Bible in 90 Days
19 I’ll put cedar trees in the wilderness,
along with acacia, myrtle, and olive trees.
I’ll plant cypresses in the desert—
box[a] trees, and pine trees together—
20 all so that people may see and recognize,
perceive,[b] consider, and comprehend at the same time,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
and that the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
Can God’s Enemies Predict the Future?
21 “Put forward your case!” says the Lord.
“Submit your arguments!” says Jacob’s King.
22 Let them approach and ask us,
‘What will happen?
As to the former things, what were they?
Tell us, so that we may consider them and know.
Or[c] the latter things or the things to come—
let us hear.
23 Tell us what the future holds,
so we may know that you are gods!
Yes, do something good or something bad,
so we may hear[d] and gaze at it together.’”
24 “Look! You and your work are less than nothing;[e]
whoever finds you pleasing is disgusting.”
25 “You are stirring up[f] one from the north,
and they are coming[g] from the rising of the sun;
and[h] he will be called by his[i] name.
Rulers will arrive like mud;[j]
just[k] like a potter, he will trample the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,
so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could ask,
‘Is it right?’[l]
Indeed, no one told of this,
no one made an announcement,
and no one heard your words:
27 First, to Zion: “There is slumber.”[m]
And to Jerusalem: “I’ll send a messenger with good news.”
28 But when I look, there is no one—
among them there’s no one to give counsel,
no one to give an answer when I ask them.
29 See, none of them exist, and their deeds are nothing.[n]
Their metal images are only wind and confusion.’”
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant, whom I support,
my chosen one, in whom I delight.[o]
I’ve placed my Spirit upon him;
and[p] he’ll deliver his[q] justice throughout the world.[r]
2 He won’t shout,
or raise his voice,
or make it heard in the street.
3 A crushed reed he will not break,
and a fading candle[s] he won’t snuff out.[t]
He’ll bring forth[u] justice for the truth.
4 And[v] he won’t grow faint or be crushed
until he establishes justice on the mainland,
and the coastlands take ownership of[w] his Law.”
God Speaks about the Servant
5 This is what God says—
the God[x] who created the heavens
and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and its produce,
who gives breath to the people on it
and life[y] to those who walk in it:
6 “I’ve[z] called you in righteousness.
I’ll take hold of your hand.
I’ll preserve you and appoint you
as a covenant to the people,[aa]
as a light for the nations,
7 to open blind eyes
and to bring out those who are bound[ab] from their cells,
and[ac] those sitting in darkness from prison.
8 I, the Lord, am the one,
and I won’t give my name and[ad] glory to another,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and I’m announcing the[ae] new things—
before they spring into being
I’m telling you about them.”
Praise in Song to God
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
and[af] his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who sail down the sea and by everything in it,
you coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert cry out,[ag]
its towns and the[ah] villages where Kedar lives;
and[ai] let those who live in Sela sing for joy.
Let them shout aloud[aj] from the mountaintops.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the islands.
13 The Lord marches out like a warrior;
he stirs up his rage like a man of war;
he makes his anger heard;
he shouts aloud;[ak]
he declares his mastery over his enemies:
14 “I have certainly[al] stayed silent for a long time;
I’ve kept still and held myself back.
Now, like a woman giving birth, I’ll cry out.
All of a sudden I’ll gasp and pant.
15 I’ll devastate the mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I’ll turn rivers into islands,
and dry up the ponds.
16 I’ll help the blind walk,
even[am] on a road they do not know;
I’ll guide them
in directions[an] they do not know.
I’ll turn the dark places[ao] into light in front of them,
and the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
and I won’t abandon them.
17 Those who trust in carved idols
will turn back and[ap] be completely disappointed,[aq]
along with those[ar] who say to metal images,
‘You are our gods.’”
God Rebukes Israel
18 “Listen, you deaf people,
and look up, you blind people, so you may see!
19 Who is blind except my servant,
or deaf like my messenger I am sending?
Who is blind like the one committed to me,
or blind like the Lord’s servant?
20 You’ve seen[as] many things, but you pay no[at] attention.
His ears are open,[au] but he doesn’t listen.
