Bible in 90 Days
The Suffering Servant
13 “Look! My servant will prosper,
and[a] he will be exalted and lifted up,
and will be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you[b]—
so was he marred in[c] his appearance, more than any human,
and his form beyond that of human semblance[d]—
15 so will he startle[e] many nations.
Kings will shut their mouths at him;
for what had not been told them they will see,
and what they had not heard they will understand.
53 “Who[f] has believed our message,
and[g] to[h] whom has the arm[i] of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a tender plant,
and like a root out of a dry ground;
he had no form and he had[j] no majesty that we should look at him,[k]
and there is no attractiveness that we should desire him.[l]
3 “He was despised and rejected by others,
and[m] a man of sorrows,
intimately familiar with[n] suffering;
and like one from whom people hide their faces;
and[o] we despised him[p]
and did not value him.
4 “Surely he has borne our sufferings
and carried our sorrows;
yet we considered him stricken,
and[q] struck down by God,
and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
and[r] he was crushed for our iniquities,
and[s] the punishment that made us whole was upon him,
and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray,
we have turned, each of us, to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted,
yet he didn’t open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
as[t] a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open[u] his mouth.
8 “From detention and[v] judgment he was taken away[w]—
and who can even think about his descendants?[x]
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
he was stricken[y] for the transgression of my people.
9 Then they made[z] his grave with the wicked,
and with rich people[aa] in his death,[ab]
although he had committed no violence,
nor was there any deceit in his mouth.”
The Exaltation of the Servant
10 “Yet the Lord was willing to crush him,
and he made him suffer.[ac]
Although you make his soul an offering for sin,
he[ad] will see his offspring,
and[ae] he will prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will triumph in his hand.
11 Out of the suffering of his soul he will see light[af]
and[ag] find satisfaction.
And[ah] through his knowledge his servant,[ai] the righteous one,
will make many righteous,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,[aj]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong;
because he poured out his life to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he carried the sins[ak] of many,
and made intercession for their transgressions.”[al]
The Coming Glory of Israel
54 “Sing, you barren woman,
even the[am] one who never bore a child!
Burst into song and shout for joy,
even[an] you who were never in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that is married,”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the location[ao] of your tent,
let the curtains of your dwellings be stretched wide,
and[ap] don’t hold back.
Lengthen your cords;
strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right hand and to the left,
and your descendants[aq] will possess[ar] the nations
and will populate the deserted towns.
4 “Don’t be afraid,
because you won’t be ashamed;
don’t fear shame,
for you won’t be humiliated—
because you will forget the disgrace of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband;
the Lord of the Heavenly Armies is his name,
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord has called you back
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,”
says the Lord your God.[as]
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you;
but I’ll gather you with great compassion.
8 I hid my face from you for a moment in a surge of anger,
but I will have compassion on you with my[at] everlasting gracious love,”
says the Lord your Redeemer.
God’s Reconciliation with Israel
9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again spread over the earth;
so have I sworn that I won’t be angry with you again[au]
and that I[av] won’t rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may collapse
and the hills may reel,
but my gracious love will not depart from you,
neither will my covenant of peace totter,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one,[aw] passed back and forth,[ax] and not comforted,
Look! I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 And I’ll make your battlements of rubies,
and your gates of jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
13 Then all your children will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be your children’s prosperity.
14 “In righteousness you’ll be established;
you will be far from tyranny,
for you won’t be afraid,
and from terror,
for it won’t come near you.
15 Watch! If anyone does attack you,
it will not be from me;
whoever may attack[ay] you will fall[az] because of you.
16 Look! It is I who have created the blacksmith
who fans coals in the fire,
and produces a weapon for his purpose.
It[ba] is I who have created the ravager to wreak havoc;
17 no weapon that is forged against you will be effective.[bb]
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
and their righteousness from me,”
says the Lord.
An Invitation to Life
55 “Come, everyone who is thirsty,
come to the waters!
Also, you that have no money, come,
buy, and eat!
Come! Buy[bc] wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why spend your money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?[bd]
Listen carefully to me,
and eat what is good,
and let your soul delight itself in rich food.
3 Pay attention[be] to me,
come to me;
and[bf] listen, so that you may live;
then I’ll make[bg] an everlasting covenant with you,
as promised by[bh] my faithful, sure love for David.
