Bible in 90 Days
19 I will make trees grow in the desert.
I will plant cedar and acacia trees there.
I will plant myrtle and olive trees there.
I will make juniper trees grow in the dry and empty desert.
I will plant fir and cypress trees there.
20 Then people will see and know
that my powerful hand has done it.
They will consider and understand
that I have created it.
I am the Holy One of Israel.”
21 The Lord says to the nations and their gods,
“State your case.”
Jacob’s King says to them,
“Prove your case to me.
22 Tell us, you false gods,
what is going to happen.
Tell us what happened in the past.
Then we can check it out
and see if it is really true.
Or announce to us the things that will take place.
23 Tell us what will happen in the days ahead.
Then we will know that you are gods.
Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad.
Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.
24 But you false gods are less than nothing.
Your actions are completely worthless.
I hate it when people worship you.
25 “I have stirred up a king
who will come from the north.
He lives in the east.
He will bring honor to me.
He walks all over rulers as if they were mud.
He steps on them just as a potter stomps on clay.
26 Which one of you false gods said those things
would happen before they did?
Who told us about them
so we could know them?
Who told us ahead of time?
Who told us so we could say,
‘You are right’?
None of you false gods told us about them.
None of you told us ahead of time.
In fact, no one heard you say anything at all.
27 I was the first to tell Zion.
I said, ‘Look! The people of Israel are coming back!’
I sent a messenger to Jerusalem with the good news.
28 I look, but there is no one
among the gods that can give me advice.
None of them can answer
when I ask them the simplest question.
29 So they are not really gods at all.
What they do does not amount to anything.
They are as useless as wind.
The Lord’s Chosen Servant
42 “Here is my servant. I take good care of him.
I have chosen him. I am very pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit on him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out.
He will not raise his voice in the streets.
3 He will not break a bent twig.
He will not put out a dimly burning flame.
He will be faithful and make everything right.
4 He will not grow weak or lose hope.
He will not give up until he brings justice to the earth.
The islands will put their hope in his teaching.”
5 God created the heavens and stretches them out.
The Lord spreads out the earth with everything that grows on it.
He gives breath to its people.
He gives life to those who walk on it.
He says to his servant,
6 “I, the Lord, have chosen you to do what is right.
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you safe.
You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel.
And you will be a light for the Gentiles.
7 You will open eyes that can’t see.
You will set prisoners free.
Those who sit in darkness will come out of their cells.
8 “I am the Lord. That is my name!
I will not let any other god share my glory.
I will not let statues of gods share my praise.
9 What I said would happen has taken place.
Now I announce new things to you.
Before they even begin to happen,
I announce them to you.”
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a new song to the Lord.
Sing praise to him from one end of the earth to the other.
Sing, you who sail out on the ocean.
Sing, all you creatures in it.
Sing, you islands.
Sing, all you who live there.
11 Let the desert and its towns raise their voices.
Let those who live in the settlements of Kedar be glad.
Let the people of Sela sing for joy.
Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord.
Let them praise him in the islands.
13 The Lord will march out like a mighty warrior.
He will stir up his anger like a soldier getting ready to fight.
He will shout the battle cry.
And he will win the battle over his enemies.
14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have kept silent.
I have been calm and quiet.
But now, like a woman having a baby,
I cry out. I gasp and pant.
15 I will completely destroy the mountains and hills.
I will dry up everything that grows there.
I will turn rivers into dry land.
I will dry up the pools.
16 Israel is blind.
So I will lead them along paths
they had not known before.
I will guide them on roads they are not familiar with.
I will turn the darkness into light as they travel.
I will make the rough places smooth.
Those are the things I will do.
I will not desert my people.
17 Some people trust in statues of gods.
They say to them, ‘You are our gods.’
But they will be dishonored.
They will be put to shame.
Israel Can’t See or Hear
18 “Israel, listen to me! You can hear,
but you do not understand.
Look to me! You can see,
but you do not know what you are seeing.
19 The people of Israel serve me. But who is more blind than they are?
Who is more deaf than the messengers I send?
Who is more blind than the one who has promised to be faithful to me?
Who is more blind than the servant of the Lord?
20 Israel, you have seen many things.
But you do not pay any attention to me.
Your ears are open.
But you do not listen to anything I say.”
21 The Lord wanted his people to see
how great and glorious his law is.
He wanted to show them
that he always does what is right.
22 Enemies have carried off everything they own.
All my people are trapped in pits
or hidden away in prisons.
They themselves have become like stolen goods.
No one can save them.
They have been carried off.
And there is no one who will say, “Send them back.”
23 Family of Jacob, who among you will listen to what I’m saying?
People of Israel, which one of you will pay close attention in days to come?
