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Isaiah 57-61
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 57-61
Contemporary English Version
God's Faithful People Suffer
57 God's faithful people
are dragged off and killed,
and no one even cares.
Evil sweeps them away,
2 but in death they find peace
for obeying God.[a]
The Lord Condemns Idolatry
3 You people are unfaithful!
You go to fortunetellers,
and you worship idols.
Now pay close attention!
4 Who are you making fun of?
Who are you sneering at?
Look how your sins
have made fools of you.
5 All you think about is sex
under those green trees
where idols are worshiped.
You sacrifice your children
on altars built in valleys
under rocky slopes.
6 You have chosen to worship
idols made of stone;[b]
you have given them offerings
of wine and grain.
Should I be pleased?
7 You have spread out your beds
on the tops of high mountains,
where you sacrifice to idols.
8 Even in your homes
you have placed pagan symbols
all around your huge beds.
Yes, you have rejected me,
sold yourselves to your lovers,
and gone to bed with them.[c]
9 You smear on olive oil
and all kinds of perfume
to worship the god Molech.[d]
You even seek advice
from spirits of the dead.
10 Though you tired yourself out
by running after idols,
you refused to stop.
Your desires were so strong
that they kept you going.
11 Did you forget about me
and become unfaithful
because you were more afraid
of someone else?
Have I been silent so long[e]
that you no longer fear me?
12 You think you're so good,
but I'll point out the truth.
13 Ask your idols to save you
when you are in trouble.
Be careful though—
it takes only a faint breath
to blow them over.
But if you come to me
for protection,
this land and my holy mountain
will always belong to you.
The Lord Helps the Helpless
14 The Lord says,
“Clear the road!
Get it ready for my people.”
15 (A) Our holy God lives forever
in the highest heavens,
and this is what he says:
Though I live high above
in the holy place,
I am here to help those
who are humble
and depend only on me.
16 My people, I won't stay angry
and keep on accusing you.
After all, I am your Creator.
I don't want you to give up
in complete despair.
17 Your greed made me furious.
That's why I punished you
and refused to be found,
while you kept returning
to your old sinful ways.
18 I know what you are like!
But I will heal you, lead you,
and give you comfort,
until those who are mourning
19 (B) start singing my praises.[f]
No matter where you are,
I, the Lord, will heal you[g]
and give you peace.
20 The wicked are a restless sea
tossing up mud.
21 (C) But I, the Lord, have promised
that none who are evil
will live in peace.
True Religion
58 Shout the message!
Don't hold back.
Say to my people Israel:
You've sinned! You've turned
against the Lord.
2 Day after day, you worship him
and seem eager to learn
his teachings.
You act like a nation
that wants to do right
by obeying his laws.
You ask him about justice,
and say you enjoy
worshiping the Lord.
3 You wonder why the Lord
pays no attention
when you go without eating
and act humble.
But on those same days
that you give up eating,
you think only of yourselves[h]
and abuse your workers.
4 You even get angry
and ready to fight.
No wonder God won't listen
to your prayers!
5 Do you think the Lord
wants you to give up eating
and to act as humble
as a bent-over bush?
Or to dress in sackcloth
and sit in ashes?
Is this really what he wants
on a day of worship?
6 I'll tell you
what it really means
to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are bound unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
7 (D) Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't turn away your relatives.
8 Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun, and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty[i] will protect you
as you advance,
and the glory of the Lord
will defend you from behind.
9 When you beg the Lord for help,
he will answer, “Here I am!”
Don't mistreat others
or falsely accuse them
or say something cruel.
10 Give your food to the hungry
and care for the homeless.
Then your light will shine
in the dark;
your darkest hour will be
like the noonday sun.
11 The Lord will always guide you
and provide good things to eat
when you are in the desert.
He will make you healthy.
You will be like a garden
that has plenty of water
or like a stream
that never runs dry.
12 You will rebuild those houses
left in ruins for years;
you will be known
as a builder and repairer
of city walls and streets.
13 But first, you must start
respecting the Sabbath
as a joyful day of worship.
You must stop doing and saying
whatever you please
on this special day.
14 Then you will truly enjoy
knowing the Lord.
He will let you rule
from the highest mountains
and bless you with the land
of your ancestor Jacob.
The Lord has spoken!
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 (E) 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.[j]
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 (F) 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 (G) 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 (H) 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 (I) 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.[k]
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.[l]
The people of Sheba[m]
will bring gold and spices
in praise of me, the Lord.
7 Every sheep of Kedar
will come to you;
rams from Nebaioth[n]
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.[o]
Seagoing ships[p] 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 (J) 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 (K) 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 (L) 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 (M)(N) 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 (O) 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.[q]
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.[r]
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 (P) 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.
Footnotes
- 57.1,2 Evil … God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.6 You have … stone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.8 them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 8.
- 57.9 the god Molech: Or “the king.” In Hebrew “Molech” and “king” sound alike.
- 57.11 so long: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.18,19 until … praises: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 57.19 heal you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 58.3 you think … yourselves: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 58.8 honesty: Or “honest leader.”