4 “Look! I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
5 “Look! You will call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that does[bi] not know you will run[bj] to you,
because of the Lord your God, even[bk] the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.”
Steps to Reconciliation
6 “Seek the Lord while he[bl] may be found,
call upon him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous person his thoughts.
Let him return to the Lord,
So he’ll have mercy upon him,
and to our God,
for he’ll pardon abundantly.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For just as[bm] the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “For just as the rain and snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there without watering the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
yielding seed for the sower and bread for eating,[bn]
11 so will my message be that goes out of my mouth—
it won’t return to me empty.
Instead, it will accomplish what I desire,
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 “For you will go out in joy,
and come back[bo] with peace;
the mountains and the hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees in[bp] the fields[bq] will clap their hands.
13 Instead of thornbushes, pine trees will grow,
and[br] instead of briers, myrtles will grow;
and they[bs] will be a sign for the Lord,
and an everlasting name[bt] that will not be cut off.”
The Covenant Extended to the Righteous
56 For[bu] this is what the Lord says:
“Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
and soon my deliverance will be revealed.
2 Blessed is the one who does this,
and the person that holds it fast,
who observes the Sabbath without profaning it,
and restrains his hands[bv] from practicing any evil.
3 “Let[bw] no foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say:
‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’
Furthermore, let no eunuch say,
‘Look![bx] I am just a dry tree.’”
4 For this is what the Lord says:
“To the eunuchs who observe my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me,
and who hold fast my covenant—
5 to them I will give in my house[by] and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters.
I will give them[bz] an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.[ca]
6 “Also, the foreigners who join themselves to[cb] the Lord,
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,[cc]
to be his servants,
and to bless the Lord’s name,
observing[cd] the Sabbath without profaning it,
and who hold fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will rise up to be accepted[ce] on my altar;
for my house will be called a house of prayer
for everyone.”[cf]
A Rebuke to Israel’s Guardians
8 This is what the Lord God says,
the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel:
“I’ll gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.[cg]
9 “All you wild animals,[ch] come and devour—
even[ci] all of you wild animals.[cj]
10 His[ck] watchmen[cl] are blind;
they are all without knowledge.
They are all dumb dogs—
they cannot bark.
They keep on dreaming and lying around,
and they’re lovers of sleep![cm]
11 Meanwhile,[cn] the dogs have a mighty appetite—
they can never get enough.
And as for them, they are the shepherds[co] who lack understanding;
they have all turned to their own way,
each one to his gain,
each and every one.
12 “‘Come!’ they say, ‘let’s[cp] have some wine,
and let’s fill ourselves with strong drink!
Then,[cq] tomorrow will be like today,[cr]
or even much better!’”
Israel’s Idolatry
57 “Also[cs] the righteous are perishing,[ct]
but no one takes it to heart;
devout people[cu] are taken away,
while no one understands
that the righteous person is taken away from calamity.
2 Then[cv] he enters into peace,
and[cw] they’ll rest on his[cx] couches,
each one living righteously.[cy]
3 “But as for you, come here,
you children of a sorceress,
you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes![cz]
4 Whom are you mocking?
And[da] against whom do you make a wide mouth
and stick out your tongue?
Are you not children of transgression,
the offspring of lies,
5 you who burn with lust among the oaks,
under every spreading tree,
who slaughter your children in the ravines,
under the clefts of the rocks?
6 “Among the smooth stones[db] of the ravines is your portion—
there they are as[dc] your lot.
To them you have poured out drink offerings;
you have brought grain offerings.
Should I be lenient over such things?
7 “You have made your bed
on a high and lofty mountain,
and you went up to offer sacrifice there.
8 Behind the doors and the doorposts
you have set up your pagan sign.”
For in deserting me you have uncovered your bed—
you have climbed up into it
and have opened it wide.
And you[dd] have made a pact for yourself with them;
you have loved their bed,
you have looked on their private parts.[de]
9 You went to Molech[df] with olive oil
and increased your perfumes;
you sent your ambassadors far away,
you sent them down even to Sheol[dg] itself!
10 You grew tired with your many wanderings,[dh]
but you wouldn’t say: ‘It is hopeless.’
You found new strength for your desire,
and so you did not falter.