24 Who allowed you to be carried off like stolen goods?
Who handed you over to robbers?
The Lord did it!
We have sinned against him.
Israel, you wouldn’t follow his ways.
You didn’t obey his law.
25 So he poured out his great anger on you.
He had many of you killed in battle.
You were surrounded by flames.
But you didn’t realize what was happening.
Many of you were destroyed.
But you didn’t learn anything from it.
The Lord Saves Israel
43 Family of Jacob, the Lord created you.
People of Israel, he formed you.
He says, “Do not be afraid.
I will set you free.
I will send for you by name.
You belong to me.
2 You will pass through deep waters.
But I will be with you.
You will pass through the rivers.
But their waters will not sweep over you.
You will walk through fire.
But you will not be burned.
The flames will not harm you.
3 I am the Lord your God.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I am the one who saves you.
I will give up Egypt to set you free.
I will give up Cush and Seba for you.
4 You are priceless to me.
I love you and honor you.
So I will trade other people for you.
I will give up other nations to save your lives.
5 Do not be afraid. I am with you.
I will bring your people back from the east.
I will gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Let them go!’
And I will say to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from far away.
Bring my daughters from the farthest places on earth.
7 Bring back everyone who belongs to me.
I created them to bring glory to me.
I formed them and made them.”
8 Lead my people into court.
They have eyes but can’t see.
Bring those who have ears but can’t hear.
9 All the nations are gathering together.
All of them are coming.
Which one of their gods said ahead of time
that the people of Israel would return?
Which of them told us anything at all about the past?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right.
Then others will hear them. And they will say,
“What they said is true.”
10 “People of Israel, you are my witnesses,” announces the Lord.
“I have chosen you to be my servant.
I wanted you to know me and believe in me.
I wanted you to understand that I am the one and only God.
Before me, there was no other god at all.
And there will not be any god after me.
11 I am the one and only Lord.
I am the only one who can save you.
12 I have made known what would happen.
I saved you. I have told you about it.
I did this. It was not some other god you worship.
You are my witnesses that I am God,” announces the Lord.
13 “And that is not all! I have always been God,
and I always will be.
No one can save people from my power.
When I do something, who can undo it?”
The Lord Is Full of Mercy but Israel Is Unfaithful
14 The Lord sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel. He says,
“People of Israel, I will send an army to Babylon to save you.
I will cause all the Babylonians to run away.
They will try to escape in the ships they were so proud of.
15 I am your Lord and King.
I am your Holy One.
I created you.”
16 Long ago the Lord opened
a way for his people to go through the Red Sea.
He made a path through the mighty waters.
17 He caused Egypt to send out its chariots and horses.
He sent its entire army to its death.
Its soldiers lay down there.
They never got up again.
They were destroyed.
They were blown out like a dimly burning flame.
But the Lord says,
18 “Forget the things that happened in the past.
Do not keep on thinking about them.
19 I am about to do something new.
It is beginning to happen even now.
Don’t you see it coming?
I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert.
I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.
20 Even wild dogs and owls honor me.
That is because I provide water in the desert
for my people to drink.
I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land
for my chosen ones.
21 I do it for the people I made for myself.
I want them to sing praise to me.
22 “Family of Jacob, you have not prayed to me as you should.
People of Israel, you have not worn yourselves out for me.
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings.
You have not honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not loaded you down
by requiring grain offerings.
I have not made you tired
by requiring you to burn incense.
24 But you have not bought any sweet-smelling cane for me.
You have not given me the fattest parts
of your animal sacrifices.
Instead, you have loaded me down with your sins.
You have made me tired with the wrong things you have done.
25 “I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts.
I do it because of who I am.
I will not remember your sins anymore.
26 But let us go to court together.
Remind me of what you have done.
State your case.
Prove to me that you are not guilty.
27 Your father Jacob sinned.
The people I sent to teach you refused to obey me.
28 So I put the high officials of your temple to shame.
I let Jacob’s family be totally destroyed.
And I let people make fun of Israel.
The Lord Chooses Israel
44 “Family of Jacob, listen to me. You are my servant.
People of Israel, I have chosen you.
2 I made you. I formed you when you were born as a nation.
I will help you.
So listen to what I am saying.
Family of Jacob, do not be afraid. You are my servant.
People of Israel, I have chosen you.
3 I will pour out water on the thirsty land.
I will make streams flow on the dry ground.
I will pour out my Spirit on your children.
I will pour out my blessing on their children after them.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow.
They will grow like poplar trees near flowing streams.
5 Some will say, ‘We belong to the Lord.’
Others will call themselves by Jacob’s name.
Still others will write on their hands,
‘We belong to the Lord.’
And they will be called by the name of Israel.
