Beginning
Sins that Separate from God
59 “See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save,
nor are his ears[a] too dull to hear.
2 Instead, your iniquities have been barriers
between you and your God,
and your sins have concealed his face from you
so that he won’t listen.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity;
your tongue[b] mutters wickedness.
4 No one brings a lawsuit fairly,
and no one goes to law honestly;
they have relied[c] on empty arguments
and they tell lies;
they conceive[d] trouble
and give birth[e] to iniquity.
5 They hatch[f] adders’ eggs[g]
and weave[h] a spider’s web;
whoever eats their eggs dies,
and any crushed egg hatches out futility.[i]
6 Their cobwebs cannot become clothing,
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are deeds of iniquity,
and acts of violence fill their hands.
7 Their feet rush to evil,
and they are quick to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
ruin, destruction, and violence[j] are in their paths.
8 The pathway of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their courses.
They have made their roads crooked;
no one who walks in them will know peace.”
A Commitment to Wait on God
9 “So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but look—there is darkness;
we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness.[k]
10 Let’s grope[l] along the wall like the blind;
let us grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as if it were twilight,
in desolate places[m] like dead people.
11 We all growl like bears;
we[n] sigh mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but there is none,
and[o] for deliverance, but it’s far from us.
12 “For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify[p] against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and as for our iniquities,
we acknowledge them:
13 they’ve rebelled[q] in[r] treachery against the Lord,
and are turning away from following our God;
and they’ve spoken[s] oppression and revolt,
and are conceiving[t] lying words from the heart.
14 I’ll drive back justice,[u]
and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth has fallen in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is missing,
and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.”
God Brings His Own Salvation
“Then the Lord looked, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm[v] brought him victory,
and his righteous acts upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in fury like a cloak.
18 So he will repay according to their action:
Anger to his enemies, retribution to his foes;
to the coastlands he will render their due.
19 So people will fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glories[w] from the rising of the sun;
for he will come as a pent-up stream
that the breath of the Lord drives along.
20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” says the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,”[x] says the Lord. “And[y] my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children,[z] from now on and forever.”
The Light of God’s Deliverance
60 “Arise, shine!
For your light has come;
the[aa] glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For look! Darkness will cover the earth
and thick darkness is over the people,[ab]
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings before[ac] your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look around:
They all gather together, they come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried on the hip.”[ad]
5 Then you will look and be radiant;
your heart will swell with joy,[ae]
because the abundance of the seas will be diverted to you,
and the riches of the nations will come to you.
6 Throngs of camels will blanket you:
the young camels of Midian and Ephu;[af]
all those from Shebu[ag] will come.
They’ll carry gold and frankincense,
and proclaim the praise of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you.
and[ah] they’ll come up with acceptance upon[ai] my altar,
and I’ll glorify my glorious house.”
The Future Restoration of Zion
8 “Who are these that fly like clouds,
and like doves to their windows?[aj]
9 For the coastlands will look to me,
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,
to bring my[ak] children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
to the name of the Lord your God,
and to the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.
10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
and their kings will serve you.
Though in my anger I struck you down,
in my favor I have shown you mercy.
11 Your gates will always stand open
by day or night, and[al] they will not be shut,
so that nations will bring you their wealth,
with their kings led in procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom
that will not serve you will perish;
those nations will be utterly ruined.
13 “He has given you[am] the glory of Lebanon,
and it will come[an] to you,
the cypress, and[ao] the plane tree,[ap] and the pine,
to adorn the place of my sanctuary;
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 “All[aq] the descendants of those who oppressed you
will come bending low before you,
and all those who despised you
will bow down at your feet.
They’ll call you ‘The City of the Lord,’
‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’”
Israel: the Joy of Generations
15 “Although you have been forsaken and despised,
with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride,
the joy of all generations.
16 You’ll suck the milk of nations,
You’ll suck the breasts of kings.
Then you will realize that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze, I’ll bring gold,
and instead of iron, I’ll bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
and instead of stones, iron.
I’ll appoint peace as your supervisor
and righteousness as your taskmaster.
18 Then[ar] violence will no longer be heard in your land,
nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
but you’ll call your walls ‘Salvation’,
and your gates ‘Praise’.
19 “The sun will no longer be your light by day,
nor for brightness will the moon shine on you by night[as]—
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,[at]
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun won’t[au] set,
nor will your moon withdraw itself—
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning will end.
21 Then your people will all be righteous;
They’ll possess the land forever.
They are the shoot[av] that the Lord planted,[aw]
the works[ax] of his hands,
so that I might be glorified.
22 The least of them will become a thousand,
and the smallest one a mighty nation.
“I am the Lord;
When the time is right,[ay] I will do this swiftly.”