21 The Lord was pleased, for the sake of his vindication,
that he should magnify his Law and make it glorious.
22 But this is a people who have been robbed and plundered,
all of them trapped in pits
or hidden away in prisons.[av]
They have become prey, with no one to rescue them;
they have been made loot, with no one to say, ‘Send them back!’
23 “Who among you will listen,
and[aw] pay attention,
and listen for the time to come?”
God Punishes Israel
24 “Who handed Jacob over to looters,
and Israel to robbers?
Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned?
After all, they weren’t willing to walk in his ways,
and they wouldn’t obey[ax] his instruction,
25 so he drenched him with[ay] the heat that is his anger,[az]
the violence of war.
It enveloped him in flames,
but still he had no insight.
It burned him up,
but he didn’t take it to heart.”
The Future Redemption of Israel
43 But now this is what the Lord says,
the one who created you, Jacob,
the one who formed you, Israel:
“Do not be afraid, because I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called you by name;
you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you;
and through the rivers, they won’t sweep over you.
when you walk through fire you won’t be scorched,
and the flame won’t set you ablaze.
3 “I[ba] am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.[bb]
And[bc] I’ve given Egypt as your ransom,[bd]
Cush and the people of Seba[be] in exchange for you.
4 Since you’re precious in my sight
and honored,
and because I love you,
I’m giving up people in your place,
and nations in exchange for your life.”
The Regathering of Israel
5 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you;
I’ll bring your children from the east,
and gather you from the west.
6 I’ll say to the north,
‘Give them up’!
and to the south,
‘Don’t keep them back!’
Bring[bf] my sons from far away
and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom[bg] I formed and made.
8 “Bring out the people who are blind, yet still have eyes,
who are deaf, yet still have ears!
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
and let the peoples be assembled.
“Who is there among them who[bh] can declare this,
or announce[bi] the former things?
Let them produce their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them proclaim[bj] so people will say, ‘It’s true.’
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and trust me
and understand that I am the One.[bk]
Before me no God was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
11 I, yes I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no foreign god among you —
and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
13 “I am God; also[bl] from ancient days[bm] I am the one.
And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand;
when I act, who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord says,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,[bn]
and bring them all down as fugitives.
Now as for the Babylonians,
their ringing cry will become lamentation.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Creator of Israel, and your King.”
Something New for Israel
16 This is what the Lord says —
who makes a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who brings out chariots and horsemen,
and[bo] armies and warriors at the same time.
They lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a candle:[bp]
18 “Don’t remember[bq] the former things;
don’t dwell on things past.
19 Watch! I’m about to carry out something new!
And[br] now it’s springing up—
don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the wilderness
and paths[bs] in the desert.
20 Wild animals, jackals, and owls[bt] will honor me
because I provide[bu] water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give drink to my people, my chosen ones,[bv]
21 the people whom I formed for myself
and[bw] so that they may speak[bx] my praise.”
God is Weary of Israel
22 “And[by] yet you didn’t call upon me, Jacob;
indeed, you are tired of me, Israel!
23 You haven’t brought me your sheep for a burnt offering,[bz]
nor have you honored me with[ca] your sacrifices,
nor have you made meal offerings for me[cb]—
yet I have not tired you about incense!
24 You[cc] haven’t bought me sweet cane with money,
nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
You have only burdened me with your sins
and made me tired with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am the one
who blots out your transgression[cd] for my own sake,
and I’ll remember your sins no more.[ce]
26 Recount the brief!
Let’s argue the matter together;
Present your case,
so that you may be proved right.
27 Your first ancestor sinned,
and your mediators rebelled against me.
28 So I’ll disgrace the leaders of the Temple,
and I’ll consign Jacob to total destruction[cf]
and Israel to contempt.
God’s Blessing on Israel
44 “But now listen, Jacob my servant
and Israel whom I have chosen:
2 This what the Lord says, the one who made you,
formed you from the womb,
and who will help[cg] you:
“Don’t be afraid, Jacob my servant,
and Jeshurun,[ch] whom I have chosen.
3 For I’ll pour water upon thirsty ground
and streams on parched land.
So[ci] will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring,
and my blessing upon your descendants.