Worship the Lord, Not False Gods
6 “I am Israel’s King. I set them free.
I am the Lord who rules over all.
So listen to what I am saying.
I am the first and the last.
I am the one and only God.
7 Who is like me? Let him come forward and speak boldly.
Let him tell me everything that has happened
since I created my people long ago.
And let him tell me what has not happened yet.
Let him announce ahead of time what is going to take place.
8 Do not tremble with fear. Do not be afraid.
Didn’t I announce everything that has happened?
Didn’t I tell you about it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any other God but me?
No! There is no other Rock. I do not know even one.”
9 Those who make statues of gods don’t amount to anything.
And the statues they think so much of are worthless.
Those who would speak up for them are blind.
They don’t know anything.
So they will be put to shame.
10 People make statues of gods.
But those gods can’t do any good.
11 People who do that will be put to shame.
Those who make statues of gods are mere human beings.
Let all of them come together and state their case.
They will be terrified and put to shame.
12 A blacksmith gets his tool.
He uses it to shape metal over the burning coals.
He uses his hammers to make a statue of a god.
He forms it with his powerful arm.
He gets hungry and loses his strength.
He doesn’t drink any water.
He gets weaker and weaker.
13 A carpenter measures a piece of wood with a line.
He draws a pattern on it with a marker.
He cuts out a statue with sharp tools.
He marks it with compasses.
He shapes it into the form of a beautiful human being.
He does this so he can put it in a temple.
14 He cuts down a cedar tree.
Or perhaps he takes a cypress or an oak tree.
It might be a tree that grew in the forest.
Or it might be a pine tree he planted.
And the rain made it grow.
15 A man gets wood from trees to burn.
He uses some of it to warm himself.
He starts a fire and bakes bread.
But he also uses some of it to make a god and worship it.
He makes a statue of a god and bows down to it.
16 He burns half of the wood in the fire.
He prepares a meal over it.
He cooks meat over it.
He eats until he is full.
He also warms himself. He says,
“Good! I’m getting warm.
The fire is nice and hot.”
17 From the rest of the wood he makes a statue.
It becomes his god.
He bows down and worships it.
He prays to it. He says,
“Save me! You are my god!”
18 People like that don’t even know what they are doing.
Their eyes are shut so that they can’t see the truth.
Their minds are closed so that they can’t understand it.
19 No one even stops to think about this.
No one has any sense or understanding.
If anyone did, they would say,
“I used half of the wood for fuel.
I even baked bread over the fire.
I cooked meat. Then I ate it.
Should I now make a statue of a god
out of the wood that’s left over?
Should I bow down to a block of wood?
The Lord would hate that.”
20 That’s as foolish as eating ashes!
The mind of someone like that
has led him astray.
He can’t save himself.
He can’t bring himself to say,
“This thing I’m holding in my right hand
isn’t really a god at all.”
21 The Lord says, “Family of Jacob, remember these things.
People of Israel, you are my servant.
I have made you. You are my servant.
Israel, I will not forget you.
22 I will sweep your sins away as if they were a cloud.
I will blow them away as if they were the morning mist.
Return to me.
Then I will set you free.”
23 Sing for joy, you heavens!
The Lord does wonderful things.
Shout out loud, you earth!
Burst into song, you mountains!
Sing, you forests and all your trees!
The Lord sets the family of Jacob free.
He shows his glory in Israel.
People Will Live in Jerusalem Again
24 The Lord says,
“People of Israel, I set you free.
I formed you when you were born as a nation.
“I am the Lord. I am the Maker of everything.
I alone stretch out the heavens.
I spread out the earth by myself.
25 “Some prophets are not really prophets at all.
I show that their signs are fake.
I make those who practice evil magic look foolish.
I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise.
Their knowledge does not make any sense at all.
26 I make the words of my servants the prophets come true.
I carry out what my messengers say will happen.
“I say about Jerusalem,
‘My people will live there again.’
I say about the towns of Judah,
‘They will be rebuilt.’
I say about their broken-down buildings,
‘I will make them like new again.’
27 I say to the deep waters,
‘Dry up. Let your streams become dry.’
28 I say about Cyrus,
‘He is my shepherd.
He will accomplish everything I want him to.
He will say about Jerusalem,
“Let it be rebuilt.”
And he will say about the temple,
“Let its foundations be laid.” ’
45 “Cyrus is my anointed king.
I take hold of his right hand.
I give him the power
to bring nations under his control.
I help him strip kings of their power
to go to war against him.
I break city gates open so he can go through them.
I say to him,
2 ‘I will march out ahead of you.
I will make the mountains level.
I will break down bronze gates.
I will cut through their heavy iron bars.
3 I will give you treasures that are hidden away.
I will give you riches that are stored up in secret places.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
I am the God of Israel.
