Chronological
Social Injustice Is Condemned
59 The Lord hasn't lost
his powerful strength;
he can still hear
and answer prayers.
2 Your sins are the roadblock
between you and your God.
That's why he doesn't answer
your prayers
or let you see his face.
3 Your talk is filled with lies
and plans for violence;
every finger on your hands
is covered with blood.
4 You falsely accuse others
and tell lies in court;
sin and trouble are the names
of your children.
5 You eat the deadly eggs
of poisonous snakes,
and more snakes crawl out
from the eggs left to hatch.
You weave spider webs,
6 but you can't make clothes
with those webs
or hide behind them.
You're sinful and brutal.
7 (A) You hurry off to do wrong
or murder innocent victims.
All you think about is sin;
you leave ruin and destruction
wherever you go.
8 You don't know how
to live in peace
or to be fair with others.
The roads you make are crooked;
your followers cannot find peace.
The People Confess Their Sins
9 No one has come to defend us
or to bring about justice.
We hoped for a day of sunshine,
but all we found
was a dark, gloomy night.
10 We feel our way along,
as if we were blind;
we stumble at noon,
as if it were night.
We can see no better
than someone dead.[a]
11 We growl like bears
and mourn like doves.
We hope for justice and victory,
but they escape us.
12 How often have we sinned
and turned against you,
the Lord God?
Our sins condemn us!
We have done wrong.
13 We have rebelled and refused
to follow you.
Our hearts were deceitful,
and so we lied;
we planned to abuse others
and turn our backs on you.
14 Injustice is everywhere;
justice seems far away.
Truth is chased out of court;
honesty is shoved aside.
15 Everyone tells lies;
those who turn from crime
end up ruined.
The Lord Will Rescue His People
When the Lord noticed
that justice had disappeared,
he became very displeased.
16 (B) It disgusted him even more
to learn that no one
would do a thing about it.
So with his own powerful arm,
he won victories for truth.
17 (C) Justice was the Lord's armor;
saving power was his helmet;
anger and revenge
were his clothes.
18 Now the Lord will get furious
and do to his enemies,
both near and far,
what they did to his people.
19 He will attack like a flood
in a mighty windstorm.
Nations in the west and the east
will then honor and praise
his wonderful name.
20 (D) The Lord has promised to rescue
the city of Zion
and Jacob's descendants
who turn from sin.
21 The Lord says: “My people,
I promise to give you my Spirit
and my message.
These will be my gifts to you
and your families forever.
I, the Lord, have spoken.”
A New Day for Jerusalem
60 Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!
Your new day is dawning.
The glory of the Lord
shines brightly on you.
2 The earth and its people
are covered with darkness,
but the glory of the Lord
is shining upon you.
3 Nations and kings
will come to the light
of your dawning day.
Crowds Are Coming to Jerusalem
The Lord said:
4 (E) Open your eyes! Look around!
Crowds are coming.
Your sons are on their way
from distant lands;
your daughters are being carried
like little children.
5 When you see this,
your faces will glow;
your hearts will pound
and swell with pride.[b]
Treasures from across the sea
and the wealth of nations
will be brought to you.
6 Your country will be covered
with caravans of young camels
from Midian and Ephah.[c]
The people of Sheba[d]
will bring gold and spices
in praise of me, the Lord.
7 Every sheep of Kedar
will come to you;
rams from Nebaioth[e]
will be yours as well.
I will accept them as offerings
and bring honor to my temple.
8 What is that sailing by
like clouds
or like doves flying home?
9 On those distant islands
your people are waiting
for me, the Lord.[f]
Seagoing ships[g] lead the way
to bring them home
with their silver and gold.
I, the holy Lord God of Israel,
do this to honor your people,
so they will honor me.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
The Lord said:
10 Jerusalem, your city walls
will be rebuilt by foreigners;
their rulers will become
your slaves.
I punished you in my anger;
now I will be kind
and treat you with mercy.
11 (F) Your gates will be open
day and night
to let the rulers of nations
lead their people to you
with all their treasures.
12 Any nation or kingdom
that refuses to serve you
will be wiped out.
13 Wood from Lebanon's best trees
will be brought to you—
the pines, the firs,
and the cypress trees.
It will be used in my temple
to make beautiful the place
where I rest my feet.
14 (G) The descendants of enemies
who hated and mistreated you
will kneel at your feet.
They will say, “You are Zion,
the city of the Lord,
the holy One of Israel.”
15 You were hated and deserted,
rejected by everyone.
But I will make you beautiful,
a city to be proud of
for all time to come.
16 You will drain the wealth
of kings and foreign nations.
You will know that I,
the mighty Lord God of Israel,
have saved and rescued you.
17 I will bring bronze and iron
in place of wood and stone;
in place of bronze and iron,
I will bring gold and silver.
I will appoint peace and justice
as your rulers and leaders.
18 Violence, destruction, and ruin
will never again be heard of
within your borders.
“Victory” will be the name
you give to your walls;
“Praise” will be the name
you give to your gates.
19 (H) You won't need the light
of the sun or the moon.
I, the Lord your God,
will be your eternal light
and bring you honor.
20 Your sun will never set
or your moon go down.
I, the Lord, will be
your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow
will come to an end.
21 Your people will live right
and always own the land;
they are the trees I planted
to bring praise to me.
22 Even the smallest family
will be a powerful nation.