4 They’ll[cj] spring up as among[ck] the green grass,
like willows by flowing streams.
5 One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord,’
and another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
still another will have written on his hand, ‘the Lord’s,’
and will adopt the name of Israel.”
I am the First and the Last
6 This is what the Lord says, the King of Israel
and its Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—[cl]
“I am the first and I am the last,
and apart from me there is no God.
7 Who is like me? Let him proclaim
and declare it, and lay it out for himself—[cm]
since he made[cn] an ancient people.
And let him speak[co] future events;
let them tell him what[cp] will happen.
8 Don’t tremble, and don’t be afraid.[cq]
Didn’t I tell you and announce it long ago?
You are my witnesses.
Is there any God besides me?
There is no other Rock—
I don’t know of any.”
A Rebuke to Idol Worship
9 Now,[cr] all the forming of[cs] images means nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their own witnesses cannot see, and they[ct] know nothing. So they will be put to shame.
10 Who would shape a god or cast an image that profits nothing? 11 To be sure, all who associate with it will be put to shame; and as for the craftsmen, they are only human. Let them all gather together and[cu] take their stand. Then[cv] let them be terrified—they will be humiliated together.
12 The blacksmith prepares a tool and works in the coals, then[cw] fashions an idol with hammers, working by the strength of his arm. He even becomes hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
13 The carpenter measures it[cx] with a line; he traces its shape with a stylus, then fashions it with planes and shapes it with a compass. He makes the idol like a human figure, with human beauty, to be at home[cy] in a shrine. 14 He cuts down cedars, or chooses a cypress tree or an oak, and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. Or he plants a cedar, and the rain makes it grow. 15 He divides it up[cz] for people to burn. Taking part of it, he warms himself, makes a fire, and bakes bread. Or perhaps[da] he constructs a god and worships it. He makes it an idol and bows down to it. 16 Half the wood he burns in the fire, and[db] over[dc] that half he places[dd] meat so he can eat. He sits by its coals, warms himself,[de] and says, “Ah! I am warm in front of[df] the fire.” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god. To blocks[dg] of wood he bows down, worships, prays, and says, “Save me, since you are my god.”
18 They don’t realize; they don’t understand, because their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds, too, so they cannot understand. 19 No one stops to think. No one has the knowledge or understanding to think—yes to think!—[dh]“Half of it I burned in the fire. I even baked bread on its coals, and[di] I roasted meat and ate it. And[dj] am I about to make detestable things[dk] from what is left? Am I about to bow down to blocks[dl] of wood?” 20 He tends ashes. A deceived mind has lead him astray. It cannot be his life,[dm] nor can he say, “There’s a lie in my right hand.”[dn]
A Call to Remembrance and Joy
21 “Remember these things, Jacob,
Israel,[do] for you are my servant.
I have formed you;
you are a servant to me.
Israel,[dp] you must not mislead me.[dq]
22 I’ve wiped away your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist.
Return to me;
because I’ve redeemed you.
23 “Shout for joy, you heavens,
for the Lord has done it!
Shout aloud, you depths of the earth!
Burst out with singing, you mountains,
you forest, and all your trees!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and will display his glory in Israel.
24 “This is what the Lord says, your Redeemer
and the one who formed you in the womb:
‘I am the Lord, who has made everything,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth—
Who was with me at that time?—[dr]
25 who frustrates the omens of idle talkers,
and drives diviners mad,
who turns back the wise,
and makes their knowledge foolish;[ds]
26 who carries out the words of his servants,
and fulfills the predictions of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, “It will be inhabited,”
and of Judah’s cities, “They will be rebuilt,”
and of her ruins, “I’ll raise them up”;
27 who says to the watery deep, “Be dry—
I will dry up your rivers;”
28 who says about Cyrus, “He’s my shepherd,
and he’ll carry out everything that I please:
He’ll say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’
and of my[dt] Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid again.’”’”
Cyrus: God’s Deliverer
45 This is what the Lord says to his anointed, Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him,
as I strip kings of their armor,[du]
to open doors[dv] before him
and gates that cannot keep closed:
2 “I myself will go before you,
and he[dw] will make the mountains[dx] level;
I’ll shatter bronze doors
and cut through iron bars.