11 “Whom did you so dread—
and while you feared me[di]—
that you lied,
and you did not remember me,
and[dj] did not lay to heart these things?[dk]
Haven’t I remained silent for a long time,
and still you don’t fear me?”
12 “I will denounce your righteousness[dl] and your works,
for your collections of idols[dm] will not benefit you.
13 When you cry out, let your collection deliver you!
The wind will carry them all off,
and[dn] a mere breath will sweep them all away.”
God’s Reward for the Faithful
“But whoever[do] takes refuge in me will possess the land,
and will inherit my holy mountain.
14 And one has said:[dp]
‘Build up! Build up the road![dq]
Prepare the highway!
Remove every obstacle from my people’s way.’
15 “For this is what the high and lofty One says,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“He lives[dr] in the height and in holiness,[ds]
and also with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
16 For I won’t accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry;
for then the human spirit would grow faint before me—
even the souls that I have created.
17 Because of his wicked greed I was angry,
so I punished him;
and[dt] I hid my face, and was angry—
but he kept turning back to his stubborn will.[du]
18 I’ve seen his ways,[dv] yet I will heal him,[dw]
and restore for him[dx] comfort[dy] to him
and for those who mourn for him[dz]
19 when[ea] I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace[eb] to the one who is far away or near,” says the Lord,
“and I’ll heal him.
20 But the wicked are tossed like the sea;[ec]
for it is not able to[ed] keep still,
and its waters toss up mire and mud.
21 “Yet[ee] there is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
False and True Worship
58 “Shout aloud!
Don’t hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Declare to my people their rebellions,[ef]
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 They[eg] seek me day after day,[eh]
and are eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practices righteousness
and has not forsaken the justice of their God.
“They ask me to reveal just decisions;
they are eager to draw near to God.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they ask,[ei]
‘but you do not see?
‘Why have we humbled ourselves,’[ej] they ask,[ek]
‘but you take no notice?’”
Fasting that God Approves
“Look! On your fast day you serve your own interest
and oppress all your workers.
4 “Look! You fast only for quarreling, and for[el] fighting,
and for hitting with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and have your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen,
merely a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it merely for bowing down one’s head like a bulrush,
for lying[em] on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you[en] call a fast,
an[eo] acceptable day to the Lord?
6 Isn’t this the[ep] fast that[eq] I have been choosing:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
and[er] to untie the cords of the yoke,
and[es] to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry,
and to bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked,
to cover him with clothing,[et]
and not to raise yourself up[eu] from your own flesh and blood?”
God’s Reward
8 “Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will spring up quickly;
and your vindication will go before you,
and[ev] the glory of the Lord will guard your back.
9 Then you’ll call,
and the Lord will answer;
you’ll cry for help,
and he’ll respond, ‘Here I am.’
“If you do away with the yoke among you,
and[ew] pointing fingers and malicious talk;
10 if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the needs of afflicted souls,
then your light will rise in darkness,
and your night will be like noonday.
11 And the Lord will guide you continually,
and satisfy your soul in parched places,[ex]
and they[ey] will strengthen your bones;
and you’ll be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12 And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You’ll raise up the age-old foundations,[ez]
and people will call you[fa] ‘Repairer of Broken Walls,’
‘Restorer of Streets to Live In.’
13 “If you keep your feet from trampling the Sabbath,
from[fb] pursuing your own interests on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and[fc] the Lord’s holy day honorable;
and if you honor it by not going your own ways[fd]
and[fe] seeking your own pleasure or speaking merely idle[ff] words,
14 then you will take delight in the Lord,
and he[fg] will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;
and he[fh] will make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob, your father.
“Yes! The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Sins that Separate from God
59 “See, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save,
nor are his ears[fi] too dull to hear.
2 Instead, your iniquities have been barriers
between you and your God,
and your sins have concealed his face from you
so that he won’t listen.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity;
your tongue[fj] mutters wickedness.
4 No one brings a lawsuit fairly,
and no one goes to law honestly;
they have relied[fk] on empty arguments
and they tell lies;
they conceive[fl] trouble
and give birth[fm] to iniquity.