Good News of Deliverance
61 “The Spirit of the Lord[az] is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed
and[ba] to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness[bb] for the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
the[bc] day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
“Then people will call them[bd] “Oaks of Righteousness”,
“The Planting of the Lord”,
in order to display his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore the places long devastated;
they will build again the ruined cities,
they will build again[be] the places devastated for many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
and foreigners will work your land
and dress your vines.
6 But as for you, you will be called priests of the Lord,
and[bf] you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast about their riches.
7 Instead of your shame you will receive double,
and instead of disgrace people will shout with joy over your[bg] inheritance;
therefore you[bh] will inherit a double portion in their land;
everlasting joy will be yours.”[bi]
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice,
and[bj] I hate robbery and iniquity;
I will faithfully present your reward[bk]
and make an everlasting covenant with you.[bl]
9 Your[bm] offspring will be known among the nations,
and your[bn] descendants among the people.[bo]
All who see them will acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.”
Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance
10 “I will heartily rejoice in the Lord,
my soul will delight in my God;
for he has wrapped me in garments of salvation;
he has arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
just like a bridegroom,
like a priest[bp] with a garland,
and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For just as the soil brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden makes what is sown within it spring up,
so the Lord God[bq] will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all the nations for Zion’s sake.”[br]
The Vindication of Jerusalem
62 “And[bs] I won’t remain silent,[bt]
and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t stay quiet,
until her vindication shines out like brightness,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and people will call you[bu] by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 And[bv] you’ll no longer be called ‘Deserted,’
and your land will no longer be called ‘Desolate’;
but people will call you[bw] ‘Hephzibah,’[bx]
and your land ‘Beulah’[by]—
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.”
5 “For just as[bz] a young man marries a maiden,
so your sons will marry you;
and just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
6 “Upon your walls, Jerusalem,
I have posted watchmen;
all day and all night
they won’t[ca] remain silent.
You who make mention of the Lord,
take no rest,
7 and give him no rest
until he prepares, establishes[cb] and makes Jerusalem
a song of praise throughout the earth.
8 “The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:[cc]
‘I will never again give your grain[cd]
as food for your enemies;
never[ce] again will foreigners drink your new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but surely[cf] those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the name of[cg] the Lord,
and those who gather it will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary,’ says your God.”[ch]
The Coming of God to Reign
10 “Pass through[ci] the gates!
prepare the way for the people!
Build up! Build up the highway!
Clear it of stumbling stones,[cj]
speak among the peoples.[ck]
11 Here is the Lord!
Proclaim[cl] to the ends[cm] of the earth,
say to the inhabitants[cn] of Zion:
‘See, your salvation is coming!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompenses are[co] before him.’
12 People will call them, ‘The Holy People,’
‘The Redeemed of the Lord’;
and they will call you,[cp] ‘Sought After,’
‘The City Not Deserted.’”
God’s Day of Vengeance
63 “Who is this coming from Edom,
from Bozrah, in garments stained crimson?
Who is this, robed in such splendor,
marching in his great might?
It is I, speaking in vindication,
mighty to save.
2 “Why is your clothing red,
and your garments like those worn by the ones who tread in the winepress?[cq]
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from my people[cr] no one was with me,
I trampled them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,[cs]
and I stained[ct] all my clothing.
4 “For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year for my redeeming work had come.
5 I looked, but there was no helper,
I was appalled that there was no one to give support;[cu]
so my own arm[cv] brought me victory,
and as for my wrath, it supported me.
6 I trampled people[cw] in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk
and I poured out their lifeblood on the ground.”
God’s Grace to Israel
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his gracious love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who won’t act falsely.”
And so he became their savior.
9 In all their distress he wasn’t distressed,[cx]
but the angel of his presence saved them;
in his acts of love[cy] and in his acts[cz] of pity he redeemed them;
he carried them and lifted them up[da] all the days of old.
10 Yet they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
so he changed and became their enemy,
and[db] he himself fought against them.
11 Then they[dc] remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.
Where is the one who brought up[dd] out of the sea
the[de] shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,
12 and[df] who made his glorious arm[dg] march at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters in front of them
to win[dh] an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the open desert,
they did not stumble;
14 like cattle that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
For[di] you led your people,
to win for yourself a glorious name.
God the Father
15 Look down from heaven, and see
from your holy and glorious dwelling.
Where are your zeal and your might?
Where are the yearning of your heart and your compassion?
They are held back from me.
16 But you are our Father,
even[dj] Abraham does not know us
and Israel has not acknowledged[dk] us;
you are he,[dl] O Lord, our Father,
from long ago, ‘Our Redeemer’ is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander[dm] from your ways
and harden our hearts, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
18 Your holy people took possession[dn] for a little while,
but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 For a long time we have been those you do not rule,
those who are not called by your name.
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