3 I’ll give you concealed treasures[dy]
and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you’ll know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant,
Israel[dz] my chosen,
I’ve called you,
and he has established you with a name,[ea]
although you have not acknowledged me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other besides me:
and there are no gods.[eb]
I’m strengthening you,
although you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the sun’s rising[ec] to the west
people may know that there is none besides me.
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
God is Sovereign
7 “I form light and create darkness,
I make goodness[ed] and create disaster.
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
8 “Shout,[ee] you skies above, and you clouds,
and let righteousness stream down.[ef]
I am[eg] the one who says to the earth, ‘Let salvation blossom,
and let righteousness sprout forth.’[eh]
9 “Woe to the one who quarrels with his makers,[ei]
a mere potsherd with the potsherds of the[ej] earth!
Woe to the one who says[ek] to the one forming him,
‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no human[el] hands?’!
10 Woe to the[em] one who says to his father,
‘What are you begetting?’
or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’!”
11 This is what the Lord[en] says,
the Creator of the signs:
“Question me about my children,[eo]
or give me orders about the work of my hands.
12 I myself made the earth
and personally created humankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the skies;
I marshaled all their starry hosts.”
God will Bless Cyrus
13 “I have aroused him[ep] in righteousness,
and I’ll make all his pathways smooth.
It is he who will rebuild my city
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price nor reward, ”
says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
14 This is what the Lord says:
“The wealth of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia,
those[eq] Sabeans, men of great heights.[er]
They’ll come over to you and will be yours;
They’ll trudge behind you—
coming over in chains, they’ll bow down to you.
They’ll plead with you,
‘Surely God is in you;
and there is no other God at all.’”
God as Savior of Israel
15 “Truly you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Savior.
16 All of them will be put to shame—indeed, disgraced!
The makers of idols will go off in disgrace together.
17 But Israel will be saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
you won’t be put to shame or disgraced ever again.”
18 For this is what the Lord says,
who created the heavens—
he is God,
and[es] the one who formed the earth and made it,
and[et] he is the one who established it;
he didn’t create it for[eu] chaos,
but formed it to be inhabited—
“I am the Lord and there is no other.
19 I didn’t speak in secret,
from somewhere in a land of darkness;
I didn’t say to Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in chaos.’
I, the Lord, speak truth,
declaring what is right.
20 “Gather together and come;
draw near and enter,[ev]
your fugitives from the nations.
Those who carry around their wooden idols
know nothing,
nor do those who keep praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 Explain and present a case!
Yes, let them take counsel together.
Who announced this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no other God besides me,
a righteous God and Savior;
and[ew] there is none besides me.
22 Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth.
For I am God, and there is no other.
Every Knee will Bow
23 By myself I have sworn—
from my mouth has gone out integrity,
a promise[ex] that won’t be revoked:
‘To me every knee will bow,
and[ey] every tongue will swear.’
24 One will say of me,[ez]
‘Only in the Lord are victories and might.’
All who raged against him will come[fa] to him
and will be put to shame.
25 In the Lord all the descendants of Israel
will triumph and make their boast.”
God is Unique and Eternal
46 “Bel[fb] bows down, Nebo[fc] stoops low.
Their idols are on beasts, on[fd] livestock.
Your loads are more burdensome than their reports.[fe]
2 They stoop, they bow down together,
and[ff] they are not able to rescue the burden,
but they themselves go off[fg] into captivity.
3 “Listen[fh] to me, house of Jacob,
and all you remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been upheld from before your birth,
and who have been carried from the womb.
4 Even[fi] until your[fj] old age, I am the one,
and I’ll carry you even until your gray hairs come.[fk]
It is I who have created,[fl] and I who will carry,
and it is I who will bear and save.
5 “To whom will you compare me,
count me equal,[fm] or liken me,
so that I[fn] may be compared?
6 Those who pour out gold in[fo] a purse,
weigh silver in a balance,
hire a goldsmith in order to make[fp] a god,
and then[fq] they bow down and even worship it.
7 And[fr] they lift it on their shoulders, carry it,
set it up in its place, and there it stands.
It cannot move[fs] from that spot.
