Bible in 90 Days
19 I will make trees grow in the desert.
There will be cedars, acacia, myrtle and olive trees.
I will put pine, fir and cypress trees
growing together in the desert.
20 People will see these things and understand.
Together they will think carefully about these things.
They will know that the Lord’s power did this.
They will know that the Holy One of Israel made these things.”
The Lord Challenges False Gods
21 The Lord says, “Present your case.”
The Lord, the King of Jacob, says, “Tell me your arguments.
22 Bring in your idols to tell us
what is going to happen.
Have them tell us what happened in the beginning.
Then we will think about these things.
Then we will know how they will turn out.
Tell us what will happen in the future.
23 Tell us what is coming next.
Then we will believe that you are gods.
Do something, whether it is good or bad.
Make us afraid of you.
24 You false gods are less than nothing.
You can’t do anything.
Those who worship you should be hated.”
25 “I have brought someone to come out of the north.[a]
I have called by name a man from the east, and he knows me.
He walks on kings as if they were mud.
He walks on them as a potter walks on the clay.
26 Who told us about this before it happened?
Who told us ahead of time so we could say, ‘He was right’?
None of you told us anything.
None of you told us before it happened.
No one heard you tell about it.
27 I, the Lord, was the first one to tell Jerusalem that the people were coming home.
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.
28 I look at the idols, but there is not one that can answer.
None of them can give advice.
None of them can answer my questions.
29 Look, all these idols are false gods.
They cannot do anything.
They are worth nothing.
The Lord’s Special Servant
42 “Here is my servant, the one I support.
He is the one I chose, and I am pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit in him.
And he will bring justice to all nations.
2 He will not cry out or yell.
He will not speak loudly in the streets.
3 He will not break a crushed blade of grass.
He will not put out even a weak flame.
He will bring justice and find what is true.
4 He will not lose hope or give up
until he brings justice to the world.
And people far away will trust his teachings.”
5 God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the skies and stretched them out.
He spread out the earth and everything on it.
He gives life to all people on earth.
He gives life to everyone who walks on the earth.
6 The Lord says, “I called you to do right.
And I will hold your hand.
I will protect you.
You will be the sign of my agreement with the people.
You will be a light to shine for all people.
7 You will help the blind to see.
You will free those who are in prison.
You will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison.
8 “I am the Lord. That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another.
I will not let idols take the praise that should be mine.
9 The things I said would happen have happened.
And now I tell you about new things.
Before those things happen,
I tell you about them.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing his praise everywhere on the earth.
Praise him, you people who sail on the seas and you animals who live in them.
Praise him, you people living in faraway places.
11 The deserts and their cities should praise him.
The settlements of Kedar should praise him.
The people living in Sela should sing for joy.
They should sing from the mountaintops.
12 They should give glory to the Lord.
People in faraway lands should praise him.
13 The Lord will march out like a strong soldier.
He will be excited like a man ready to fight a war.
He will shout out the battle cry.
And he will defeat his enemies.
14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have said nothing.
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now I will cry out.
I will strain like a woman giving birth to a child.
15 I will destroy the hills and mountains.
I will dry up all the plants that grow there.
I will make the rivers become dry land.
I will dry up the pools of water.
16 Then I will lead the blind along a way they never knew.
I will guide them along paths they have not known.
I will make the darkness become light for them.
And I will make the rough ground smooth.
These are the things I will do.
I will not leave my people.
17 But some people trust in idols.
They say to their statues,
‘You are our gods.’
Those people will be rejected in disgrace.
Israel Refused to Listen to God
18 “You who are deaf, hear me.
You who are blind, look and see.
19 No one is more blind than my servant Israel.
The messenger I send is the most deaf.
No one is more blind than the person I own.
No one is more blind than the servant of the Lord.
20 Israel, you have seen much, but you have not obeyed.
You have heard, but you refuse to listen.”
21 The Lord made his teachings wonderful.
He did this because he is good.
22 These people have been defeated and robbed.
They are trapped in pits.
They are locked up in prison.
Like robbers, enemies have taken them away.
There is no one to save them.
Enemies carried them off.
And no one said, “Bring them back.”
23 Will any of you listen to this?
Will you listen carefully in the future?
