 Lit passes by my God
- Isaiah 40:31 Or hope in
- Isaiah 40:31 Or sprout wings
- Isaiah 40:31 Or pinions
- Isaiah 41:2 Lit foot
- Isaiah 41:3 Lit going
- Isaiah 41:9 Or taken hold of
- Isaiah 41:14 Or even your Redeemer, the Holy One
- Isaiah 41:17 Or poor
- Isaiah 41:19 Or oleaster
- Isaiah 41:21 Lit Bring near
- Isaiah 41:24 Lit nothing
- Isaiah 41:28 Lit out of those
- Isaiah 41:29 Another reading is nothing
- Isaiah 42:1 Or hold fast
- Isaiah 42:1 Or Gentiles
- Isaiah 42:4 Or instruction
- Isaiah 42:5 Or vegetation
- Isaiah 42:8 Or idols
- Isaiah 42:17 Or graven images
- Isaiah 42:19 Or the devoted one
- Isaiah 42:22 Or holes
- Isaiah 42:25 Lit did not lay it to heart
- Isaiah 43:3 Or Ethiopia
- Isaiah 43:13 So with Gr; Heb from the day
- Isaiah 43:14 Another reading is 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 43:24 Or saturated
- Isaiah 43:26 Or Report to Me
- Isaiah 43:27 Lit father
- 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 Another reading is like grass among the waters
- Isaiah 44:5 Another reading is 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 people
- Isaiah 44:9 Or an idol
- Isaiah 44:10 Or a graven image
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit and fashions
- Isaiah 44:12 Lit there is no strength
- Isaiah 44:14 Or holm-oak
- Isaiah 44:14 Lit makes strong
- Isaiah 44:19 Lit returns to his heart
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I make?
- Isaiah 44:19 Or shall I fall...?
- Isaiah 44:20 Or is a companion of ashes
- Isaiah 44:20 Lit his soul
- Isaiah 44:22 Or cloud
- Isaiah 44:24 Or who was with Me?
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit signs
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He makes
- Isaiah 44:25 Lit He turns
- Isaiah 44:26 Lit He performs
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit to say
- Isaiah 44:28 Lit You will be founded
- Isaiah 45:1 Lit I will loose
- Isaiah 45:2 Another reading is mountains
- Isaiah 45:3 Or hoarded treasures
- Isaiah 45:5 Or arm
- Isaiah 45:6 Lit they
- Isaiah 45:7 Or peace
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit with
- Isaiah 45:9 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:10 Lit in labor pains with
- Isaiah 45:11 Lit Fashioner
- Isaiah 45:11 Or Will you ask
- Isaiah 45:11 Or upon
- Isaiah 45:12 Or commanded
- Isaiah 45:14 Lit labor
- Isaiah 45:14 Or Ethiopia
- 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 Lit seed
- Isaiah 45:19 Or vain
- Isaiah 45:20 Lit the wood of their graven image
- 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 46:8 Lit heart
- 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 transgressor
- Isaiah 48:8 Lit the belly
- Isaiah 48:12 Lit My called one
- Isaiah 48:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 48:18 Or peace
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit seed
- Isaiah 48:19 Lit the offspring of your inward parts
- Isaiah 49:1 Lit inward parts
- Isaiah 49:2 Or sharpened
- Isaiah 49:3 Or glorify Myself
- Isaiah 49:6 Lit light
- Isaiah 49:6 Or to
- Isaiah 49:6 Lit be
- Isaiah 49:8 Lit establish
- Isaiah 49:17 So ancient versions and DSS; M.T. reads sons
- Isaiah 49:18 Lit an ornament
- Isaiah 49:20 Lit your bereavement
- Isaiah 49:21 Lit These, where are they?
- Isaiah 49:22 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 49:24 So ancient versions and DSS; M.T. reads the righteous, cf v 25
- Isaiah 50:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord, and so throughout the ch
- Isaiah 50:11 Lit gird
- 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 51:6 Lit be broken
- Isaiah 51:14 Lit one in chains
- Isaiah 51:16 Lit plant
- Isaiah 51:17 Lit bowl of the cup of reeling
- Isaiah 51:17 Lit drunk
- Isaiah 51:22 Lit bowl of the cup of
- Isaiah 51:23 Lit your soul
- Isaiah 52:4 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 52:7 Or well-being
- Isaiah 52:7 Lit good
- Isaiah 52:7 Or is King
- Isaiah 52:8 Lit eye to eye
- Isaiah 52:10 Lit And...earth will see
- Isaiah 52:12 Lit in flight
- Isaiah 52:13 Or very high
- Isaiah 53:2 Lit suckling
- Isaiah 53:2 Lit desire
- Isaiah 53:3 Or pains
- Isaiah 53:3 Or sickness
- Isaiah 53:4 Or sickness
- Isaiah 53:4 Or pains
- Isaiah 53:4 Or Struck down by
- Isaiah 53:5 Or wounded
- Isaiah 53:5 Or peace
- Isaiah 53:6 Lit encounter Him
- Isaiah 53:8 Or life
- Isaiah 53:10 Lit He made Him sick
- Isaiah 53:10 Lit His soul
- Isaiah 53:10 Lit seed
- Isaiah 53:10 Or will of
- Isaiah 53:11 Or toilsome labor
- Isaiah 53:11 Another reading is light
- Isaiah 53:12 Lit His soul
- 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 read the waters of Noah this is to Me
- Isaiah 54:9 Lit cross over
- 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
- Isaiah 54:17 Lit rises against
- Isaiah 55:1 Lit silver
- Isaiah 55:2 Lit weigh out silver
- Isaiah 55:3 Lit your soul
- Isaiah 55:3 Lit of David
- Isaiah 55:13 I.e. the transformation of the desert
- Isaiah 55:13 Lit name
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