One may even call to[ft] it, but it cannot answer
nor save him from his distress.
8 “Remember this, and stand firm;
take it again to heart, you rebels.
9 Remember the former things from long ago,
Because I am God, and there is no one else;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I declare from the beginning things to follow,[fu]
and from ancient times things that have not yet been done;
saying, ‘My purpose will stand,
and he[fv] will accomplish everything that I please.’
11 I am calling a bird of prey from the east,
and from a far country a man with his[fw] purpose.
Indeed, I’ve spoken;
I will certainly make it happen;
I’ve planned it;[fx]
and I will certainly carry it out.
12 “Listen to me, you hard-hearted,
you who are far removed from righteousness:
13 My righteousness is brought near[fy] and[fz] it’s not far off,
and my salvation won’t delay.
I’ll[ga] grant salvation in Zion,
and[gb] to Israel, my glory.”
The Fall of Babylon
47 “Come down and sit in the dust,
Virgin Daughter of Babylon.
Sit on[gc] the ground without a chair,
Daughter of the Chaldeans!
For no longer will they call you
tender and attractive.
2 Take millstones and grind flour.
Remove your veil,
strip off your robes,[gd]
bare your legs,
and wade through the rivers.
3 Your nakedness will be[ge] exposed,
and your disgrace will also be seen.
I’ll take vengeance,
and I will spare no mortal.
4 “Our Redeemer—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name—
is the Holy One of Israel.
5 “Sit silent,[gf] and enter into the darkness,
you daughter of the Chaldeans;
for no more will they call you
Queen of Kingdoms.
6 I was angry with my people,
and[gg] I desecrated my heritage,
and gave them into your control.
You showed them no mercy;
even on the aged you laid your yoke most heavily.
7 You said, ‘I will always continue—Queen forever!’
You didn’t take these things into your thinking,
nor did you think about their consequences.[gh]
8 “Now hear this, you wanton creature,
lounging with no cares,
and saying to herself:
‘I am the one, and there will be none besides me;
I won’t live as a widow,
nor will I see[gi] the loss of children.’
9 Both of these things will overtake you
suddenly on a single day:
loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
despite the multitude of your incantations
and the great power of your spells.”
Self-Deception of the Babylonians
10 “You trusted in your own knowledge.[gj]
You said, ‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and knowledge have misled you.
You said in your heart,
‘I am the one, and there will be none besides me.’
11 “But disaster will come[gk] upon you,
and[gl] you will not know how to charm it away.
A calamity will befall you
that you will not be able to[gm] ward off;
and devastation will come upon you suddenly,
and[gn] you won’t anticipate it.
12 “But[go] stand up now with your spells
and your many incantations,
at which you have labored from your childhood until today,[gp]
13 according to[gq] your multiple schemes.
Let them stand up now—
those who conjure[gr] the heavens
and[gs] gaze at the stars,
predicting at the new moons—
and save you from what is about to happen to them.[gt]
14 “See, they are just like stubble;
fire burns them up.
They could not[gu] even save themselves
from the power of the flame.
There will be no coals for warming oneself,
no fire to sit by.
15 So will they be to you—those with whom you toiled
and did business since your childhood—
they wander about, each in his own direction;
there is not one who can save you.
God the Creator and Redeemer
48 “Listen to this, house of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel,
and who have come forth from Judah’s loins;[gv]
you who swear oaths in the name of the Lord
and invoke the God of Israel—
but not in truth, nor in good faith.
2 For they name themselves after the holy city,
and rely on the God of Israel—
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name.
3 I foretold the former things long ago;
it[gw] went forth from my mouth,
and I disclosed them;
Suddenly, I acted,
and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew[gx] that you are obstinate,
and because your neck is an iron sinew,
and your forehead is bronze,
5 I told you these things long ago;
I announced them to you before they happened
so that you couldn’t say, ‘My idol did them;
my[gy] carved image or metal idol ordained them.’
6 “You have heard—now look at them all!
How[gz] can you not admit them?
From now on, I’ll make you hear new things,
hidden things that you have not known.
7 They are created now, and not long ago;
you didn’t hear them before today,
so you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew them.’