24 Who let the people of Jacob be carried off?
Who let robbers take Israel away?
The Lord allowed this to happen
because we sinned against him.
We did not live the way the Lord wanted us to live.
We did not obey his teaching.
25 So the Lord became very angry with us.
He brought terrible wars against us.
It was as if the people of Israel had fire all around them.
But they didn’t know what was happening.
It was as if they were burning.
But they didn’t pay any attention.
God Is Always with His People
43 Now this is what the Lord says.
He created you, people of Jacob.
He formed you, people of Israel.
He says, “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
When you cross rivers, you will not drown.
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned.
The flames will not hurt you.
3 This is because I, the Lord, am your God.
I, the Holy One of Israel, am your Savior.
I gave Egypt to pay for you.
I gave Cush and Seba to make you mine.
4 You are precious to me.
I give you honor, and I love you.
So I will give other people in your place.
I will give other nations to save your life.
5 So don’t be afraid. I am with you.
I will gather your children from the east.
I will gather you from the west.
6 I will tell the north: Give my people to me.
I will tell the south: Don’t keep my people in prison.
Bring my sons from far away.
Bring my daughters from faraway places.
7 Bring to me all the people who are mine.
I made them for my glory.
I formed them; I made them.”
Judah Is God’s Witness
8 Bring out the people who have eyes but don’t see.
Bring out those who have ears but don’t hear.
9 All the nations should gather together.
All the people should come together.
Which of their gods said that this would happen?
Which of their gods can tell what happened in the beginning?
They should bring their witnesses to prove they were right.
Then others will say, “It is true.”
10 The Lord says, “You are my witnesses.
You are the servant I chose.
I chose you so you would know and believe me.
I chose you so you would understand that I am the true God.
There was no God before me,
and there will be no God after me.
11 I myself am the Lord.
I am the only Savior.
12 I myself have spoken to you, saved you and told you these things.
It was not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses, and I am God,”
says the Lord.
13 “I have always been God.
No one can save people from my power.
When I do something, no one can change it.”
14 This is what the Lord says.
He is the Holy One of Israel who saves you.
He says, “I will send armies to Babylon for you.
All the Babylonians will be captured.
They will be taken away in their ships they are proud of.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One.
I made Israel. I am your king.”
God Will Save His People Again
16 This is what the Lord says.
He is the one who made a road through the sea.
Even through rough waters he made a path for his people.
17 He is the one who defeated the chariots and horses.
He defeated the mighty armies.
They fell together, and they will never rise again.
They were destroyed as a flame is put out.
18 The Lord says, “Forget what happened before.
Do not think about the past.
19 Look at the new thing I am going to do.
It is already happening. Don’t you see it?
I will make a road in the desert.
I will make rivers in the dry land.
20 Even the wild animals will be thankful to me.
The wild dogs and owls will honor me.
They will honor me when I put water in the desert.
They will honor me when I make rivers in the dry land.
I will do this to give water to my people, the ones I chose.
21 These are the people I made.
And they will sing songs to praise me.
22 “People of Jacob, you have not called to me.
People of Israel, you have become tired of me.
23 You have not brought your sacrifices of sheep to me.
You have not honored me by bringing sacrifices to me.
I did not force you to give sacrifices to me.
I did not force you to burn incense until you became tired.
24 So you did not buy incense for me.
You did not freely bring fat from your sacrifices to me.
Instead you have weighed me down with your many sins.
You have made me tired of your many wrongs.
25 “I, I am the One who forgives all your sins.
I do this to please myself.
I will not remember your sins.
26 But you should remind me.
Let’s meet and decide what is right.
Tell what you have done and show you are right.
27 Your first father sinned.
And your leaders have turned against me.
28 So I will make your holy rulers not holy.
And I will bring destruction on the people of Jacob.
And I will let Israel be insulted.”
The Lord Is the Only God
44 The Lord says, “People of Jacob, you are my servants. Listen to me!
People of Israel, I chose you.”
2 This is what the Lord says. He made you.
He formed you when you were in your mother’s body.
And he will help you.
The Lord says, “People of Jacob, my servants, don’t be afraid.
Israel, I chose you.
3 I will pour out water for the thirsty land.
I will make streams flow on dry land.
