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Isaiah 52-56
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 52-56
Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem Can Celebrate
52 (A) Jerusalem, wake up!
Stand up and be strong.
Holy city of Zion,
dress in your best clothes.
Those foreigners who ruined
your sacred city
won't bother you again.
2 Zion, rise from the dirt!
Free yourself from the rope
around your neck.
Suffering Will End
3 The Lord says:
My people, you were sold,
but not for money;
now you will be set free,
but not for a payment.
4 Long ago you went to Egypt
where you lived
as foreigners.
Then Assyria was cruel to you,
5 (B) and now another nation[a]
has taken you prisoner
for no reason at all.
Your leaders groan with pain,[b]
and day after day
my own name is cursed.
6 My people, you will learn
who I am and who is speaking
because I am here.
A Message of Hope for Jerusalem
7 (C) What a beautiful sight!
On the mountains a messenger
announces to Jerusalem,
“Good news! You're saved.
There will be peace.
Your God is now King.”
8 Everyone on guard duty,
sing and celebrate!
Look! You can see the Lord
returning to Zion.
9 Jerusalem, rise from the ruins!
Join in the singing.
The Lord has given comfort
to his people;
he comes to your rescue.
10 The Lord has shown all nations
his mighty strength;
now everyone will see
the saving power of our God.
A Command To Leave Babylon
11 (D) Leave the city of Babylon!
Don't touch anything filthy.
Wash yourselves. Be ready
to carry back everything sacred
that belongs to the Lord.
12 You won't need to run.
No one is chasing you.
The Lord God of Israel
will lead and protect you
from enemy attacks.
The Suffering Servant
13 The Lord says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.
14 Many were horrified
at what happened to him.[c]
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.[d]
15 (E) My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;[e]
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.[f]
They will see and think about
things they have never seen
or thought about before.
What God's Servant Did for Us
53 (F) Has anyone believed us
or seen the mighty power
of the Lord in action?
2 Like a young plant or a root
that sprouts in dry ground,
the servant grew up
obeying the Lord.
He wasn't some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked
made him attractive to us.
3 He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
“He is a nobody!”
4 He suffered and endured
great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
was punishment from God.
5 (G)(H) He was wounded and crushed
because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
he made us completely well.
6 (I) All of us were like sheep
that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the Lord gave him
the punishment we deserved.
7 (J)(K) (L) He was painfully abused,
but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
having its wool cut off.
8 He was condemned to death
without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined
what would happen to him?
His life was taken away
because of the sinful things
my people[g] had done.
9 (M) He wasn't dishonest or violent,
but he was buried in a tomb
among cruel, rich people.[h]
10 The Lord decided his servant
would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin
and guilt of others.
Now the servant will live
to see his own descendants.[i]
He did everything
the Lord had planned.
11 By suffering, the servant
will learn the true meaning
of obeying the Lord.
Although he is innocent,
he will take the punishment
for the sins of others,
so that many of them
will no longer be guilty.
12 (N) The Lord will reward him
with honor and power
for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner,
but he suffered for our sins
and asked God to forgive us.
A Promise of the Lord's Protection
54 (O) Sing and shout,
even though you have never
had children!
The Lord has promised that you
will have more children
than someone married
for a long time.
2 Make your tents larger!
Spread out the tent pegs;
fasten them firmly.
3 You and your descendants
will take over the land
of other nations.
You will settle in towns
that are now in ruins.
4 Don't be afraid or ashamed
and don't be discouraged.
You won't be disappointed.
Forget how sinful you were
when you were young;
stop feeling ashamed
for being left a widow.
5 The Lord All-Powerful,
the Holy God of Israel,
rules all the earth.
He is your Creator and husband,
and he will rescue you.
6 You were like a young wife,
brokenhearted and crying
because her husband
had divorced her.
But the Lord your God says,
“I am taking you back!
7 I rejected you for a while,
but with love and tenderness
I will embrace you again.
8 For a while, I turned away
in furious anger.
Now I will have mercy
and love you forever!
I, your protector and Lord,
make this promise.”