I am sending for you by name.
4 Cyrus, I am sending for you by name.
I am doing it for the good of the family of Jacob.
They are my servant.
I am doing it for Israel.
They are my chosen people.
You do not know anything about me.
But I am giving you a title of honor.
5 I am the Lord. There is no other Lord.
I am the one and only God.
You do not know anything about me.
But I will make you strong.
6 Then people will know there is no God but me.
Everyone from where the sun rises in the east
to where it sets in the west will know it.
I am the Lord.
There is no other Lord.
7 I cause light to shine. I also create darkness.
I bring good times. I also create hard times.
I do all these things. I am the Lord.
8 “ ‘Rain down my godliness, you heavens above.
Let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide to receive it.
Let freedom spring to life.
Let godliness grow richly along with it.
I have created all these things.
I am the Lord.’ ”
9 How terrible it will be for anyone who argues with their Maker!
They are like a broken piece of pottery lying on the ground.
Does clay say to a potter,
“What are you making?”
Does a pot say,
“The potter doesn’t have any skill”?
10 How terrible it will be for anyone who says to a father,
“Why did you give me life?”
How terrible for anyone who says to a mother,
“Why have you brought me into the world?”
11 The Lord is the Holy One of Israel.
He made them.
He says to them,
“Are you asking me about what will happen to my children?
Are you telling me what I should do with what my hands have made?
12 I made the earth.
I created human beings to live there.
My own hands spread out the heavens.
I put all the stars in their places.
13 I will stir up Cyrus and help him win his battles.
I will make all his roads straight.
He will rebuild Jerusalem.
My people have been taken away from their country.
But he will set them free.
I will not pay him to do it.
He will not receive a reward for it,”
says the Lord who rules over all.
14 The Lord says to the people of Jerusalem,
“You will get everything Egypt produces.
You will receive everything the people of Cush
and the tall Sabeans get in trade.
All of it will belong to you.
And all these people will walk behind you as slaves.
They will be put in chains and come over to you.
They will bow down to you.
They will admit,
‘God is with you.
There is no other God.’ ”
15 You are a God who has been hiding yourself.
You are the God of Israel. You save us.
16 All those who make statues of gods will be put to shame.
They will be dishonored.
They will be led away in shame together.
17 But the Lord will save Israel.
He will save them forever.
They will never be put to shame or dishonored.
That will be true for all time to come.
18 The Lord created the heavens.
He is God.
He formed the earth and made it.
He set it firmly in place.
He didn’t create it to be empty.
Instead, he formed it for people to live on.
He says, “I am the Lord.
There is no other Lord.
19 I have not spoken in secret.
I have not spoken from a dark place.
I have not said to Jacob’s people,
‘It is useless to look for me.’
I am the Lord. I always speak the truth.
I always say what is right.
20 “Come together, you people of the nations
who escaped from Babylon.
Gather together and come into court.
Only people who do not know anything
would carry around gods that are made out of wood.
They pray to false gods that can’t save them.
21 Tell me what will happen. State your case.
Talk it over together.
Who spoke long ago about what would happen?
Who said it a long time ago?
I did. I am the Lord.
I am the one and only God.
I always do what is right.
I am the one who saves.
There is no God but me.
22 “All you who live anywhere on earth,
turn to me and be saved.
I am God. There is no other God.
23 I have made a promise in my own name.
I have spoken with complete honesty.
I will not take back a single word. I said,
‘Everyone will kneel down to me.
Everyone’s mouth will make promises in my name.’
24 They will say, ‘The Lord is the only one who can save us.
Only he can make us strong.’ ”
All those who have been angry with the Lord will come to him.
And they will be put to shame.
25 But the Lord will save all the people of Israel.
And so they will boast about the Lord.
The False Gods of Babylon
46 The gods named Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame.
The statues of them are being carried away on the backs of animals.
They used to be carried around by the people who worshiped them.
But now they’ve become a heavy load for tired animals.
2 The gods named Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame together.
They aren’t able to save their own statues.
They themselves are carried off as prisoners.
3 The Lord says, “Family of Jacob, listen to me.
Pay attention, you people of Israel who are left alive.
I have taken good care of you since your life began.
I have carried you since you were born as a nation.
4 I will continue to carry you even when you are old.
I will take good care of you even when your hair is gray.
I have made you, and I will carry you.
I will take care of you, and I will save you.
I am the Lord.
5 “Who will you compare me with?
Who is equal to me?
What am I like?
Who can you compare me with?
6 Some people pour out gold from their bags.
They weigh out silver on the scales.
They hire someone who works with gold to make it into a god.
They bow down to it and worship it.
7 They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it.
They set it up in its place, and there it stands.