I will put my Spirit into your children.
My blessing will be like a stream of water flowing over your family.
4 Your children will grow like a tree in the grass.
They will be like poplar trees growing beside streams of water.
5 One person will say, ‘I belong to the Lord.’
Another will use the name Jacob.
Another will sign his name ‘I am the Lord’s.’
And another will use the name Israel.”
6 The Lord is the king of Israel.
The Lord of heaven’s armies saves Israel.
The Lord says, “I am the beginning and the end.
I am the only God.
7 There is no other God like me.
If there is, then that god should come and prove it.
Who has announced coming events from the beginning?
He should tell what will happen in the future.
8 Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry!
I have always told you what will happen.
You are my witnesses.
There is no other God.
I know of no other Rock. I am the only One.”
False Gods Are Useless
9 Some people make idols, but they are worth nothing.
People love them, but they are useless.
Those people are witnesses for the statues. But those people cannot see.
They know nothing. They don’t know enough to be ashamed.
10 Who made these false gods?
Who made these useless idols?
11 The workmen who made those gods will be ashamed!
Those workmen are only human.
If they all would come together,
they would all be ashamed and afraid.
12 One workman uses tools to heat iron.
He works over hot coals.
He uses his hammer to beat the metal and make a statue.
He uses his powerful arms.
But when he becomes hungry, he loses his power.
If he does not drink water, he becomes tired.
13 Another workman uses a line and a compass
to draw lines on the wood.
Then he uses his chisels to cut a statue from wood.
He uses his calipers to measure the statue.
This way, the workman makes the wood look exactly like a man.
And this statue of a man sits in the house.
14 A man cuts down cedar
or gets cypress or oak trees.
Those trees grew by their own power in the forest.
Or he plants a pine tree, and the rain makes it grow.
15 Then he burns the tree.
He uses some of the wood for a fire to keep himself warm.
He also starts a fire to bake his bread.
But he uses part of the wood to make a god. Then he worships it!
He makes the idol and bows down to it!
16 The man burns half of the wood in the fire.
He uses the fire to cook his meat.
And he eats the meat until he is full.
He burns the wood to keep himself warm. He says,
“Good! Now I am warm. I can see because of the fire’s light.”
17 But the man makes a statue from the wood that is left. He calls it his god.
He bows down to it and worships it.
He prays to it and says,
“You are my god. Save me!”
18 Those people don’t know what they are doing. They don’t understand!
It is as if their eyes are covered so they can’t see.
Their minds don’t understand.
19 They have not thought about these things.
They don’t understand.
They have never thought to themselves,
“I burned half of the wood in the fire.
I used the hot coals to bake my bread.
I cooked and ate my meat.
And I used the wood that was left to make this hated thing.
I am worshiping a block of wood!”
20 He doesn’t know what he is doing.
His confused mind leads him the wrong way.
He cannot save himself.
He cannot say, “This statue I am holding is a false god.”
The Lord Is the True God
21 The Lord says, “People of Jacob, remember these things!
People of Israel, remember you are my servants.
I made you. You are my servants.
So Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your sins like a big cloud.
I have removed your sins like a cloud that disappears into the air.
Come back to me because I saved you.”
23 Skies, sing for joy because the Lord did great things!
Earth, shout for joy, even in your deepest parts!
Sing, you mountains, with thanks to God.
Sing, too, you trees in the forest!
The Lord saved the people of Jacob!
The Lord showed his greatness when he saved Israel.
24 The Lord saved you.
He formed you while you were still in your mother’s body.
The Lord says, “I, the Lord, made everything!
I alone stretched out the skies.
I spread out the earth by myself.
25 I show that the lying prophets’ signs are false.
I make fools of those who do magic.
I confuse even wise men.
They think they know much, but I make them look foolish.
26 I make the messages of my servants come true.
I make the advice of my messengers come true.
I say to Jerusalem,
‘People will live in you again!’
I say to the towns of Judah,
‘You will be built again!’
I say to Jerusalem’s ruins,
‘I will repair you.’
27 I tell the deep waters, ‘Become dry!
I will make your streams become dry!’
28 I say of Cyrus,[b] ‘He is my shepherd.
He will do all that I want him to do.
He will say to Jerusalem, “You will be built again!”