The Lord Promises Lasting Peace
9 (P) I once promised Noah that I
would never again destroy
the earth by a flood.
Now I have promised that I
will never again get angry
and punish you.
10 (Q) Every mountain and hill
may disappear.
But I will always be kind
and merciful to you;
I won't break my agreement
to give your nation peace.
The New Jerusalem
11 (R)(S) Jerusalem, you are sad
and discouraged,
tossed around in a storm.
But I, the Lord,
will rebuild your city
with precious stones;[j]
for your foundation
I will use blue sapphires.
12 Your fortresses[k]
will be built of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and your walls of gems.
13 (T) I will teach your children
and make them successful.
14 You will be built on fairness
with no fears of injustice;
every one of your worries
will be taken far from you.
15 I will never send anyone
to attack your city,
and you will make prisoners
of those who do attack.
16 Don't forget that I created
metalworkers who make weapons
over burning coals.
I also created armies
that can bring destruction.
17 Weapons made to attack you
won't be successful;
words spoken against you
won't hurt at all.
My servants, Jerusalem is yours!
I, the Lord, promise
to bless you with victory.
The Lord's Invitation
55 (U) If you are thirsty,
come and drink water!
If you don't have any money,
come, eat what you want!
Drink wine and milk
without paying a cent.
2 (V) Why waste your money
on what really isn't food?
Why work hard for something
that doesn't satisfy?
Listen carefully to me,
and you will enjoy
the very best foods.
3 (W) Pay close attention!
Come to me and live.
I will promise you
the eternal love and loyalty
that I promised David.
4 I made him the leader and ruler
of the nations;
he was my witness to them.
5 You will call out to nations
you have never known.
And they have never known you,
but they will come running
because I am the Lord,
the holy God of Israel,
and I have honored you.
God's Words Are Powerful
6 Turn to the Lord!
He can still be found.
Call out to God! He is near.
7 Give up your evil ways
and your evil thoughts.
Return to the Lord our God.
He will be merciful
and forgive your sins.
8 The Lord says:
“My thoughts and my ways
are not like yours.
9 Just as the heavens
are higher than the earth,
my thoughts and my ways
are higher than yours.
10 (X) “Rain and snow fall from the sky.
But they don't return
without watering the earth
that produces seeds to plant
and grain to eat.
11 That's how it is with my words.
They don't return to me
without doing everything
I send them to do.”
God's People Will Celebrate
12 When you are set free,
you will celebrate
and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing
as you pass by,
and trees will clap.
13 Cypress and myrtle trees
will grow in fields
once covered by thorns.
And then those trees will stand
as a lasting witness
to the glory of the Lord.
All Nations Will Be Part of God's People
56 The Lord said:
Be honest and fair!
Soon I will come to save you;
my saving power will be seen
everywhere on earth.
2 I will bless everyone
who respects the Sabbath
and refuses to do wrong.
3 Foreigners who worship me
must not say,
“The Lord won't let us
be part of his people.”
Men who are unable
to become fathers
must no longer say,
“We are dried-up trees.”
4 (Y) To them, I, the Lord, say:
Respect the Sabbath,
obey me completely,
and keep our agreement.
5 Then you will be like monuments
in my temple with your names
written on them.
This will be much better
than having children,
because these monuments
will stand there forever.
6 Foreigners will follow me.
They will love me and worship
in my name;
they will respect the Sabbath
and keep our agreement.
7 (Z) I will bring them
to my holy mountain,
where they will celebrate
in my house of worship.
Their sacrifices and offerings
will always be welcome
on my altar.
Then my house will be known
as a house of worship
for all nations.
8 I, the Lord, promise
to bring together my people
who were taken away,
and let them join the others.
God Promises To Punish Israel's Leaders
9 Come from the forest,
you wild animals!
Attack and gobble up
your victims.
10 You leaders of Israel
should be watchdogs,
protecting my people.
But you can't see a thing,
and you never warn them.
Dozing and daydreaming
are all you ever do.
11 You stupid leaders are a pack
of hungry and greedy dogs
that never get enough.