8 And[ha] neither had you heard, nor did you understand,
nor did you open[hb] your ear long ago.[hc]
Indeed, I knew that[hd] you would act very deceitfully,
and they would call[he] you a rebel from birth.
9 I defer my anger for my name’s sake,
and as my first act[hf] I’m restraining it for you,
so as not to cut you off.
10 Look, I have refined you, but not like silver;
I have purified[hg] you in the furnace of affliction.
11 For my own sake—Yes, for my own sake!—I’m doing it;
indeed, how can I be profaned?[hh]
Furthermore, I won’t give my glory to another.”
The Lord Calls Israel
12 “Listen to these things,[hi] Jacob,
and Israel, whom I have called.
I am the One: I am the first,
I am even[hj] the last.
13 Moreover, my hands laid[hk] the earth’s foundation,
and my right hand spread out the heavens.
I call out to them,
and[hl] they stand up together.
14 Let all of them come together and listen:[hm]
Who is there among them that could declare[hn] these things?
“The Lord loves me,[ho]
and he will accomplish[hp] my purpose[hq] against Babylon;
his arm[hr] will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I—Yes, I!—have spoken;
indeed, I’ve called and[hs] I’ve brought him,
and he will make his path successful.[ht]
16 Draw near to me, and[hu] listen to this:
‘From the beginning I haven’t spoken in secret;
at[hv] the time it happened, I was there.’
And now the Lord God, and his Spirit, has sent me.[hw]
17 “This is what the Lord says,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who directs you[hx] in the path by which[hy] you should go.
18 Now[hz] if only you had paid attention to my commandments!
Then your peace would have been like a river,
and your success like the waves of the sea.
19 Your descendants would’ve been like the sand,
and your offspring[ia] like its numberless grains.
Their name wouldn’t have been cut off
or annihilated out of my reach.
20 “Go out from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans!
With happy shouts, announce
and[ib] proclaim this[ic] to the ends[id] of the earth:
Say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob!’
21 They didn’t thirst when he led him[ie] through the desolate places.
He made water gush[if] from a rock for them;
he split open the rock, and water gushed out.
22 “But[ig] there is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
The Servant of the Lord
49 “Listen to me, you coastlands!
Pay[ih] attention, you people[ii] from far away!
The Lord called me from the womb;
while I was still in my mother’s body,
he pronounced my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
he hid me in the shadow of his hands.[ij]
He made me like a polished arrow
and hid me away in his quivers.[ik]
3 He said to me: ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.’
4 “I[il] said: ‘I’ve labored for nothing.
I’ve exhausted my strength on futility and on[im] emptiness.’
Yet surely my recompense is with the Lord,
and my reward is with my God.
5 “And now, says the Lord,
who formed you[in] from the womb as his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
so that Israel might be gathered[io] to him—
and I am honored in the Lord’s sight
and my God has been my help[ip]—
6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Israel[iq]
and bring back those of Jacob[ir] I have preserved.
I’ll also make you as a light to the nations,
to be my salvation to the ends[is] of the earth.
7 “This is what my Lord[it] says—
the Lord your Redeemer, O Israel,[iu]
and his Holy One—
to one despised by people,[iv]
to those abhorred[iw] as a nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings see[ix] and arise,
and princes[iy] will bow down,
because of the Lord who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel,
the one who has[iz] chosen you.”
The Restoration of Israel
8 “This what the Lord says:
“I’ll answer[ja] you in a time of favor,
and on a day of salvation I’ll help[jb] you.
I have watched over you,
and given you as a covenant for the people,
to restore the land,
to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated;
9 saying to captives, ‘Come out!’
and[jc] to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’[jd]
“They will feed on all the mountains,[je]
and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.
10 They won’t hunger or thirst,
nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them;
for the one who has compassion on them will drive them
and guide them alongside springs of water.
11 I’ll turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways will be raised up.
12 “Watch! They’ll come from far away—
some from the north and from the west,
and others from the region of China.”[jf]
13 Shout with joy, you heavens,
and rock with glee, you earth!
Break out in song, you mountains![jg]
The Lord is comforting[jh] his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Zion Not Forgotten
14 “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
and my God[ji] has forgotten me.’