It can’t move from that spot.
Someone might cry out to it.
But it does not answer.
It can’t save them from their troubles.
8 So remember this, you who refuse to obey me.
Keep it in your minds and hearts.
9 “Remember what happened in the past.
Think about what took place long ago.
I am God. There is no other God.
I am God. There is no one like me.
10 Before something even happens, I announce how it will end.
In fact, from times long ago I announced what was still to come.
I say, ‘My plan will succeed.
I will do anything I want to do.’
11 I will send for a man from the east to carry out my plan.
From a land far away, he will come like a bird that kills its food.
I will bring about what I have said.
I will do what I have planned.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn people.
Pay attention, you who now refuse to do what I have said is right.
13 The time is almost here for me to make everything right.
It is not far away.
The time for me to save you will not be put off.
I will save the city of Zion.
I will bring honor to Israel.
Babylon Will Fall
47 “City of Babylon,
go down and sit in the dust.
Leave your throne and sit on the ground.
Queen city of the Babylonians,
your life will not be comfortable
and easy anymore.
2 Get millstones and grind some flour like a female slave.
Take off your veil.
Lift up your skirts. Make your legs bare.
Wade through the streams.
3 Everyone will see your naked body.
Everyone will see your shame.
I will pay you back for what you did.
I will not spare any of your people.”
4 The one who sets us free is the Holy One of Israel.
His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
5 The Lord says, “Queen city of the Babylonians,
go into a dark prison. Sit there quietly.
You will not be called
the queen of kingdoms anymore.
6 I was angry with my people.
I treated them as if they did not belong to me.
I handed them over to you.
And you did not show them any pity.
You even placed heavy loads on their old people.
7 You said, ‘I am queen forever!’
But you did not think about what you were doing.
You did not consider how things might turn out.
8 “So listen, you who love pleasure.
You think you are safe and secure.
You say to yourself,
‘I am like a god.
No one is greater than I am.
I’ll never be a widow.
And my children will never be taken away from me.’
9 But both of these things will happen to you in a moment.
They will take place on a single day.
You will lose your children.
And you will become a widow.
That is what will happen to you.
All your evil magic
and powerful spells will not save you.
10 You have felt secure in your evil ways.
You have said, ‘No one sees what I’m doing.’
Your wisdom and knowledge lead you astray.
You say to yourself,
‘I am like a god. No one is greater than I am.’
11 So horrible trouble will come on you.
You will not know how to use your evil magic to make it go away.
Great trouble will fall on you.
No amount of money can keep it away.
Something terrible will happen to you all at once.
You will not see it coming ahead of time.
12 “So keep on casting your magic spells.
Keep on practicing your evil magic.
You have been doing those things ever since you were a child.
Perhaps they will help you.
Maybe they will scare your enemies away.
13 All the advice you have received
has only worn you out!
Let those who study the heavens come forward.
They claim to know what is going to happen
by watching the stars every month.
So let them save you from the trouble
that is coming on you.
14 They are just like straw.
Fire will burn them up.
They can’t even save themselves
from the powerful flames.
These are not like coals that can warm anyone.
This is not like a fire to sit by.
15 They can’t do you any good.
You have done business with them ever since you were a child.
You have always asked them for advice.
All of them are bewildered and continue in their own ways.
None of them can save you.”
Israel Is Stubborn
48 People of Jacob, listen to me.
You are called by the name of Israel.
You come from the family line of Judah.
You make promises in the name of the Lord.
You pray to Israel’s God.
But you aren’t honest.
You don’t mean what you say.
2 You call yourselves citizens of the holy city of Jerusalem.
You say you depend on Israel’s God.
His name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. He says,
3 “Long ago I told you ahead of time what would happen.
I announced it and made it known.
Then all of a sudden I acted.
And those things took place.
4 I knew how stubborn you were.
Your neck muscles were as unbending as iron.
Your forehead was as hard as bronze.
5 So I told you those things long ago.
Before they happened I announced them to you.
I did it so you would not be able to say,
‘My statues of gods did them.
My wooden and metal gods made them happen.’
6 You have heard me tell you these things.
Think about all of them.
Won’t you admit they have taken place?
“From now on I will tell you about new things that will happen.
I have not made them known to you before.
7 These things are taking place right now.
They did not happen long ago.
You have not heard of them before today.
So you can’t say,
‘Oh, yes. I already knew about them.’
8 You have not heard or understood what I said.
Your ears have been plugged up for a long time.
I knew very well that you would turn against me.
From the day you were born, you have refused to obey me.
9 For the honor of my own name I wait to show my anger.
I hold it back from you so people will continue to praise me.
I do not want to destroy you completely.