He will tell the Temple, “Your foundations will be rebuilt.”’”
God Chooses Cyrus to Free Israel
45 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his appointed king:
“I hold your right hand.
I will help you defeat nations.
I will help you take other kings’ power away.
I will open doors for you
so city gates will not stop you.
2 I will go before you.
And I will make the mountains flat.
I will break down the bronze gates of the cities.
I will cut through the iron bars on the gates.
3 I will give you the wealth that is stored away.
And I will give you hidden riches.
I will do this so you will know I am the Lord.
I, the God of Israel, call you by name.
4 I do these things for my servants, the people of Jacob.
I do these things for my chosen people, the Israelites.
Cyrus, I call you by name.
I give you a title of honor even though you don’t know me.
5 I am the Lord. There is no other God.
I am the only God.
I will make you strong
even though you don’t know me.
6 I do these things so everyone will know
there is no other God.
From the east to the west they will know
I alone am the Lord.
7 I made the light and the darkness.
I bring peace, and I cause troubles.
I, the Lord, do all these things.
8 “Sky above, make victory fall like rain.
Clouds, pour down victory.
May the earth receive it.
May salvation grow.
May victory grow with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
9 “How terrible it will be for those who argue with the God who made them.
They are like one piece of broken pottery among many pieces.
The clay does not ask the potter,
‘What are you doing?’
The thing that is made doesn’t say to its maker,
‘You have no hands.’
10 How terrible it will be for the child who says to his father,
‘Why are you giving me life?’
How terrible it will be for the child who says to his mother,
‘Why are you giving birth to me?’”
11 The Lord is the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker.
He says this:
“You ask me about what will happen.
You question me about my children.
You give me orders about what I have made.
12 I made the earth.
And I made all the people living on it.
With my own hands I stretched out the skies.
I command all the armies in the sky.
13 I will bring Cyrus to do good things.
And I will make his work easy.
Cyrus will rebuild my city,
and he will set my people free.
Cyrus has not been paid to do these things.
The Lord of heaven’s armies says this.”
14 The Lord says,
“The things made in Egypt and Cush
and the tall people of Seba
will come to you.
They will become yours.
The Sabeans will walk behind you.
They will come along in chains.
They will bow down before you.
They will pray to you, saying,
‘God is with you.
And there is no other God.’”
15 You are a God that people cannot see.
You are the God and Savior of Israel.
16 All the people who make idols will be put to great shame.
They will go off together in disgrace.
17 But Israel will be saved by the Lord.
That salvation will continue forever.
Never again will Israel be put to shame.
18 The Lord created the heavens.
He is the God
who formed the earth.
He made the earth.
But he did not want it to be empty.
He wanted life to be on the earth.
This is what the Lord says:
“I am the Lord. There is no other God.
19 I did not speak in secret.
I did not hide my words somewhere in a dark place.
I did not tell the family of Jacob
to look for me in empty places.
I am the Lord, and I speak the truth.
I say what is right.
20 “You people have escaped from other nations.
So gather together and come before me.
Come near together.
People who carry idols of wood don’t know what they are doing.
They pray to a god who cannot save them.
21 Tell these people to come to me.
Let them talk about these things together.
Who told you long ago that this would happen?
Who told about it long ago?
I, the Lord, said these things.
There is no other God besides me.
I am the only good God. I am the Savior.
There is no other God.
22 “All people everywhere,
follow me and be saved.
I am God. There is no other God.
23 I will make a promise by my own power.
And my promise is true.
What I say will not be changed.
I promise that everyone will bow before me.
Everyone will promise to follow me.
24 People will say, ‘Goodness and power
come only from the Lord.’”
Everyone who has been angry with the Lord
will come to him and be ashamed.
25 But with the Lord’s help, the people of Israel
will be found to be good.
And they will praise him.
False Gods Are Useless
46 Bel and Nebo bow down.
Their idols are carried by animals.
The statues are only heavy loads that must be carried.
They only make people tired.
2 These false gods will all bow down.
They cannot save themselves.
They will all be carried away like prisoners.
3 “Family of Jacob, listen to me!
All you people from Israel who are still alive, listen!
I have carried you since you were born.
I have taken care of you from your birth.
4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you.
Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you.