5 They hatch[fn] adders’ eggs[fo]
and weave[fp] a spider’s web;
whoever eats their eggs dies,
and any crushed egg hatches out futility.[fq]
6 Their cobwebs cannot become clothing,
they cannot cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are deeds of iniquity,
and acts of violence fill their hands.
7 Their feet rush to evil,
and they are quick to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
ruin, destruction, and violence[fr] are in their paths.
8 The pathway of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their courses.
They have made their roads crooked;
no one who walks in them will know peace.”
A Commitment to Wait on God
9 “So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We wait for light, but look—there is darkness;
we wait for brightness, but we walk in deep darkness.[fs]
10 Let’s grope[ft] along the wall like the blind;
let us grope like those who have no eyes.
We stumble at midday as if it were twilight,
in desolate places[fu] like dead people.
11 We all growl like bears;
we[fv] sigh mournfully like doves.
We look for justice, but there is none,
and[fw] for deliverance, but it’s far from us.
12 “For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify[fx] against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and as for our iniquities,
we acknowledge them:
13 they’ve rebelled[fy] in[fz] treachery against the Lord,
and are turning away from following our God;
and they’ve spoken[ga] oppression and revolt,
and are conceiving[gb] lying words from the heart.
14 I’ll drive back justice,[gc]
and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth has fallen in the public square,
and honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is missing,
and whoever turns away from evil becomes a prey.”
God Brings His Own Salvation
“Then the Lord looked, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm[gd] brought him victory,
and his righteous acts upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in fury like a cloak.
18 So he will repay according to their action:
Anger to his enemies, retribution to his foes;
to the coastlands he will render their due.
19 So people will fear the name of the Lord from the west,
and his glories[ge] from the rising of the sun;
for he will come as a pent-up stream
that the breath of the Lord drives along.
20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” says the Lord.
21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,”[gf] says the Lord. “And[gg] my Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of your children’s children,[gh] from now on and forever.”
The Light of God’s Deliverance
60 “Arise, shine!
For your light has come;
the[gi] glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For look! Darkness will cover the earth
and thick darkness is over the people,[gj]
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings before[gk] your dawn.
4 “Lift up your eyes and look around:
They all gather together, they come to you;
your sons will come from far away,
and your daughters will be carried on the hip.”[gl]
5 Then you will look and be radiant;
your heart will swell with joy,[gm]
because the abundance of the seas will be diverted to you,
and the riches of the nations will come to you.
6 Throngs of camels will blanket you:
the young camels of Midian and Ephu;[gn]
all those from Shebu[go] will come.
They’ll carry gold and frankincense,
and proclaim the praise of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you,
the rams of Nebaioth will serve you.
and[gp] they’ll come up with acceptance upon[gq] my altar,
and I’ll glorify my glorious house.”
The Future Restoration of Zion
8 “Who are these that fly like clouds,
and like doves to their windows?[gr]
9 For the coastlands will look to me,
with the ships of Tarshish in the lead,
to bring my[gs] children from far away,
their silver and gold with them,
to the name of the Lord your God,
and to the Holy One of Israel,
because he has glorified you.
10 “Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
and their kings will serve you.
Though in my anger I struck you down,
in my favor I have shown you mercy.
11 Your gates will always stand open
by day or night, and[gt] they will not be shut,
so that nations will bring you their wealth,
with their kings led in procession.
12 For the nation or kingdom
that will not serve you will perish;
those nations will be utterly ruined.
13 “He has given you[gu] the glory of Lebanon,
and it will come[gv] to you,
the cypress, and[gw] the plane tree,[gx] and the pine,
to adorn the place of my sanctuary;
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
14 “All[gy] the descendants of those who oppressed you
will come bending low before you,
and all those who despised you
will bow down at your feet.
They’ll call you ‘The City of the Lord,’
‘Zion of the Holy One of Israel.’”
Israel: the Joy of Generations
15 “Although you have been forsaken and despised,
with no one traveling through,
I will make you the everlasting pride,
the joy of all generations.
16 You’ll suck the milk of nations,
You’ll suck the breasts of kings.
Then you will realize that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 “Instead of bronze, I’ll bring gold,
and instead of iron, I’ll bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
and instead of stones, iron.
I’ll appoint peace as your supervisor
and righteousness as your taskmaster.