I am the Lord,
and when the time comes,
I will quickly do all this.
The Good News of Victory
61 (I)(J) The Spirit of the Lord God
has taken control of me!
The Lord has chosen and sent me
to tell the oppressed
the good news,
to heal the brokenhearted,
and to announce freedom
for prisoners and captives.
2 (K) This is the year
when the Lord God
will show kindness to us
and punish our enemies.
The Lord has sent me
to comfort those who mourn,
3 especially in Jerusalem.
He sent me to give them flowers
in place of their sorrow,
olive oil in place of tears,
and joyous praise
in place of broken hearts.
They will be called
“Trees of Justice,”
planted by the Lord
to honor his name.
4 Then they will rebuild cities
that have been in ruins
for many generations.
5 They will hire foreigners
to take care of their sheep
and their vineyards.
6 But they themselves will be
priests and servants
of the Lord our God.
The treasures of the nations
will belong to them,
and they will be famous.[h]
7 They were terribly insulted
and horribly mistreated;
now they will be greatly blessed
and joyful forever.
The Lord Loves Justice
8 I, the Lord, love justice!
But I hate robbery
and injustice.[i]
My people, I solemnly promise
to reward you
with an eternal agreement.
9 Your descendants will be known
in every nation.
All who see them will realize
that they have been blessed,
by me, the Lord.
Celebrate and Shout
10 (L) I celebrate and shout
because of my Lord God.
His saving power and justice
are the very clothes I wear.
They are more beautiful
than the jewelry worn
by a bride or groom.
11 The Lord will bring about
justice and praise
in every nation on earth,
like flowers blooming
in a garden.
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
62 Jerusalem, I will speak up
for your good.
I will never be silent
till you are safe and secure,
sparkling like a flame.
2 Your great victory will be seen
by every nation and king;
the Lord will even give you
a new name.
3 You will be a glorious crown,
a royal headband
for the Lord your God.
4 Your name will no longer be
“Deserted and Childless,”
but “Happily Married.”
You will please the Lord;
your country
will be his bride.
5 Your people will take the land,[j]
just as a young man
takes a bride.
The Lord will be pleased
because of you,
just as a husband is pleased
with his bride.
6 Jerusalem, on your walls
I have stationed guards,
whose duty it is
to speak out day and night,
without resting.
They must remind the Lord
7 and not let him rest
till he makes Jerusalem strong
and famous everywhere.
8 The Lord has given his word
and made this promise:
“Never again will I give
to your enemies
the grain and grapes
for which you struggled.
9 As surely as you harvest
your grain and grapes,
you will eat your bread
with thankful hearts,
and you will drink your wine
in my temple.”
10 People of Jerusalem,
open your gates!
Repair the road to the city
and clear it of stones;
raise a banner to help
the nations find their way.
11 (M) Here is what the Lord has said
for all the earth to hear:
“Soon I will come to save
the city of Zion
and to reward you.
12 Then you will be called,
‘The Lord's Own People,
The Ones He Rescued!’
Your city will be known
as a good place to live
and a city full of people.”
The Lord's Victory over the Nations
63 (N) Who is this coming
from Bozrah[k] in Edom
with clothes stained red?
Who is this hero marching
in his glorious uniform?
“It's me, the Lord!
I have won the battle,
and I can save you!”
2 What are those red spots?
Your clothes look stained
from trampling on grapes.[l]
3 (O) “I alone trampled the grapes!
None of the nations helped.
I trampled nations in my anger
and stained my clothes
with their blood.
4 I did this because I wanted
to take revenge—
the time had come
to rescue my people.
5 (P) No one was there to help me
or to give support;
my mighty arm won the battle,
strengthened by my anger.
6 In my fury I trampled on nations
and made them drunk;
their blood poured out
everywhere on earth.”
The Lord's Goodness to His People
7 I will tell about the kind deeds
the Lord has done.
They deserve praise!
The Lord has shown mercy
to the people of Israel;
he has been kind and good.
8 The Lord rescued his people,
and said, “They are mine.
They won't betray me.”
9 It troubled the Lord
to see them in trouble,
and his angel saved them.[m]
The Lord was truly merciful,
so he rescued his people.
He took them in his arms
and carried them all those years.
10 Then the Lord's people
turned against him and made
his Holy Spirit sad.
So he became their enemy
and attacked them.
11 But his people remembered
what had happened
during the time of Moses.[n]
Didn't the Lord[o] bring them
and their leaders
safely through the sea?
Didn't he[p] give them
his Holy Spirit?
12 (Q) The glorious power of the Lord
marched beside Moses.
The Lord will be praised forever
for dividing the sea.
13 He led his people across
like horses running wild
without stumbling.
14 His Spirit gave them rest,
just as cattle find rest
when led into a valley.[q]
The name of the Lord was praised
for doing these things.
A Prayer for Mercy and Help
15 Please, Lord, look down
from your holy and glorious
home in the heavens
and see what's going on.
Have you lost interest?
Where is your power?
Show that you care about us[r]
and have mercy!
16 (R) Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob
have both rejected us.
But you are still our Father;
you have been our protector
since ancient times.
17 Why did you make us turn away
from you, our Lord?
Why did you make us want
to disobey you?
Please change your mind!
We are your servants,
your very own people.
18 For a little while,
your temple belonged to us;[s]
and now our enemies
have torn it down.
19 We act as though you
had never ruled us
or called us your people.
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