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Isaiah 57-61
Easy-to-Read Version
Isaiah 57-61
Easy-to-Read Version
Israel Does Not Follow God
57 All the good people are gone,
and no one even noticed.
The loyal followers were gathered up,
but no one knows why.
The reason they were gathered up
is that trouble is coming.
2 But peace will come too,
and those who trust him will get to rest in their own beds.
3 “Come here, you children of witches.
Your father committed adultery,
and your mother was unfaithful.
4 You are children out of control, full of lies.
You make fun of me.
You make faces
and stick out your tongue at me.[a]
5 All you want is to worship false gods
under every green tree.
You kill children by every stream
and sacrifice them in the rocky places.
6 You love to worship the smooth rocks in the rivers.
You pour wine on them to worship them.
You give sacrifices to them, but those rocks are all you get.
Do you think this makes me happy?
7 You make your bed on every hill
and high mountain.[b]
You go up to those places
and offer sacrifices.
8 You hide the things that help you remember me
behind the doors and doorframes.[c]
You were with me,
but you got up to go to them.
You spread out your bed
and gave yourself to them.[d]
You love their beds
and enjoy looking at their naked bodies.[e]
9 You use your oils and perfumes
to look nice for Molech.
You sent your messengers to faraway lands,
and this will bring you down to the place of death.[f]
10 All of them made you tired,
but you never gave up.
You found new strength,
because you enjoyed them.
11 You did not remember me.
You did not even notice me!
So who were you worrying about?
Who were you afraid of?
Why did you lie?
Look, I have been quiet for a long time.
Is that why you didn’t honor me?
12 I could tell about your ‘good works’ and all the ‘religious’ things you do,
but that will not help you.
13 When you need help,
you cry to those false gods that you have gathered around you.
Let them help you!
But I tell you, the wind will blow them all away.
A puff of wind will blow them all away.
But the one who depends on me
will get the land I promised
and enjoy my holy mountain.[g]”
The Lord Will Save His People
14 Clear the road! Clear the road!
Make the way clear for my people!
15 God is high and lifted up.
He lives forever.
His name is holy.
He says, “I live in a high and holy place,
but I also live with people who are humble and sorry for their sins.
I will give new life to those who are humble in spirit.
I will give new life to those who are sorry for their sins.
16 I will not accuse my people forever.
I will not always be angry.
If I continued to show my anger,
then the human spirit, the life I gave them, would die before me.
17 Israel’s evil greed made me angry,
so I punished them.
I turned away from them
because I was angry.
But they continued to do wrong.
They did whatever they wanted.
18 I have seen their way of life, but I will heal them.
I will guide and comfort them and those who mourn for them.
19 I will teach them a new word: peace.
I will give peace to those who are near and to those who are far away.
I will heal them.”
The Lord himself said this.
20 But evil people are like the angry ocean.
They cannot be quiet and peaceful.
They are angry, and like the ocean,
they stir up mud.
21 My God says,
“There is no peace for evil people.”
People Must Be Told to Follow God
58 Shout as loud as you can and don’t stop.
Shout like a trumpet!
Tell the people what they did wrong.
Tell the family of Jacob about their sins.
2 They still come every day to worship me,
acting as if they want to learn my ways.
They pretend to be a nation that lives right
and obeys the commands of their God.
They ask me to judge them fairly.
They want their God to be near them.
3 They say, “We fast to show honor to you. Why don’t you see us? We starve our bodies to show honor to you. Why don’t you notice us?”
But God says, “You do things to please yourselves on those special days of fasting. And you punish your servants, not your own bodies. 4 You are hungry, but not for food. You are hungry for arguing and fighting, not for bread. You are hungry to hit people with your evil hands. This is not the way to fast if you want your prayers to be heard in heaven! 5 Do you think I want to see people punish their bodies on those days of fasting? Do you think I want people to look sad and bow their heads like dead plants? Do you think I want people to wear mourning clothes and sit in ashes to show their sadness? That is what you do on your days of fasting. Do you think that is what the Lord wants?
6 “I will tell you the kind of day I want—a day to set people free. I want a day that you take the burdens off others. I want a day when you set troubled people free and you take the burdens from their shoulders. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry. I want you to find the poor who don’t have homes and bring them into your own homes. When you see people who have no clothes, give them your clothes! Don’t hide from your relatives when they need help.”
8 If you do these things, your light will begin to shine like the light of dawn. Then your wounds will heal. Your “Goodness” will walk in front of you, and the Glory of the Lord will come following behind you. 9 Then you will call to the Lord, and he will answer you. You will cry out to him, and he will say, “Here I am.”