10 I have tested you in the furnace of suffering.
I have tried to make you pure.
But I did not use as much heat as it takes to make silver pure.
11 I tried to purify you for my own honor.
I did it for the honor of my name.
How can I let myself be dishonored?
I will not give up my glory to any other god.
Israel Is Set Free
12 “Family of Jacob, listen to me.
People of Israel, pay attention.
I have chosen you.
I am the first and the last.
I am the Lord.
13 With my own hand I laid the foundations of the earth.
With my right hand I spread out the heavens.
When I send for them,
they come and stand ready to obey me.
14 “People of Israel, come together and listen to me.
What other god has said ahead of time that certain things would happen?
I have chosen Cyrus.
He will carry out my plans against Babylon.
He will use his power against the Babylonians.
15 I myself have spoken.
I have chosen him to carry out my purpose.
I will bring him to Babylon.
He will succeed in what I tell him to do.
16 “Come close and listen to me.
“From the first time I said Cyrus was coming,
I did not do it in secret.
When he comes, I will be there.”
The Lord and King has filled me with his Spirit.
People of Israel, he has sent me to you.
17 The Lord is the Holy One of Israel.
He sets his people free. He says to them,
“I am the Lord your God.
I teach you what is best for you.
I direct you in the way you should go.
18 I wish you would pay attention to my commands.
If you did, peace would flow over you like a river.
Godliness would sweep over you like the waves of the ocean.
19 Your family would be like the sand.
Your children after you would be as many as the grains of sand by the sea.
It would be impossible to count them.
I would always accept the members of your family line.
They would never disappear or be destroyed.”
20 People of Israel, leave Babylon!
Hurry up and get away from the Babylonians!
Here is what I want you to announce.
Make it known with shouts of joy.
Send the news out from one end of the earth to the other.
Say, “The Lord has set free his servant Jacob.”
21 They didn’t get thirsty when he led them through the deserts.
He made water flow out of the rock for them.
He broke the rock open,
and water came out of it.
22 “There is no peace for those who are evil,” says the Lord.
The Servant of the Lord
49 People who live on the islands, listen to me.
Pay attention, you nations far away.
Before I was born the Lord chose me to serve him.
Before I was born the Lord spoke my name.
2 He made my words like a sharp sword.
He hid me in the palm of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow.
He took good care of me and kept me safe.
3 He said to me, “You are my true servant Israel.
I will show my glory through you.”
4 But I said, “In spite of my hard work,
I feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything.
I’ve used up all my strength.
It seems as if everything I’ve done is worthless.
But the Lord will give me what I should receive.
My God will reward me.”
5 The Lord formed me in my mother’s body to be his servant.
He wanted me to bring the family of Jacob back to him.
He wanted me to gather the people of Israel to himself.
The Lord will honor me.
My God will give me strength.
6 Here is what the Lord says to me.
“It is not enough for you as my servant
to bring the tribes of Jacob back to their land.
It is not enough for you to bring back
the people of Israel I have kept alive.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles.
Then you will make it possible for the whole world to be saved.”
7 The Lord sets his people free.
He is the Holy One of Israel.
He speaks to his servant, who is looked down on and hated by the nations.
He speaks to the servant of rulers. He says to him,
“Kings will see you and stand up to honor you.
Princes will see you and bow down to show you their respect.
I am the Lord. I am faithful.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have chosen you.”
Israel Is Brought Back to Their Land
8 The Lord says to his servant,
“When it is time to have mercy on you, I will answer your prayers.
When it is time to save you, I will help you.
I will keep you safe.
You will put into effect my covenant with the people of Israel.
Then their land will be made like new again.
Each tribe will be sent back to its territory that was left empty.
9 I want you to say to the prisoners, ‘Come out.’
Tell those who are in their dark cells, ‘You are free!’
“On their way home they will eat beside the roads.
They will find plenty to eat on every bare hill.
10 They will not get hungry or thirsty.
The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them.
The God who has tender love for them will guide them.
Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.
11 I will make roads across the mountains.
I will build wide roads for my people.
12 They will come from far away.
Some of them will come from the north.
Others will come from the west.
Still others will come from Aswan in the south.”
13 Shout for joy, you heavens!
Be glad, you earth!
Burst into song, you mountains!
The Lord will comfort his people.
He will show his tender love to those who are suffering.
14 But the city of Zion said, “The Lord has deserted me.
The Lord has forgotten me.”
15 The Lord answers, “Can a mother forget the baby
who is nursing at her breast?
Can she stop having tender love
for the child who was born to her?
She might forget her child.
But I will not forget you.
16 I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Your walls are never out of my sight.
17 Your people will hurry back.
Those who destroyed you so completely will leave you.
18 Look up. Look all around you.
All your people are getting together
to come back to you.