I made you and will take care of you.
I will carry you, and I will save you.
5 “Can you compare me to anyone?
No one is equal to me or like me.
6 Some people are rich with gold.
They weigh their silver on the scales.
They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god.
Then they bow down and worship it.
7 They put it on their shoulders and carry it.
They set it in its place, and there it stands.
It cannot move from its place.
People may yell at it, but it cannot answer.
It cannot save people from their troubles.
8 “Remember this, and do not forget it!
Think about these things, you who turn against God.
9 Remember what happened long ago.
Remember that I am God. There is no other God.
I am God. There is no one like me.
10 From the beginning I told you what would happen in the end.
A long time ago I told you things that have not yet happened.
When I plan something, it happens.
I do the things I want to do.
11 I am calling a man from the east to carry out my plan.
He will come like a hawk from a country far away.
I will make what I have said come true.
I will do what I have planned.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn people.
You are far from what is right.
13 I will soon do the things that are right.
I will bring salvation soon.
I will save Jerusalem.
And I will bring glory to Israel.”
God Will Destroy Babylon
47 The Lord says, “City of Babylon,
go down and sit in the dirt.
People of Babylon, sit on the ground.
You are no longer the ruler.
You will no longer be called
tender or beautiful.
2 You must use large stones to grind grain into flour.
Remove your veil and your nice skirts.
Uncover your legs and cross the rivers.
3 Men will see your nakedness.
They will see your shame.
I will punish you.
I will punish every one of you.”
4 Our Savior is named the Lord of heaven’s armies.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
5 “Babylon, sit in darkness and say nothing.
You will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms.
6 I was angry with my people.
So I rejected those people who belonged to me.
I gave them to you,
but you showed them no mercy.
You even made the old people
work very hard.
7 You said, ‘I will live forever.
I will always be the queen.’
You did not think about these things.
You did not think about what would happen.
8 “Now, listen, you lover of pleasure.
You think you are safe.
You tell yourself,
‘I am the only important person.
I will never be a widow.
I will never lose my children.’
9 Two things will happen to you
suddenly in a single day.
You will lose your children and your husband.
These things will truly happen to you.
All your magic and powerful tricks
will not save you.
10 You do evil things, but you feel safe.
You say, ‘No one sees what I do.’
Your wisdom and knowledge
have fooled you.
You say to yourself,
‘I am God. No one is equal to me.’
11 But troubles will come to you.
You will not know how to stop them.
Disaster will fall on you.
And you will not be able to keep it away.
You will be destroyed quickly.
You will not even see it coming.
12 “Keep on using your tricks.
Continue doing all your magic.
You have done these things since you were young.
Maybe they will help you.
Maybe you will be able to scare someone.
13 You are tired of the advice you have received.
So let those who study the sky come.
They tell the future by looking at the stars.
So let them save you from what is about to happen to you.
14 But they are like straw.
Fire will quickly burn them up.
They cannot save themselves
from the power of the fire.
They are not like coals that give warmth.
They are not like a fire you may sit beside.
15 You have worked with these people.
They have been with you since you were young.
But they will not be able to help you.
Everyone will go his own way.
And there will be no one left to save you.”
God Controls the Future
48 The Lord says, “Family of Jacob, listen to me.
You are called Israel.
You come from the family of Judah.
You use the Lord’s name to make promises.
You praise the God of Israel,
but you are not honest or sincere.
2 You call yourselves people of the holy city.
You depend on the God of Israel.
He is named the Lord of heaven’s armies.
3 Long ago I told you what would happen.
I said these things and made them known.
Suddenly I acted, and these things happened.
4 I did that because I knew you were stubborn.
Your neck was like an iron muscle.
It was as if your head were made of bronze.
5 So a long time ago I told you about these things.
I told you about them before they happened.
I did this so you couldn’t say, ‘My idols did this.
My wooden and metal statues made these things happen.’
6 “You heard and saw all the things that happened.
So you should tell this news to others.
Now I will tell you about new things.
These are hidden things that you don’t know yet.
7 These things are happening now, not long ago.
You have not heard about them before today.
So you cannot say, ‘We already knew about that.’
8 But you have not heard me. You have not understood.
Even long ago you did not listen to me.
