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Jerusalem redeemed

62 For Zion’s sake I won’t keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t sit still
    until her righteousness shines out like a light,
    and her salvation blazes like a torch.
Nations will see your righteousness,
    all kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name,
    which the Lord’s own mouth will determine.
You will be a splendid garland in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal turban in the palm of God’s hand.
You will no longer be called Abandoned,
    and your land will no longer be called Deserted.
Instead, you will be called My Delight Is in Her,
    and your land, Married.
    Because the Lord delights in you,
    your land will be cared for once again.
As a young man marries a young woman,
    so your sons will marry you.
    With the joy of a bridegroom because of his bride,
    so your God will rejoice because of you.

Upon your walls, Jerusalem,
    I have appointed sentinels.
Continually, all day and all night,
    they won’t keep silent.
You who call on the Lord, don’t rest,
    and don’t allow God to rest
    until he establishes Jerusalem,
    and makes it the praise of the earth.
The Lord has promised
    with raised hand and strong arm:
    I will never again give your grain
    as food for your enemies.
    Foreigners won’t drink your wine
    for which you labored.
Those who harvest will eat it
    and will praise the Lord;
    those who gather will drink it
    in my holy courtyards.

10 Pass through, pass through the gates;
    prepare the way for the people!
Build, build the road;
    clear away the stones!
    Raise up a signal for the peoples.
11 This is what the Lord announced
    to the earth’s distant regions:
Say to Daughter Zion, “Look! Your deliverer arrives,
    bringing reward and payment!”
12 They will be called The Holy People,
    Redeemed By the Lord.
And you will be called Sought After—
    A City That Is Not Abandoned.

Vengeance against the nations

63 Who is this coming from Edom,
    from Bozrah in bright red garments,
    this splendidly dressed one, striding[a] with great power?
    It is I, proclaiming righteousness, powerful to save!
Why is your clothing red,
    and your garments like those of one who stomps on grapes?
I have pressed out in the vat by myself—from the peoples, no one was with me.
    I stomped on them in my anger,
    trampled them in my wrath.
Their blood splashed on my garments,
    and stained all my clothing,
    because I intended a day of vengeance;
    the year of my deliverance had arrived.
I looked and found no helper;
    I was astonished to find no supporter.
But my arm brought victory for me;
    my wrath helped me.
I trampled down nations in my anger
    and made them drunk on my wrath;
    I spilled their blood on the ground.

Prayer of yearning

I will recount the Lord’s faithful acts;
    I will sing the Lord’s praises,
    because of all the Lord did for us,
    for God’s great favor toward the house of Israel.
    God treated them compassionately
    and with deep affection.
God said, “Truly, they are my people,
    children who won’t do what is wrong.”
    God became their savior.
During all their distress, God also was distressed,
    so a messenger who served him saved them.
In love and mercy God redeemed them,
    lifting and carrying them throughout earlier times.
10 But they rebelled,
    and made God’s holy spirit terribly sad,
    so that he turned into their enemy—
    he fought against them!

11 Then they remembered earlier times,
    when he rescued his people.[b]
Where was the one who drew them up from the sea,
    the shepherd[c] of the flock?
Where was the one who put within them his holy spirit;
12     the one who guided Moses’ strong hand
    with his glorious arm;
    who split the water for them
    to create an enduring reputation for himself,
13     and who guided them through the depths?
    Like a horse in the desert, they didn’t stumble.
14 Like cattle descending to the valley,
    the Lord’s spirit brought them to rest.
In this way you led your people
    and made for yourself a glorious reputation.

15 Look down from heaven and see,
    from your holy and glorious perch.
Where are your energy and your might,
    your concern and your pity?
    Don’t hold back![d]
16 You are surely our father,
    even though Abraham doesn’t know us,
    and Israel doesn’t recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
    your reputation since long ago is that of our redeemer.
17 Why do you lead us astray, Lord,
    from your ways?
Why do you harden our heart
    so we don’t fear you?
Return for the sake of your servants
    the tribes that are your heritage!
18 Why did the wicked bring down your holy place?[e]
    Why did our enemies trample your sanctuary?
19 For too long we have been like those you don’t rule,
    like those not known by your name.