- 59.10 We can … dead: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.5 swell with pride: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.6 Midian … Ephah: Midian was the ancestor of a nomadic tribe of the Arabian desert, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Ephah was a clan within the tribe of Midian.
- 60.6 Sheba: Perhaps a place in what is now southwest Arabia. The Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon (1 Kings 10.1-13).
- 60.7 Kedar … Nebaioth: Regions in northern Arabia.
- 60.9 On … Lord: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 60.9 Seagoing ships: See the note at 2.16.
- 61.6 and … famous: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 61.8 But … injustice: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 57-61
New International Version
Isaiah 57-61
New International Version
57 The righteous perish,(A)
and no one takes it to heart;(B)
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.(C)
2 Those who walk uprightly(D)
enter into peace;
they find rest(E) as they lie in death.
3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,(F)
you offspring of adulterers(G) and prostitutes!(H)
4 Who are you mocking?
At whom do you sneer
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,(I)
the offspring of liars?
5 You burn with lust among the oaks(J)
and under every spreading tree;(K)
you sacrifice your children(L) in the ravines
and under the overhanging crags.
6 The idols(M) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings(N)
and offered grain offerings.
In view of all this, should I relent?(O)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;(P)
there you went up to offer your sacrifices.(Q)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,(R)
and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.(S)
9 You went to Molek[a](T) with olive oil
and increased your perfumes.(U)
You sent your ambassadors[b](V) far away;
you descended to the very realm of the dead!(W)
10 You wearied(X) yourself by such going about,
but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’(Y)
You found renewal of your strength,(Z)
and so you did not faint.
11 “Whom have you so dreaded and feared(AA)
that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered(AB) me
nor taken this to heart?(AC)
Is it not because I have long been silent(AD)
that you do not fear me?
12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,(AE)
and they will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out(AF) for help,
let your collection of idols save(AG) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
a mere breath will blow(AH) them away.
But whoever takes refuge(AI) in me
will inherit the land(AJ)
and possess my holy mountain.”(AK)
Comfort for the Contrite
14 And it will be said:
“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(AL)
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(AM)
15 For this is what the high and exalted(AN) One says—
he who lives forever,(AO) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high(AP) and holy place,
but also with the one who is contrite(AQ) and lowly in spirit,(AR)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.(AS)
16 I will not accuse(AT) them forever,
nor will I always be angry,(AU)
for then they would faint away because of me—
the very people(AV) I have created.
17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;(AW)
I punished them, and hid(AX) my face in anger,
yet they kept on in their willful ways.(AY)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal(AZ) them;
I will guide(BA) them and restore comfort(BB) to Israel’s mourners,
19 creating praise on their lips.(BC)
Peace, peace,(BD) to those far and near,”(BE)
says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
20 But the wicked(BF) are like the tossing sea,(BG)
which cannot rest,
whose waves cast up mire(BH) and mud.
21 “There is no peace,”(BI) says my God, “for the wicked.”(BJ)
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud,(BK) do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.(BL)
Declare to my people their rebellion(BM)
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.(BN)
2 For day after day they seek(BO) me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken(BP) the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near(BQ) them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’(BR) they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled(BS) ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’(BT)
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please(BU)
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,(BV)
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard(BW) on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast(BX) I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble(BY) themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed(BZ)
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?(CA)
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting(CB) I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice(CC)
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed(CD) free
and break every yoke?(CE)
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry(CF)
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(CG)—
when you see the naked, to clothe(CH) them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(CI)
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(CJ)
and your healing(CK) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[c](CL) will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(CM)
9 Then you will call,(CN) and the Lord will answer;(CO)
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger(CP) and malicious talk,(CQ)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(CR)
then your light(CS) will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.(CT)
11 The Lord will guide(CU) you always;
he will satisfy your needs(CV) in a sun-scorched land(CW)
and will strengthen(CX) your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,(CY)
like a spring(CZ) whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins(DA)
and will raise up the age-old foundations;(DB)
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,(DC)
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath(DD)
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight(DE)
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,(DF)
14 then you will find your joy(DG) in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights(DH) of the land
and to feast on the inheritance(DI) of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.(DJ)
Sin, Confession and Redemption
59 Surely the arm(DK) of the Lord is not too short(DL) to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.(DM)
2 But your iniquities have separated(DN)
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.(DO)
3 For your hands are stained with blood,(DP)
your fingers with guilt.(DQ)
Your lips have spoken falsely,(DR)
and your tongue mutters wicked things.
4 No one calls for justice;(DS)
no one pleads a case with integrity.
They rely(DT) on empty arguments, they utter lies;(DU)
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.(DV)
5 They hatch the eggs of vipers(DW)
and spin a spider’s web.(DX)
Whoever eats their eggs will die,
and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.
6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.(DY)
Their deeds are evil deeds,
and acts of violence(DZ) are in their hands.
7 Their feet rush into sin;
they are swift to shed innocent blood.(EA)
They pursue evil schemes;(EB)
acts of violence mark their ways.(EC)
8 The way of peace they do not know;(ED)
there is no justice in their paths.