You are shepherds
who mistreat your own sheep
for selfish gain.
12 You say to each other,
“Let's drink till we're drunk!
Tomorrow we'll do it again.
We'll really enjoy ourselves.”
Footnotes
- 52.5 another nation: Babylonia.
- 52.5 groan with pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 52.14 him: One ancient translation; Hebrew “you.”
- 52.14 human: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
- 52.15 My … me: Hebrew; one ancient translation “The nations will be amazed at him.”
- 52.15 kings … wonder: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 53.8 my people: Or “his people.”
- 53.9 but he … people: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 53.10 The Lord … descendants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 54.11 with precious stones: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 54.12 fortresses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 52-56
New International Version
Isaiah 52-56
New International Version
52 Awake, awake,(A) Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!(B)
Put on your garments of splendor,(C)
Jerusalem, the holy city.(D)
The uncircumcised(E) and defiled(F)
will not enter you again.(G)
2 Shake off your dust;(H)
rise up,(I) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,(J)
Daughter Zion,(K) now a captive.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.
“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,[a]”
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.(Q)
6 Therefore my people will know(R) my name;(S)
therefore in that day(T) they will know
that it is I who foretold(U) it.
Yes, it is I.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains(V)
are the feet of those who bring good news,(W)
who proclaim peace,(X)
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”(Y)
8 Listen! Your watchmen(Z) lift up their voices;(AA)
together they shout for joy.(AB)
When the Lord returns(AC) to Zion,(AD)
they will see it with their own eyes.
9 Burst into songs of joy(AE) together,
you ruins(AF) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(AG) his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.(AH)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm(AI)
in the sight of all the nations,(AJ)
and all the ends of the earth(AK) will see
the salvation(AL) of our God.
11 Depart,(AM) depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!(AN)
Come out from it and be pure,(AO)
you who carry the articles(AP) of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste(AQ)
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,(AR)
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.(AS)
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13 See, my servant(AT) will act wisely[b];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.(AU)
14 Just as there were many who were appalled(AV) at him[c]—
his appearance was so disfigured(AW) beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness(AX)—
15 so he will sprinkle(AY) many nations,[d]
and kings(AZ) will shut their mouths(BA) because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.(BB)
53 Who has believed our message(BC)
and to whom has the arm(BD) of the Lord been revealed?(BE)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,(BF)
and like a root(BG) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance(BH) that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering,(BI) and familiar with pain.(BJ)
Like one from whom people hide(BK) their faces
he was despised,(BL) and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,(BM)
yet we considered him punished by God,(BN)
stricken by him, and afflicted.(BO)
5 But he was pierced(BP) for our transgressions,(BQ)
he was crushed(BR) for our iniquities;
the punishment(BS) that brought us peace(BT) was on him,
and by his wounds(BU) we are healed.(BV)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(BW)
each of us has turned to our own way;(BX)
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity(BY) of us all.
7 He was oppressed(BZ) and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;(CA)
he was led like a lamb(CB) to the slaughter,(CC)
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[e] and judgment(CD) he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(CE)
for the transgression(CF) of my people he was punished.[f]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(CG)
and with the rich(CH) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(CI)
nor was any deceit in his mouth.(CJ)
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(CK) to crush(CL) him and cause him to suffer,(CM)
and though the Lord makes[g] his life an offering for sin,(CN)
he will see his offspring(CO) and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper(CP) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(CQ)
he will see the light(CR) of life[h] and be satisfied[i];
by his knowledge[j] my righteous servant(CS) will justify(CT) many,
and he will bear their iniquities.(CU)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[k](CV)
and he will divide the spoils(CW) with the strong,[l]
because he poured out his life unto death,(CX)
and was numbered with the transgressors.(CY)
For he bore(CZ) the sin of many,(DA)
and made intercession(DB) for the transgressors.
The Future Glory of Zion
54 “Sing, barren woman,(DC)
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(DD)
you who were never in labor;(DE)
because more are the children(DF) of the desolate(DG) woman
than of her who has a husband,(DH)”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,(DI)
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.(DJ)
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants(DK) will dispossess nations(DL)
and settle in their desolate(DM) cities.