64 [f] If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!
    Mountains would quake before you
    like fire igniting brushwood or making water boil.
[g] If you would make your name known to your enemies,
    the nations would tremble in your presence.

When you accomplished wonders beyond all our expectations;
    when you came down, mountains quaked before you.
From ancient times,
    no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
    no eye has seen any god but you
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him![h]
You look after those who gladly do right;
    they will praise you for your ways.[i]
But you were angry when we sinned;
    you hid yourself when we did wrong.[j]
We have all become like the unclean;
    all our righteous deeds are like a menstrual rag.
All of us wither like a leaf;
    our sins, like the wind, carry us away.
No one calls on your name;
    no one bothers to hold on to you,
    for you have hidden yourself from us,
    and have handed us over[k] to our sin.

But now, Lord, you are our father.
    We are the clay, and you are our potter.
    All of us are the work of your hand.
Don’t rage so fiercely, Lord;
    don’t hold our sins against us forever,
    but gaze now on your people, all of us:
10     Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
    Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a wasteland.
11 Our holy, glorious house,
    where our ancestors praised you,
    has gone up in flames;
    all that we treasured has become a ruin.
12 After all this, will you hold back, Lord?
    Will you keep silent and torment us so terribly?

Judgment for idolators

65 I was ready to respond to those who didn’t ask.
    I was ready to be found by those who didn’t look for me.
I said, “I’m here! I’m here!” to a nation
    that didn’t call on my name.
I extended my hands all day
    to a rebellious people
        walking in a way that isn’t good,
        following their own plans;
    people who provoke me to my face continually,
        sacrificing in gardens and burning incense on bricks,
    who sit in tombs
        and spend the night among rocks;[l]
    who eat swine’s flesh
        with broth of unclean meat in their bowls;
    who say, “Keep to yourself!
    Keep away from me! I’m too holy for you.”
These people ignite my anger
    like a fire that burns all day.
Look, this stands written before me.
    I won’t be silent, but I will repay;
    I will repay in full measure
    your sins and the sins of your ancestors as well,
        says the Lord.
Since they burned incense on the mountains,
    and mocked me in the hills,
I will count out to them
    full payment for their actions.

The Lord proclaims:
As new wine is found in the grape cluster,
    and someone says, “Don’t destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,”
    so I will do for the sake of my servants
    and not destroy everything:
I will bring out offspring from Jacob,
    and from Judah, heirs to my mountains.
My chosen ones will take possession;
    my servants will dwell there.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for sheep,
    and the Achor Valley a resting place for cattle,
    for my people who seek me.
11 But you who abandon the Lord,
        who forget my holy mountain,
        who set a table for a god of good fortune,
        and fill cups of mixed wine for a god of fate:
12     I will offer you to the sword.
        You will all bow down for slaughter,
        because I called and you didn’t answer;
        I spoke and you wouldn’t hear.
        You did what I considered evil,
        and chose what I didn’t want.
13 Therefore, the Lord God says:
    Look, my servants will eat, but you will hunger.
    My servants will drink, but you will thirst.
    My servants will rejoice, but you will be ashamed.
14     My servants will sing with contented hearts,
    but you will cry out from heartache;
    with broken spirits you will wail.
15 You will leave your name behind for my chosen ones to curse:
    “May the Lord God kill you!
    May he call his servants by a different name!”
16 Those who pronounce a blessing in the land
    will do so by the God called Amen;
    those who make a solemn pledge in the land will do so by the God called Amen.[m]
Past troubles will be forgotten
    and hidden from my sight.

New creation and new Jerusalem

17 Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth:
    past events won’t be remembered;
    they won’t come to mind.
18 Be glad and rejoice forever
    in what I’m creating,
    because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy
    and her people as a source of gladness.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad about my people.
    No one will ever hear the sound of weeping or crying in it again.
20 No more will babies live only a few days,
    or the old fail to live out their days.
The one who dies at a hundred will be like a young person,
    and the one falling short of a hundred will seem cursed.
21 They will build houses and live in them;
    they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They won’t build for others to live in,
    nor plant for others to eat.
Like the days of a tree will be the days of my people;
    my chosen will make full use of their handiwork.
23 They won’t labor in vain,
    nor bear children to a world of horrors,
    because they will be people blessed by the Lord,
    they along with their descendants.
24 Before they call, I will answer;
    while they are still speaking, I will hear.
25 Wolf and lamb will graze together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
    but the snake—its food will be dust.
They won’t hurt or destroy at any place on my holy mountain,
    says the Lord.