I knew you would surely turn against me.
You have fought against me since you were born.
9 But for my own sake I will be patient.
People will praise me for not becoming angry
and destroying you.
10 I have made you pure, but not by fire, as silver is made pure.
I have purified you by giving you troubles.
11 I do this for myself, for my own sake.
I will not let people speak evil against me.
I will not let some false god take my glory.
Israel Will Be Free
12 “People of Jacob, listen to me.
People of Israel, I have called you to be my people.
I am God.
I am the beginning and the end.
13 I made the earth with my own hands.
With my right hand I spread out the skies.
When I call them,
they come together before me.
14 “All of you, come together and listen.
None of the false gods said these things would happen.
I, the Lord, have chosen someone
to attack the Babylonians.
He will carry out my wishes against Babylon.
15 I have spoken. I have called him.[c]
I have brought him, and I will make him successful.
16 Come to me and listen to this.
From the beginning I have spoken openly.
From the time it began, I was there.”
Now, the Lord God
has sent me with his Spirit.
17 The Lord is your close relative who saves you, the Holy One of Israel.
The Lord says,
“I am the Lord your God.
I teach you to do what is good.
I lead you in the way you should go.
18 If you had obeyed me,
you would have had peace like a full-flowing river.
Good things would have flowed to you like the waves of the sea.
19 You would have had many children.
They would have been as many as the grains of sand.
They would never have died out.
They would not have been destroyed.”
20 My people, leave Babylon!
Run from the Babylonians!
Tell this news with shouts of joy to the people.
Spread it everywhere on earth.
Say, “The Lord has saved
his servants, the people of Jacob.”
21 They did not become thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
He made water flow from a rock for them.
He split the rock,
and water flowed out.
22 “There is no peace for evil people,” says the Lord.
God Calls His Special Servant
49 All of you people in faraway places, listen to me.
Listen, all you nations far away.
Before I was born, the Lord called me to serve him.
The Lord named me while I was still in my mother’s body.
2 The Lord made my tongue like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the shadow of his hand.
The Lord made me like a sharp arrow.
He hid me in the holder for his arrows.
3 The Lord told me, “Israel, you are my servant.
I will show my glory through you.”
4 But I said, “I have worked hard for nothing.
I have used all my power, but I did nothing useful.
But the Lord will decide what my work is worth.
God will decide my reward.”
5 The Lord made me in the body of my mother
so I would be his servant.
He made me to lead the people of Jacob back to him.
He made me so that Israel might be gathered to him.
The Lord will honor me.
I will get my strength from my God.
6 The Lord told me,
“You are an important servant to me.
You will bring back the tribes of Jacob.
You will bring back the people of Israel who are left alive.
But, more importantly, I will make you a light for all nations.
You will show people all over the world the way to be saved.”
7 The Lord is your close relative who saves you.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to the one who is hated by the people.
He speaks to the servant of rulers.
The Lord says, “Kings will see you and stand to honor you.
Great leaders will bow down before you.
This is because the Lord can be trusted.
He is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
The Day of Salvation
8 This is what the Lord says:
“At the right time I will hear your prayers.
On the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you.
And you will be the sign of my agreement with the people.
You will bring back the people to the land.
You will give the land that is now ruined back to its owners.
9 You will tell the prisoners, ‘Come out of your prison.’
You will tell those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’
The people will eat beside the roads.
They will find food even on bare hills.
10 They will not be hungry or thirsty.
Neither the hot sun nor the desert wind will hurt them.
The God who comforts them will lead them.
He will lead them by springs of water.
11 I will make my mountains into roads for my people.
And the roads will be raised up.
12 Look, people are coming to me from far away.
They are coming from the north and from the west.
They are coming from Aswan in southern Egypt.”
13 Heavens and earth, be happy.
Mountains, shout with joy.
Be happy because the Lord comforts his people.
He will comfort those who suffer.
Jerusalem and Her Children
14 But Jerusalem said, “The Lord has left me.
The Lord has forgotten me.”
15 The Lord answers, “Can a woman forget the baby she nurses?
Can she feel no kindness for the child she gave birth to?
Even if she could forget her children,
I will not forget you.
16 See, I have written your name on my hand.
Jerusalem, I always think about your walls.