Stop causing trouble and putting burdens on people. Stop saying things to hurt people or accusing them of things they didn’t do. 10 Feel sorry for hungry people and give them food. Help those who are troubled and satisfy their needs. Then your light will shine in the darkness. You will be like the bright sunshine at noon.
11 The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry lands. He will give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring that never goes dry.
12 Your cities have been destroyed for many years, but you will rebuild them and their foundations will last for a long time. You will be called “Fence Fixer” and “Builder of Roads and Houses.”
13 That will happen when you stop sinning against God’s law about the Sabbath and when you stop doing things to please yourself on that special day. You should call the Sabbath a happy day. You should honor the Lord’s special day by not saying and doing things that you do every other day of the week. 14 Then you could enjoy the Lord. As the Lord himself says, “I could carry you up to the highest mountain and let you enjoy the land that I gave to your father Jacob.”
Evil People Should Change Their Lives
59 Look, the Lord’s power is enough to save you. He can hear you when you ask him for help. 2 It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them. 3 That’s because your hands are covered with blood from the people you murdered. You tell lies and say evil things. 4 You can’t be trusted, even in court. You lie about each other and depend on false arguments to win your cases. You create pain and produce wickedness. 5 You hatch evil, like eggs from a poisonous snake. Anyone who eats the eggs will die. And if you break one of them open, a poisonous snake will come out.
Your lies are like spider webs. 6 They cannot be used for clothes, and you cannot cover yourself with them.
Your hands are always busy sinning and hurting others. 7 Your feet run toward evil. You are always ready to kill innocent people. You think of nothing but evil. Everywhere you go you cause trouble and ruin. 8 You don’t know how to live in peace. You don’t do what is right and fair. You are crooked, and anyone who lives like that will never know true peace.
Israel’s Sin Brings Trouble
9 All fairness and goodness is gone.
There is only darkness around us,
so we must wait for the light.
We hope for a bright light,
but all we have is darkness.
10 We are like people without eyes.
We walk into walls like blind people.
We stumble and fall as if it was night.
Even in the daylight, we cannot see.
At noontime, we fall like dead men.
11 We are always complaining;
we growl like bears and moan like doves.
We are waiting for justice,
but there is none.
We are waiting to be saved,
but salvation is still far away.
12 That’s because we committed crimes against our God.
Our own sins speak out against us.
We know we are guilty.
We know we have sinned.
13 We rebelled against the Lord
and lied to him.
We turned away from our God
and left him.
We planned to hurt others
and to rebel against God.
From hearts filled with lies,
we talked about it and made our plans.
14 We pushed Justice away.
Fairness stands off in the distance.
Truth has fallen in the streets.
Goodness is not allowed in the city.
15 Loyalty is gone,
and people who try to do good are robbed.
The Lord looked and saw there was no justice.
He did not like what he saw.
16 He did not see anyone speak up for the people.
He was shocked to see that no one stood up for them.
So with his own power he saved them.
His desire to do what is right gave him strength.
17 He put on the armor of goodness,
the helmet of salvation,
the uniform of punishment,
and the coat of strong love.[h]
18 He will give his enemies the punishment they deserve.
They will feel his anger.
He will punish all his enemies.
People along the coast will get the punishment they deserve.
19 People from the west to the east will fear the Lord
and respect his Glory.
He will come quickly, like a fast-flowing river
driven by a wind[i] from the Lord.
20 Then a redeemer[j] will come to Zion
to save the people of Jacob who have turned away from sin.
21 The Lord says, “As for me, this is the agreement that I will make with these people. I promise my Spirit that I put on you and my words that I put in your mouth will never leave you. They will be with you and your children and your children’s children, for now and forever.
God Is Coming
60 “Jerusalem, get up and shine![k]
Your Light is coming!
The Glory of the Lord will shine on you.
2 Darkness now covers the earth,
and the people are in darkness.
But the Lord will shine on you,
and his Glory will appear over you.
3 Then the nations will come to your light.
Kings will come to your bright sunrise.
4 Look around you!
See all the people gathering around.
Those are your sons coming from far away,
and your daughters are there beside them.
5 “At that time you will see your people,
and your faces will shine with happiness.
First, you will be afraid,
but then you will be excited.
All the riches from across the seas will be set before you.
The riches of the nations will come to you.
6 Herds of camels from Midian and Ephah
will cross your land.
Long lines of camels will come from Sheba.
They will bring gold and incense.
People will sing praises to the Lord.
7 People will collect all the sheep from Kedar and give them to you.
They will bring you rams from Nebaioth.
You will offer those animals on my altar,
and I will accept them.
I will make my wonderful Temple
even more beautiful.
8 Look at the people.
They are rushing toward you like clouds quickly crossing the sky.
They are like doves flying to their nests.
9 The faraway lands are waiting for me.
The great cargo ships are ready to sail.