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or have no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these mothers may forget;
But as for me, I’ll never forget you!
16 Look! I’ve inscribed you on the palms of my hands,
and[jj] your walls are forever before me.
17 Your builders[jk] are working faster than your destroyers,
and those who devastated you go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes and look around—
they have all gathered together
and are coming to you.
“As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
“you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments,
and tie them on like a bride.
19 Indeed, your ruins, your desolate places,
and your devastated land
will now be too crowded for your inhabitants,
while those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 “The children who are grieving at present[jl]
will yet say in your hearing,
‘This place is too crowded for me;
make room for me,
so I may have a place to live.’
21 Then you’ll ask[jm] in your heart,
‘Who bore these children for me,
although I was childless and barren,
and[jn] an exile[jo] and cast aside?
Who[jp] brought these up?
Look![jq] For my part I was left all alone;
but as for these, where have they come from?’
22 “For[jr] this what the Lord[js] says,
‘Watch! I’ll lift up my hand to the nations
and raise my banner to the[jt] peoples.[ju]
They will bring your sons in their arms,
and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.’
23 “Oh, yes![jv] Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens will be your nursing mothers.
They will bow to you with their faces to the ground,
and lick the dust from your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed.
24 “Can they seize plunder[jw] from warriors,
or[jx] can the captives of tyrants[jy] be rescued?
25 But this is what the Lord says:
“He will seize[jz] even the warriors’ plunder,[ka]
and the captives[kb] of tyrants will be rescued.
I myself will quarrel with those who have a quarrel with you,[kc]
and I myself will save your children.
26 “I’ll make those who mistreat you[kd] eat their own flesh,
and they will get drunk on their own blood, as with new wine.
“Then all mankind will know that I am the Lord
your Savior and your Redeemer,
the Mighty One of Jacob.”
A Call to Return to God
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?
Look! It’s because of your sins that you were sold,
and because of your transgressions that your mother was sent away.
2 Why is it that when I came, no one was there?
Why was there no answer when I called?
Was my arm[ke] too short to redeem you?
Do[kf] I lack the strength to rescue you?
Look! By my mere rebuke I dry up the sea,
I turn rivers into a desert.
Their fish stink for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the skies with darkness
and make sackcloth their covering.”
The Servant’s Obedience
4 “The Lord God has given me
a learned tongue, so that I may know
how to sustain the weary with words.
And[kg] morning after morning he wakens,
and[kh] he wakens my ear to
listen like those who are being taught.
5 My Lord God[ki] has opened my ears,
and I did not rebel;
I did not shrink back.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.[kj]
I did not turn away[kk] my face
from insults and spitting.
7 For the Lord God helps me,
so I won’t be disgraced.
Therefore I’ve made my face like flint,
and I know that I won’t be put to shame.”
The Servant’s Vindication
8 The one who vindicates me is near.
Who, then, will bring a charge against me?
Let’s face each other!
Who has a case against me?
Let him confront me!
9 See! It is the Lord God who will help me.
Who is it that will declare me guilty?
See! They will all wear out like a garment;
moths will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears[kl] the Lord,
obeying the voice of his servant,
who among you[km] walks[kn] in darkness[ko]
and has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord,
and rely upon his God.
11 Look! All those[kp] who light a fire,
who surround yourselves with flaming torches—
walk by the light of your fire,
and by the torches that you have set ablaze!
This is what you will receive from my hand:
you will lie down in torment.
Deliverance for Zion
51 “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord!
Look to the rock from which you were cut,
to the quarry from which you were hewn.
2 Look to Abraham your father,
and to Sarah who gave you birth.
For when he was only one person I called him,
but I made him fruitful[kq] and made him many.
3 For the Lord will have compassion on Zion,
have compassion on all her ruins.
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
and her deserts like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving, and the sound of singing.[kr]
Sorrow and sighing will flee away.[ks]
4 “Pay attention to me, my people!
Listen to me, my nation!
For instruction[kt] will go out from me,
and my justice will become a light for the nations.[ku]
I will quickly bring 5 my deliverance near;
my salvation is on the way.