17 Your children will soon return to you.
And the people who defeated you and destroyed you will leave.
18 Look up and look around you.
All your children are gathering to return to you.”
The Lord says, “As surely as I live,
your children will be like jewels.
You will be as proud of them as a bride is of her jewels.
19 “You were destroyed and defeated.
Your land was made useless.
But now you will have more people than the land can hold.
And those people who destroyed you will be far away.
20 Children were born to you while you were sad.
But they will say to you,
‘This place is too small for us.
Give us a bigger place to live.’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Who gave me all these children?
I was sad and lonely.
I was defeated and away from my people.
So who reared these children?
I was left all alone.
Where did all these children come from?’”
22 This is what the Lord God says:
“See, I will lift my hand to signal the nations.
I will raise my banner for all people to see.
Then they will bring your sons back to you in their arms.
They will carry your daughters on their shoulders.
23 Kings will teach your children.
Daughters of kings will take care of those children.
They will bow down before you.
They will kiss the dirt at your feet.
Then you will know I am the Lord.
Anyone who trusts in me will not be disappointed.”
24 Can the wealth a soldier wins in war be taken away from him?
Can a prisoner be freed from a powerful soldier?
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“The prisoners will be taken from the strong soldiers.
What the soldiers have taken will be saved.
I will fight your enemies.
I will save your children.
26 I will force those who trouble you to eat their own flesh.
Their own blood will be the wine that makes them drunk.
Then everyone will know
I, the Lord, am the One who saves you.
I am the Powerful One of Jacob who saves you.”
Israel Was Punished for Its Sin
50 This is what the Lord says:
“People of Israel, you say I divorced your mother.
Then where is the paper that proves it?
Or do you think I sold you to pay a debt?
No! It was because of the evil things you did that I sold you.
It was because of the times she turned against me that your mother was sent away.
2 I came home and found no one there.
I called, but no one answered.
Do you think I am not able to save you?
Do I not have the power to save you?
Look, I need only to shout, and the sea becomes dry.
I change rivers into a desert.
Their fish rot because there is no water.
The fish die of thirst.
3 I can make the skies dark.
I can make them black like clothes of sadness.”
God’s Servant Obeys
4 The Lord God gave me the ability to teach.
He has taught me what to say to make the weak strong.
Every morning he wakes me.
He teaches me to listen like a student.
5 The Lord God helps me learn.
And I have not turned against him.
I have not stopped following him.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me.
I offered my cheeks to those who pulled my beard.
I won’t hide my face from them
when they make fun of me and spit at me.
7 The Lord God helps me.
So I will not be ashamed.
I will be determined.
I know I will not be disgraced.
8 The Lord shows that I am innocent, and he is close to me.
So who can accuse me?
If there is someone, let us go to court together.
If someone wants to prove I have done wrong,
he should come and tell me.
9 It is the Lord God who helps me.
So who can prove me guilty?
All those who try will become useless like old clothes.
Moths will eat them.
10 Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys his servant?
That person may walk in the dark
and have no light.
Then let him trust in the Lord.
Let him depend on his God.
11 But instead, some of you want to light your own fires.
You want to make your own light.
So, go, walk in the light of your fires.
Trust your own light to guide you.
But this is what you will receive from me:
You will lie down in a place of pain.
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
51 The Lord says, “Listen to me,
those of you who try to live right and follow the Lord.
Look at the rock from which you were cut.
Look at the stone quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look at Abraham, your ancestor.
Look at Sarah, who gave birth to your ancestors.
Abraham had no children when I called him.
But I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
3 So the Lord will comfort Jerusalem.
He will show mercy to those who live in her ruins.
He will change her deserts into a garden like Eden.
He will make her empty lands like the garden of the Lord.
People there will be very happy.
They will give thanks and sing songs.
4 “My people, listen to me.
My nation, pay attention to me.
I will give the people my teachings.
And my decisions will be like a light to all people.
5 I will soon show I do what is right.
I will soon save you.
I will use my power and judge all nations.
All the faraway places are waiting for me.
They wait for my power to help them.
6 Look up to the heavens.
Look around you at the earth below.
The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke.
The earth will become useless like old clothes.
Its people will die like flies.
But my salvation will continue forever.