Where God may be found

66 The Lord says:
Heaven is my throne,
    and earth is my footstool.
So where could you build a house for me,
    and where could my resting place be?
My hand made all these things
    and brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look:
    to the humble and contrite in spirit,
    who tremble at my word.

The one who slaughters an ox kills a person;
    the one who sacrifices a sheep breaks a dog’s neck;
    the one who makes a grain offering offers swine’s blood;
    the one who burns incense blesses an idol.
    All these have chosen their own ways,
    and prefer their detestable things.
So I too will choose to punish them,
    to bring horrors upon them,
    since I called and no one answered.
    I spoke and no one heard,
        but they did evil in my eyes.
    What I didn’t want, they chose.

Listen to the Lord’s word,
    you who tremble at his word:
Your family members, those who hate and exclude you because of my name,
    have said, “Let the Lord be glorified;
    let’s see your joy.”
    But they will be ashamed.
The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple!
    The sound of the Lord repaying his enemies what they have earned.

Mother Zion

Before she was in labor, she gave birth.
    Before her pangs came upon her, she delivered a boy.
Whoever heard of such a thing?
    Whoever saw such things as these?
Can a land come to birth in one day?
    Can a nation be born all at once?
Yet as soon as birth pangs came,
    Zion bore her children.
Will I open the womb and not bring to birth? says the Lord.
    Will I, who create life, close the womb? says your God.
10 Celebrate with Jerusalem; be happy with her,
    all you who love her!
Rejoice with her in joy,
    all you who mourn over her,
11     so that you may nurse and be satisfied
    from her comforting breasts,
    that you may drink and be refreshed
    from her full breasts.
12 The Lord says:
    Look, I’m extending prosperity to her like a river,
    and the wealth of nations like an overflowing stream.
You will nurse and be carried on the hip
    and bounced upon the knee.

13 As a mother comforts her child,
    so I will comfort you;
    in Jerusalem you will be comforted.
14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice;
    your entire being will flourish like grass.
The Lord’s power will be known among his servants,
    but his fury among his enemies.
15 The Lord will come with fire,
    God’s chariots like a windstorm,
    to repay in hot anger,
    to rebuke with fiery flames.
16 With fire and with sword the Lord will judge all humanity;
    many will be slain by the Lord.

17 Those who became holy and purify themselves, following their leader into the gardens,[n] who eat pork, detestable animals, and mice, will meet their end together, says the Lord.

Worshippers gathered from the nations

18 Because of their actions and thoughts, I’m coming to gather all nations and cultures. They will come to see my glory. 19 I will put a sign on them, by sending out some of the survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Libya, and Lydia, and to the archers of Cilicia and Greece—distant coastlands that haven’t heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will declare my glory among the nations. 20 They will bring your family members from all nations as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels—to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, like Israelites bringing an offering in purified containers to the Lord’s house. 21 I will select some of them as priests and Levites, says the Lord.

22 As the new heavens and the new earth that I’m making will endure before me, says the Lord,
    so your descendants and your name will endure.
23 From month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
    all humanity will come to worship me, says the Lord.
24 They will go out and see the corpses
    of the people who rebelled against me,
    where their worm never dies, where their fire is never extinguished.
        They will be a horror to everyone.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 63:1 Or stooping
  2. Isaiah 63:11 Or Moses, his people
  3. Isaiah 63:11 LXX, Tg; MT shepherds
  4. Isaiah 63:15 Heb uncertain
  5. Isaiah 63:18 Cf LXX, Vulg; Heb uncertain
  6. Isaiah 64:1 63:19b in Heb
  7. Isaiah 64:2 64:1 in Heb
  8. Isaiah 64:4 Heb uncertain
  9. Isaiah 64:5 Heb uncertain
  10. Isaiah 64:5 Heb uncertain
  11. Isaiah 64:7 LXX, cf Syr, Tg, Vulg; MT melted
  12. Isaiah 65:4 Or in guarded places
  13. Isaiah 65:16 Or so be it
  14. Isaiah 66:17 Heb uncertain

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