His arm[kv] will bring justice to[kw] the nations;[kx]
the coastlands will hope for him,[ky]
and they will wait for his arm.[kz]
6 “Lift up your eyes, you[la] heavens
and look to the earth beneath;
and see who created these.[lb]
Its inhabitants will die just like this;[lc]
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never fail.
7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
you people who have my instruction[ld] in their hearts.
Don’t fear the insults of mortals,
and don’t be dismayed at their hateful words.[le]
8 For moths will eat them up just like a garment,
and worms will devour them like wool;
but my deliverance will last[lf] forever,
and my salvation to all generations.
9 “Awake! Awake! Clothe yourself with strength,
you arm[lg] of the Lord!
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of long ago.
Was it not you who split apart[lh] Rehob,[li]
who pierced that sea monster through?[lj]
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in[lk] the depths of the sea
so that the redeemed could cross over?”
A Promise of Return to the Land
11 “The scattered ones[ll] of the Lord will return,
and they will enter Zion with singing.
Everlasting joy will be upon their heads;
they will attain joy and gladness,
and[lm] sorrow and sighing will flee away.[ln]
12 “I—yes, I—am the one who comforts you.
Who are you, that you are so afraid of humans who will die,
descendants of mere[lo] men, who have been made[lp] like grass?
13 As a result, you have forgotten the Lord who made you,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the earth’s foundations,
and you live in constant fear every day
because of the oppressor’s fury,
since he’s ready to destroy.
Now where is the[lq] oppressor’s fury?
14 Distress[lr] will quickly be set free.
He won’t die in the Pit,[ls]
nor will he lack food.”
A Promise of Restoration
15 “For I am the Lord your God,
who churns up the sea, so that its waves roar,
‘The Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name.’
16 I have put my words in your mouth
and have covered you with the shadow of my hand,
so that I could plant the heavens
and lay the earth’s foundations,
to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’
17 “Awake, Awake!
Stand up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the Lord’s hand
from the cup that is[lt] his anger.
You have drunk to the dregs
the cup that makes you stagger,[lu]
and have drained it.
18 There is no one to guide you[lv]
out of all the children she bore,
no one to take her by the hand
out of all the children she brought up.
19 “These twin things have come upon you
(who can feel sorry for you?):
ruin and destruction,
famine and the sword—
who can console you?
20 Your children have fainted.
They lie at the head of every street,
like antelope caught in a trap,
filled with the anger of the Lord
and the rebuke of your God.
21 Now listen to this, you afflicted one,
made drunk, but not with wine:
22 This is what your Lord, the Lord,[lw] says,
your[lx] God, who defends his people’s cause:
“See, I have taken from your hand the cup that made you stagger.[ly]
And you will never again drink to the dregs the cup that is my anger.
23 But I will put it into the hands of those who tormented and oppressed you,[lz]
those who said to you,
‘Lie down,[ma] so we can step over you,’
so that you had to make your back like the ground,
and like a street for them to walk over.”
The Redemption of Zion
52 Awake, awake!
Clothe yourself with strength,[mb] O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city,
for the uncircumcised and the unclean won’t enter you.[mc]
2 Shake yourself from the dust and[md] arise,
and[me] sit on your throne, O Jerusalem!
Loosen the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and you’ll be redeemed without money.”
4 For this is what the Lord[mf] says: “My people went down long ago into Egypt to live[mg] there; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause.
5 “Now therefore, what[mh] am I doing here,” asks[mi] the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Those who rule over them are deluded,”[mj] says the Lord, “and continuously, all the day long, my name is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people will know my name; in that day[mk] they’ll know that it is I who speaks, ‘Here I am!’
7 “How beautiful[ml] on the mountains
are the feet of the one who brings news of peace,[mm]
who announces good things,
who announces salvation,[mn]
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’
8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices,[mo]
together they sing for joy;
for they will see in plain sight
the return of the Lord to Zion with compassion.[mp]
9 “Break forth together into singing,[mq]
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
and[mr] he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has bared his holy arm[ms]
in the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.
11 “Depart! Depart! Go out from there;
touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of her;
purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you won’t go out in haste,
nor will you go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you;
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
He is called the God of all the earth.”[mt]
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.