They are ready to bring your children from faraway lands.
They will bring silver and gold with them
to honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel.
He has done wonderful things for you.
10 Children from other lands will rebuild your walls.
Their kings will serve you.
“When I was angry, I hurt you,
but now I want to be kind to you.
So I will comfort you.
11 Your gates will always be open.
They will not be closed, day or night.
Nations and kings will bring their wealth to you.
12 Any nation or kingdom that does not serve you
will be destroyed.
13 All the great things of Lebanon will be given to you.
People will bring pine trees, fir trees, and cypress trees to you.
These trees will be used for lumber
to make my Holy Place[l] more beautiful.
This place is like a stool in front of my throne,
and I will honor it.[m]
14 In the past, people hurt you,
but they will bow down before you.
In the past, people hated you,
but they will bow down at your feet.
They will call you ‘The City of the Lord’s,’
‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’
15 “People hated you.
You were left all alone with no one passing through.
But I will make you great from now on.
You will be happy forever and ever.
16 Nations will give you what you need,
like a child drinking milk from its mother.
But you will ‘drink’ riches from kings.
Then you will know that it is I, the Lord, who saves you.
You will know that I, the Great God of Jacob, protect you.
17 “You now have copper,
but I will bring you gold.
You now have iron,
but I will bring you silver.
I will change your wood into copper
and your rocks into iron.
I will change your punishment into peace.
And those who punished you will be replaced with those who are kind to you.
18 There will never again be news of violence in your country.
People will never again attack your country and steal from you.
You will name your walls, ‘Salvation’
and your gates, ‘Praise.’
19 “The sun will no longer be your light during the day.
The light from the moon will no longer be your light at night.
The Lord will be your light forever.
Your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never go down again.
Your moon will never again be dark.
That’s because the Lord will be your light forever,
and the dark days of mourning will end.
21 “All your people will be good.
They will get the land forever.
They are the young plant in my garden[n]
that will grow to be a wonderful tree.
I made them with my own hands.[o]
22 The smallest family will become a large family group.
The smallest tribe will become a powerful nation.
When the time is right,
I, the Lord, will come quickly.
I will make these things happen.”
The Lord’s Message of Freedom
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’
4 Then the old cities that were destroyed will be rebuilt. Those ancient ruins will be made new, as they were in the beginning.
5 Then your enemies will come to care for your sheep, and their children will work in your fields and in your gardens. 6 You will be called, ‘The Lord’s Priests,’ ‘The Servants of our God.’ You will be proud of all the riches that have come to you from all the nations on earth.
7 In the past, other people shamed you and said bad things to you. You were shamed much more than any other people. So in your land you will get two times more than other people. You will get the joy that continues forever. 8 That’s because I am the Lord and I love justice. I hate stealing and everything that is wrong. So I will give the people what they deserve. I will make an agreement with my people forever. 9 Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them.
God’s Servant Brings Salvation
10 The Lord makes me very happy.
I am completely happy with my God.
He dressed me in the clothes of salvation.
He put the victory coat on me.
I look like a man dressed for his wedding,
like a bride covered with jewels.
11 The earth causes plants to grow,
and a garden makes the seeds planted there rise up.
In the same way, the Lord God will make goodness and praise
grow throughout the nations.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 57:4 make faces … at me This probably refers to the god Bel, which is usually shown making a face and sticking out his tongue.
- Isaiah 57:7 every hill and high mountain The people worshiped false gods in these places. The people thought these false gods would give them good crops and more children.
- Isaiah 57:8 doorframes The Israelites were supposed to put special things on their doorframes to help them remember God. See Deut. 6:9.
- Isaiah 57:8 gave yourself to them Or “and made agreements with them.”
- Isaiah 57:8 naked bodies This is a wordplay. The Hebrew word also means “memorial,” as in Isa. 56:5.
- Isaiah 57:9 this will … death Or “You even send them down to Sheol.”
- Isaiah 57:13 holy mountain Mount Zion, one of the mountains Jerusalem was built on.
- Isaiah 59:17 strong love The Hebrew word means strong feelings like love, hate, anger, zeal, or jealousy.
- Isaiah 59:19 wind Or “spirit.”
- Isaiah 59:20 redeemer Someone who sets a person free by paying their debt.
- Isaiah 60:1 Jerusalem … shine Or “Jerusalem, my light, get up!”
- Isaiah 60:13 my Holy Place This probably means the Temple in Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 60:13 I will honor it Or “I will give it glory.”
- Isaiah 60:21 young plant … garden See Isa. 4:1 and 5:7.
- Isaiah 60:21 They are … hands Or “They are the plant I planted, which I made with my own hands, to show how wonderful I am.”
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
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.