You can be sure that I live,”
announces the Lord.
“And you can be just as sure that your people
will be like decorations you will wear.
Like a bride, you will wear them proudly.
19 “Zion, you were destroyed. Your land was left empty.
It was turned into a dry and empty desert.
But now you will be too small to hold all your people.
And those who destroyed you will be far away.
20 The children born during your time of sorrow
will speak to you. They will say,
‘This city is too small for us.
Give us more space to live in.’
21 Then you will say to yourself,
‘Whose children are these?
I lost my children.
And I couldn’t have any more.
My children were taken far away from me.
And no one wanted them.
Who brought these children up?
I was left all alone.
So where have these children come from?’ ”
22 The Lord and King continues,
“I will call out to the nations.
I will give a signal to them.
They will bring back your sons in their arms.
They will carry your daughters on their hips.
23 Their kings will become like fathers to you.
Their queens will be like mothers who nurse you.
They will bow down to you with their faces toward the ground.
They will kiss the dust at your feet to show you their respect.
Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Those who put their hope in me will not be ashamed.”
24 Can goods that were stolen by soldiers be taken away from them?
Can prisoners be set free from the powerful Babylonians?
25 “Yes, they can,” the Lord answers.
“Prisoners will be taken away from soldiers.
Stolen goods will be taken back from the powerful Babylonians.
Zion, I will fight against those who fight against you.
And I will save your people.
26 I will make those who treat you badly eat the flesh of others.
They will drink blood and get drunk on it as if it were wine.
Then everyone on earth will know
that I am the one who saves you.
I am the Lord. I set you free.
I am the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Israel Sins but the Lord’s Servant Obeys
50 The Lord says to the people in Jerusalem,
“Do you think I divorced your people who lived before you?
Is that why I sent them away?
If it is, show me the letter of divorce.
I did not sell you into slavery to pay someone I owe.
You were sold because you sinned against me.
Your people were sent away because of their lawless acts.
2 When I came to save you, why didn’t anyone welcome me?
When I called out to you, why didn’t anyone answer me?
Wasn’t I powerful enough to set you free?
Wasn’t I strong enough to save you?
I dry up the sea with a single command.
I turn rivers into a desert.
Then fish rot because they do not have any water.
They die because they are thirsty.
3 I make the sky turn dark.
It looks as if it’s dressed in clothing sad people wear.”
4 The Lord and King has taught me what to say.
He has taught me how to help those who are tired.
He wakes me up every morning.
He makes me want to listen like a good student.
5 The Lord and King has unplugged my ears.
I’ve always obeyed him.
I haven’t turned away from him.
6 I let my enemies beat me on my bare back.
I let them pull the hair out of my beard.
I didn’t turn my face away
when they made fun of me and spit on me.
7 The Lord and King helps me.
He won’t let me be dishonored.
So I’ve made up my mind to keep on serving him.
I know he won’t let me be put to shame.
8 He is near. He will prove I haven’t done anything wrong.
So who will bring charges against me?
Let’s face each other in court!
Who can bring charges against me?
Let him come and face me!
9 The Lord and King helps me.
So who will judge me?
My enemies will be like clothes that moths have eaten up.
My enemies will disappear.
10 Does anyone among you have respect for the Lord?
Does anyone obey the message of the Lord’s servant?
Let the person who walks in the dark
trust in the Lord.
Let the one who doesn’t have any light to guide them
depend on their God.
11 But all you sinners who light fires
should go ahead and walk in their light.
You who carry flaming torches
should walk in their light.
Here’s what I’m going to do to you.
I’ll make you lie down in great pain.
The Lord’s Saving Power for Zion Lasts Forever
51 The Lord says, “Listen to me, you who want to do what is right.
Pay attention, you who look to me.
Consider the rock you were cut out of.
Think about the rock pit you were dug from.
2 Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people.
Think about Sarah. She is your mother.
When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children.
But I blessed him and gave him many of them.
3 You can be sure that I will comfort Zion’s people.
I will look with loving concern on all their destroyed buildings.
I will make their deserts like Eden.
I will make their dry and empty land like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness will be there.
People will sing and give thanks to me.
4 “Listen to me, my people.
Pay attention, my nation.
My instruction will go out to the nations.
I make everything right.
That will be a guiding light for them.
5 The time for me to set you free is near.
I will soon save you.
My powerful arm will make everything right among the nations.
The islands will put their hope in me.
They will wait for my powerful arm to act.
6 Look up toward the heavens.
Then look at the earth.
The heavens will vanish like smoke.
The earth will wear out like clothes.
Those who live there will die like flies.
But I will save you forever.
My saving power will never end.
7 “Listen to me, you who know what is right.