My goodness will never end.
7 “You people who know what is right should listen to me.
You people who follow my teachings should hear what I say.
Don’t be afraid of the evil things people say.
Don’t be upset by their insults.
8 Moths will eat those people as if they were clothes.
Worms will eat them as if they were wool.
But my goodness will continue forever.
My salvation will continue from now on.”
9 Wake up, wake up, and use your strength,
powerful Lord.
Wake up as you did in the old times.
Wake up as you did a long time ago.
With your own power, you cut Rahab into pieces.
You killed that sea monster.
10 You caused the sea to become dry.
You dried the waters of the deep ocean.
You made the deepest parts of the sea into a road.
Your people crossed over on that road and were saved.
11 The people the Lord has freed will return.
They will enter Jerusalem with joy.
Their happiness will last forever.
They will have joy and gladness.
All sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.
12 The Lord says, “I am the one who comforts you.
So why should you be afraid of people, who die?
Why should you fear people who die like the grass?
13 Have you forgotten that the Lord made you?
He stretched out the skies.
He made the earth.
Why are you always afraid
of those angry people who trouble you?
They want to destroy.
But where are those angry people now?
14 People in prison will soon be set free.
They will not die in prison.
They will have enough food.
15 This is because I am the Lord your God.
I stir the sea and make the waves roar.
My name is the Lord of heaven’s armies.
16 I will give you the words I want you to say.
I will cover you with my hands and protect you.
I made the heavens and the earth.
And I say to Jerusalem, ‘You are my people.’”
God Punished Israel
17 The Lord was very angry with you.
Your punishment was like wine in a cup.
The Lord made you drink that wine
until you stumbled.
18 Jerusalem had many people.
But there was not a person to lead her.
Of all the people who grew up there,
no one was there to guide her.
19 Troubles came to you in groups of two.
No one will feel sorry for you.
There was ruin and disaster, great hunger and fighting.
No one can comfort you.
20 Your people have become weak.
They fall down and lie on every street corner.
They are like animals caught in a net.
They have felt the full anger of the Lord.
They have heard God’s angry shout.
21 So listen to me, poor Jerusalem,
you who are drunk but not from wine.
22 Your God will fight for his people.
This is what the Lord your God says:
“The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine.
You drank it and could not walk straight.
I am taking that cup of my anger away from you.
You will never be punished by my anger again.
23 I will now give that cup of punishment to those who gave you pain.
They told you,
‘Bow down so we can walk over you.’
They made your back like dirt for them to walk on.
You were like a street for them to travel on.”
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
52 Wake up, wake up, Jerusalem!
Become strong!
Be beautiful again,
holy city of Jerusalem.
The people who do not worship God and who are not pure
will not enter you again.
2 Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner.
Now shake off the dust and stand up.
Jerusalem, you once were a prisoner.
But now free yourself from the chains around your neck.
3 This is what the Lord says:
“You were not sold for a price.
So you will be saved without cost.”
4 This is what the Lord God says:
“First my people went down to Egypt to live.
Later Assyria made them slaves.
5 “Now see what has happened,” says the Lord.
“Another nation has taken away my people for nothing.
This nation who rules them makes fun of me,” says the Lord.
“All day long they speak against me.
6 But this has happened so my people will know who I am.
They will know I am God.
And they will know that I am the one speaking to them.”
7 How beautiful is the person
who comes over the mountains to bring good news.
How beautiful is the one who announces peace.
He brings good news
and announces salvation.
How beautiful are the feet of the one who says to Jerusalem,
“Your God is king.”
8 Listen! Your guards are shouting.
They are all shouting for joy!
They all will see with their own eyes
when the Lord returns to Jerusalem.
9 Jerusalem, your buildings are destroyed now.
But shout and rejoice together.
You can rejoice because the Lord has comforted his people.
He has saved Jerusalem.
10 The Lord will show his holy power
to all the nations.
Then everyone on earth
will see the salvation of our God.
11 You people, leave, leave; get out of Babylon!
Touch nothing that is unclean.
You men who carry the things used in worship,
leave there and make yourselves pure.
12 You will not be forced to leave Babylon quickly.
You will not be forced to run away.
The Lord will go before you.
And the God of Israel will guard you from behind.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.