They have turned them into crooked roads;(EE)
no one who walks along them will know peace.(EF)
9 So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;(EG)
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind(EH) we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble(EI) as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.(EJ)
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan mournfully like doves.(EK)
We look for justice, but find none;
for deliverance, but it is far away.
12 For our offenses(EL) are many in your sight,
and our sins testify(EM) against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:(EN)
13 rebellion(EO) and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs(EP) on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,(EQ)
uttering lies(ER) our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice(ES) is driven back,
and righteousness(ET) stands at a distance;
truth(EU) has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth(EV) is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.(EW)
16 He saw that there was no one,(EX)
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(EY)
so his own arm achieved salvation(EZ) for him,
and his own righteousness(FA) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(FB)
and the helmet(FC) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(FD) of vengeance(FE)
and wrapped himself in zeal(FF) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
so will he repay(FG)
wrath to his enemies
and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands(FH) their due.
19 From the west,(FI) people will fear the name of the Lord,
and from the rising of the sun,(FJ) they will revere his glory.(FK)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath(FL) of the Lord drives along.[d]
20 “The Redeemer(FM) will come to Zion,(FN)
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(FO)
declares the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant(FP) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(FQ) who is on you, will not depart from you,(FR) and my words that I have put in your mouth(FS) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.
The Glory of Zion
60 “Arise,(FT) shine, for your light(FU) has come,
and the glory(FV) of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness(FW) covers the earth
and thick darkness(FX) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations(FY) will come to your light,(FZ)
and kings(GA) to the brightness of your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble(GB) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,(GC)
and your daughters(GD) are carried on the hip.(GE)
5 Then you will look and be radiant,(GF)
your heart will throb and swell with joy;(GG)
the wealth(GH) on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.
6 Herds of camels(GI) will cover your land,
young camels of Midian(GJ) and Ephah.(GK)
And all from Sheba(GL) will come,
bearing gold and incense(GM)
and proclaiming the praise(GN) of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s(GO) flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings(GP) on my altar,(GQ)
and I will adorn my glorious temple.(GR)
8 “Who are these(GS) that fly along like clouds,(GT)
like doves to their nests?
9 Surely the islands(GU) look to me;
in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,[e](GV)
bringing(GW) your children from afar,
with their silver and gold,(GX)
to the honor(GY) of the Lord your God,
the Holy One(GZ) of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.(HA)
10 “Foreigners(HB) will rebuild your walls,
and their kings(HC) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
in favor(HD) I will show you compassion.(HE)
11 Your gates(HF) will always stand open,
they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations(HG)—
their kings(HH) led in triumphal procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve(HI) you will perish;
it will be utterly ruined.(HJ)
13 “The glory of Lebanon(HK) will come to you,
the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,(HL)
to adorn my sanctuary;(HM)
and I will glorify the place for my feet.(HN)
14 The children of your oppressors(HO) will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down(HP) at your feet
and will call you the City(HQ) of the Lord,
Zion(HR) of the Holy One(HS) of Israel.
15 “Although you have been forsaken(HT) and hated,
with no one traveling(HU) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride(HV)
and the joy(HW) of all generations.
16 You will drink the milk of nations
and be nursed(HX) at royal breasts.
Then you will know(HY) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,(HZ)
your Redeemer,(IA) the Mighty One of Jacob.(IB)
17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,(IC)
and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace(ID) your governor
and well-being your ruler.(IE)
18 No longer will violence(IF) be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction(IG) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation(IH)
and your gates Praise.(II)
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,(IJ)
and your God will be your glory.(IK)
20 Your sun(IL) will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow(IM) will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous(IN)
and they will possess(IO) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,(IP)
the work of my hands,(IQ)
for the display of my splendor.(IR)
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.(IS)
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”(IT)
The Year of the Lord’s Favor
61 The Spirit(IU) of the Sovereign Lord(IV) is on me,
because the Lord has anointed(IW) me
to proclaim good news(IX) to the poor.(IY)
He has sent me to bind up(IZ) the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom(JA) for the captives(JB)
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[f]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor(JC)
and the day of vengeance(JD) of our God,
to comfort(JE) all who mourn,(JF)
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown(JG) of beauty
instead of ashes,(JH)
the oil(JI) of joy
instead of mourning,(JJ)
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting(JK) of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.(JL)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins(JM)
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers(JN) will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests(JO) of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth(JP) of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame(JQ)
you will receive a double(JR) portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit(JS) a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy(JT) will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;(JU)
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant(JV) with them.
9 Their descendants(JW) will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”(JX)
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices(JY) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,(JZ)
as a bridegroom adorns his head(KA) like a priest,
and as a bride(KB) adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden(KC) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness(KD)
and praise spring up before all nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:9 Or to the king
- Isaiah 57:9 Or idols
- Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One
- Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight
- Isaiah 60:9 Or the trading ships
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind
Isaiah 57-61
King James Version
Isaiah 57-61
King James Version
57 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
3 But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood.
5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?
6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.
8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.
9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.
10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.
11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain;
14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
58 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
59 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
5 They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them;
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.
21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.
60 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.
6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.
7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?
9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.
10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15 Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.
16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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