Pay attention, you who have taken my instruction to heart.
Do not be afraid when mere human beings make fun of you.
Do not be terrified when they laugh at you.
8 They will be like clothes that moths have eaten up.
They will be like wool that worms have chewed up.
But my saving power will last forever.
I will save you for all time to come.”
9 Wake up, arm of the Lord! Wake up!
Dress yourself with strength as if it were your clothes!
Wake up, just as you did in the past.
Wake up, as you did long ago.
Didn’t you cut Rahab to pieces?
Didn’t you stab that sea monster to death?
10 Didn’t you dry up the Red Sea?
Didn’t you dry up those deep waters?
You made a road on the bottom of that sea.
Then those who were set free went across.
11 Those the Lord has saved will return to their land.
They will sing as they enter the city of Zion.
Joy that lasts forever will be like beautiful crowns on their heads.
They will be filled with gladness and joy.
Sorrow and sighing will be gone.
12 The Lord says to his people,
“I comfort you because of who I am.
Why are you afraid of mere human beings?
They are like grass that dries up.
13 How can you forget me? I made you.
I stretch out the heavens.
I lay the foundations of the earth.
Why are you terrified every day?
Is it because those who are angry with you are crushing you?
Is it because they are trying to destroy you?
Their anger can’t harm you anymore.
14 You prisoners who are so afraid will soon be set free.
You will not die in your prison cells.
You will not go without food.
15 I am the Lord your God.
I stir up the ocean. I make its waves roar.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
16 I have put my words in your mouth.
I have kept you safe in the palm of my hand.
I set the heavens in place.
I laid the foundations of the earth.
I say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”
The Cup of the Lord’s Great Anger
17 Wake up, Jerusalem!
Wake up! Get up!
The Lord has handed you the cup of his great anger.
And you have drunk from it.
That cup makes people unsteady on their feet.
And you have drunk from it to the very last drop.
18 Among all the children who were born to you
there was none to guide you.
Among all the children you brought up
there was none to lead you by the hand.
19 Nothing but trouble has come to you.
You have been wiped out and destroyed.
And you have suffered hunger and war.
No one feels sorry for you.
No one can comfort you.
20 Your children have fainted.
They lie helpless at every street corner.
They are like antelope that have been caught in a net.
They have felt the full force of the Lord’s great anger.
Jerusalem, your God had to warn them strongly.
21 So listen to me, you suffering people of Jerusalem.
You have been made drunk, but not by drinking wine.
22 Your Lord and King speaks.
He is your God.
He stands up for his people. He says,
“I have taken from you the cup of my great anger.
It made you unsteady on your feet.
But you will never drink
from that cup again.
23 Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer.
They said to you,
‘Fall down flat on the ground.
Then we can walk all over you.’
And that is exactly what you did.
You made your back like a street to be walked on.”
52 Wake up! Zion, wake up!
Dress yourself with strength as if it were your clothes.
Holy city of Jerusalem,
put on your clothes of glory.
Those who haven’t been circumcised will never enter you again.
Neither will those who are “unclean.”
2 Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust.
Take your place on your throne.
Captured people of Zion,
remove the chains from your neck.
3 The Lord says,
“When you were sold as slaves, no one paid anything for you.
Now no one will pay any money to set you free.”
4 The Lord and King continues,
“Long ago my people went down to Egypt.
They lived there for a while.
Later, Assyria crushed them without any reason.
5 “Now look at what has happened to them,” announces the Lord.
“Once again my people have been taken away.
And no one paid anything for them.
Those who rule over them brag about it,”
announces the Lord.
“All day long without stopping,
people speak evil things against my name.
6 So the day will come when my people will really know the meaning of my name.
They will know what kind of God I am.
They will know that I told them ahead of time they would return to their land.
They will know that it was I.”
7 What a beautiful sight it is
to see messengers coming with good news!
How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains
with a message about peace!
How wonderful it is when they bring the good news
that we are saved!
How wonderful when they say to Zion,
“Your God rules!”
8 Listen! Those on guard duty are shouting out the message.
With their own eyes
they see the Lord returning to Zion.
So they shout for joy.
9 Burst into songs of joy together,
you broken-down buildings in Jerusalem.
The Lord has comforted his people.
He has set Jerusalem free.
10 The Lord will use the power of his holy arm to save his people.
All the nations will see him do it.
Everyone from one end of the earth to the other will see it.
11 You who carry the objects that belong to the Lord’s temple, leave Babylon!
Leave it! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything that isn’t pure and “clean.”
Come out of Babylon and be pure.
12 But this time you won’t have to leave in a hurry.
You won’t have to rush away.
The Lord will go ahead of you and lead you.
The God of Israel will follow behind you and guard you.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.