4 “Do not be afraid;(DN) you will not be put to shame.(DO)
Do not fear disgrace;(DP) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(DQ)
and remember no more the reproach(DR) of your widowhood.(DS)
5 For your Maker(DT) is your husband(DU)—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(DV) of Israel is your Redeemer;(DW)
he is called the God of all the earth.(DX)
6 The Lord will call you back(DY)
as if you were a wife deserted(DZ) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,(EA)
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment(EB) I abandoned(EC) you,
but with deep compassion(ED) I will bring you back.(EE)
8 In a surge of anger(EF)
I hid(EG) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness(EH)
I will have compassion(EI) on you,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.(EJ)
9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.(EK)
So now I have sworn(EL) not to be angry(EM) with you,
never to rebuke(EN) you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken(EO)
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love(EP) for you will not be shaken(EQ)
nor my covenant(ER) of peace(ES) be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion(ET) on you.
11 “Afflicted(EU) city, lashed by storms(EV) and not comforted,(EW)
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[m](EX)
your foundations(EY) with lapis lazuli.(EZ)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates(FA) of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(FB)
and great will be their peace.(FC)
14 In righteousness(FD) you will be established:(FE)
Tyranny(FF) will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.(FG)
Terror(FH) will be far removed;
it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender(FI) to you.
16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(FJ)
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon(FK) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(FL) to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,(FM)
and you will refute(FN) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(FO) of the Lord,
and this is their vindication(FP) from me,”
declares the Lord.
Invitation to the Thirsty
55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(FQ)
come to the waters;(FR)
and you who have no money,
come, buy(FS) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(FT)
without money and without cost.(FU)
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?(FV)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(FW)
and you will delight in the richest(FX) of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen,(FY) that you may live.(FZ)
I will make an everlasting covenant(GA) with you,
my faithful love(GB) promised to David.(GC)
4 See, I have made him a witness(GD) to the peoples,
a ruler and commander(GE) of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations(GF) you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,(GG)
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(GH) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”(GI)
6 Seek(GJ) the Lord while he may be found;(GK)
call(GL) on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake(GM) their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.(GN)
Let them turn(GO) to the Lord, and he will have mercy(GP) on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.(GQ)
8 “For my thoughts(GR) are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”(GS)
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,(GT)
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.(GU)
10 As the rain(GV) and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,(GW)
so that it yields seed(GX) for the sower and bread for the eater,(GY)
11 so is my word(GZ) that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,(HA)
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose(HB) for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy(HC)
and be led forth in peace;(HD)
the mountains and hills
will burst into song(HE) before you,
and all the trees(HF) of the field
will clap their hands.(HG)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers(HH) the myrtle(HI) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,(HJ)
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Salvation for Others
56 This is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice(HK)
and do what is right,(HL)
for my salvation(HM) is close at hand
and my righteousness(HN) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(HO) is the one who does this—
the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(HP) without desecrating it,
and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”
3 Let no foreigner(HQ) who is bound to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(HR)
And let no eunuch(HS) complain,
“I am only a dry tree.”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs(HT) who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant(HU)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(HV)
a memorial(HW) and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(HX)
that will endure forever.(HY)
6 And foreigners(HZ) who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister(IA) to him,
to love the name(IB) of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(IC) without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(ID)
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(IE)
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.(IF)”(IG)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(IH) still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
God’s Accusation Against the Wicked
9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(II)
come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(IJ) are blind,
they all lack knowledge;(IK)
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
they love to sleep.(IL)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
they never have enough.
They are shepherds(IM) who lack understanding;(IN)
they all turn to their own way,(IO)
they seek their own gain.(IP)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(IQ)
Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
or even far better.”(IR)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
- Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
- Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
- Isaiah 52:15 Or so will many nations be amazed at him (see also Septuagint)
- Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
- Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
- Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
- Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
- Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
- Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
- Isaiah 53:12 Or many
- Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
- Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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