Old/New Testament

53 Who would have believed what we heard?
    Who saw the Lord’s power in this?
² He grew up like a small plant before the Lord.
    He was like a root growing in a dry land.
He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him.
    There was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.
³ He was hated and rejected by people.
    He had much pain and suffering.
People would not even look at him.
    He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him.

⁴ But he took our suffering on him
    and felt our pain for us.
We saw his suffering.
    We thought God was punishing him.
⁵ But he was wounded for the wrong things we did.
    He was crushed for the evil things we did.
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him.
    And we are healed because of his wounds.
⁶ We all have wandered away like sheep.
    Each of us has gone his own way.
But the Lord has put on him the punishment
    for all the evil we have done.

⁷ He was beaten down and punished.
    But he didn’t say a word.
He was like a lamb being led to be killed.
    He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut.
    He never opened his mouth.
⁸ Men took him away roughly and unfairly.
    He died without children to continue his family.
He was put to death.
    He was punished for the sins of my people.
⁹ He was buried with wicked men.
    He died with the rich.
He had done nothing wrong.
    He had never lied.

¹⁰ But it was the Lord who decided
    to crush him and make him suffer.
    So the Lord made his life a penalty offering.
But he will see his descendants and live a long life.
    He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do.
¹¹ He will suffer many things in his soul.
    But then he will see life and be satisfied.
My good servant will make many people right with God.
    He carried away their sins.
¹² For this reason I will make him a great man among people.
    He will share in all things with those who are strong.
He willingly gave his life.
    He was treated like a criminal.
But he carried away the sins of many people.
    And he asked forgiveness for those who sinned.

⁴ “Don’t be afraid because you will not be ashamed.
    Don’t be embarrassed because you will not be disgraced.
You will forget the shame you felt earlier.
    You will not remember the shame you felt when you lost your husband.
⁵ This is because the God who made you is like your husband.
    His name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
The Holy One of Israel is the one who saves you.
    He is called the God of all the earth.
⁶ You were like a woman whose husband left her.
    And you were very sad.
You were like a wife who married young
    and then her husband left her.
But the Lord called you to be his,”
    says your God.
⁷ God says, “I left you, but only for a short time.
    But with great kindness I will bring you back again.
⁸ I became very angry
    and hid from you for a short time.
But I will show you mercy with kindness forever,”
    says the Lord your close relative who saves you.

⁹ The Lord says, “This is like the time of Noah.
I promised then
    that I would never flood the world again.
In the same way, I promise
    I will not be angry with you or punish you again.
¹⁰ The mountains may disappear,
    and the hills may come to an end.
But my love will never disappear.
    My promise of peace will not come to an end,”
    says the Lord who shows mercy to you.

¹¹ “You poor city. Storms have hurt you,
    and you have not been comforted.
But I will rebuild you using turquoise stones.
    I will build your foundations with sapphires.
¹² I will use rubies to build your walls.
    I will use shining jewels for the gates.
    I will build all your outer walls from precious jewels.
¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord.
    And they will have much peace.
¹⁴ I will build you using fairness.
You will be safe from those who would hurt you.
    So you will have nothing to fear.
    Nothing will come to make you afraid.
¹⁵ I will not send anyone to attack you.
    And you will defeat those who do attack you.

¹⁶ “See, I made the blacksmith.
    He fans the fire to make it hotter.
    And he makes the kind of tool he wants.
In the same way I have made the destroyer to destroy.
¹⁷     So no weapon that is used against you will defeat you.
    You will show that those who speak against you are wrong.
These are the good things my servants receive.
    Their victory comes from me,” says the Lord.

⁶ So you should look for the Lord before it is too late.
    You should call to him while he is near.
⁷ Evil people should stop being evil.
    They should stop thinking bad thoughts.
They should return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them.
    They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them.

⁸ The Lord says, “Your thoughts are not like my thoughts.
    Your ways are not like my ways.
⁹ Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways.
    And my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.
¹⁰ Rain and snow fall from the sky.
    They don’t return without watering the ground.
They cause the plants to sprout and grow.
    And the plants make seeds for the farmer.
    And from these seeds people have bread to eat.
¹¹ The words I say do the same thing.
    They will not return to me empty.
They make the things happen that I want to happen.
    They succeed in doing what I send them to do.

¹² “So you will go out with joy.
    You will be led out in peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song before you.
    All the trees in the fields will clap their hands.
¹³ Large cypress trees will grow where thornbushes were.
    Myrtle trees will grow where weeds were.
These things will be a reminder of the Lord’s promise.
    And this reminder will never be destroyed.”