18 Then[gz] violence will no longer be heard in your land,
nor devastation or destruction within your borders;
but you’ll call your walls ‘Salvation’,
and your gates ‘Praise’.
19 “The sun will no longer be your light by day,
nor for brightness will the moon shine on you by night[ha]—
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,[hb]
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun won’t[hc] set,
nor will your moon withdraw itself—
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning will end.
21 Then your people will all be righteous;
They’ll possess the land forever.
They are the shoot[hd] that the Lord planted,[he]
the works[hf] of his hands,
so that I might be glorified.
22 The least of them will become a thousand,
and the smallest one a mighty nation.
“I am the Lord;
When the time is right,[hg] I will do this swiftly.”
Good News of Deliverance
61 “The Spirit of the Lord[hh] is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed
and[hi] to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness[hj] for the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
the[hk] day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
“Then people will call them[hl] “Oaks of Righteousness”,
“The Planting of the Lord”,
in order to display his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore the places long devastated;
they will build again the ruined cities,
they will build again[hm] the places devastated for many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
and foreigners will work your land
and dress your vines.
6 But as for you, you will be called priests of the Lord,
and[hn] you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of the nations,
and you will boast about their riches.
7 Instead of your shame you will receive double,
and instead of disgrace people will shout with joy over your[ho] inheritance;
therefore you[hp] will inherit a double portion in their land;
everlasting joy will be yours.”[hq]
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice,
and[hr] I hate robbery and iniquity;
I will faithfully present your reward[hs]
and make an everlasting covenant with you.[ht]
9 Your[hu] offspring will be known among the nations,
and your[hv] descendants among the people.[hw]
All who see them will acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.”
Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance
10 “I will heartily rejoice in the Lord,
my soul will delight in my God;
for he has wrapped me in garments of salvation;
he has arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
just like a bridegroom,
like a priest[hx] with a garland,
and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For just as the soil brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden makes what is sown within it spring up,
so the Lord God[hy] will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all the nations for Zion’s sake.”[hz]
The Vindication of Jerusalem
62 “And[ia] I won’t remain silent,[ib]
and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t stay quiet,
until her vindication shines out like brightness,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and people will call you[ic] by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 And[id] you’ll no longer be called ‘Deserted,’
and your land will no longer be called ‘Desolate’;
but people will call you[ie] ‘Hephzibah,’[if]
and your land ‘Beulah’[ig]—
for the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.”
5 “For just as[ih] a young man marries a maiden,
so your sons will marry you;
and just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so your God will rejoice over you.
6 “Upon your walls, Jerusalem,
I have posted watchmen;
all day and all night
they won’t[ii] remain silent.
You who make mention of the Lord,
take no rest,
7 and give him no rest
until he prepares, establishes[ij] and makes Jerusalem
a song of praise throughout the earth.
8 “The Lord has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:[ik]
‘I will never again give your grain[il]
as food for your enemies;
never[im] again will foreigners drink your new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but surely[in] those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the name of[io] the Lord,
and those who gather it will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary,’ says your God.”[ip]
The Coming of God to Reign
10 “Pass through[iq] the gates!
prepare the way for the people!
Build up! Build up the highway!
Clear it of stumbling stones,[ir]
speak among the peoples.[is]
11 Here is the Lord!
Proclaim[it] to the ends[iu] of the earth,
say to the inhabitants[iv] of Zion:
‘See, your salvation is coming!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompenses are[iw] before him.’
12 People will call them, ‘The Holy People,’
‘The Redeemed of the Lord’;
and they will call you,[ix] ‘Sought After,’
‘The City Not Deserted.’”
God’s Day of Vengeance
63 “Who is this coming from Edom,
from Bozrah, in garments stained crimson?
Who is this, robed in such splendor,
marching in his great might?
It is I, speaking in vindication,
mighty to save.
2 “Why is your clothing red,
and your garments like those worn by the ones who tread in the winepress?[iy]
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from my people[iz] no one was with me,
I trampled them in my anger
and trod them down in my wrath;
their lifeblood spattered on my garments,[ja]
and I stained[jb] all my clothing.
4 “For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year for my redeeming work had come.
5 I looked, but there was no helper,
I was appalled that there was no one to give support;[jc]
so my own arm[jd] brought me victory,
and as for my wrath, it supported me.
6 I trampled people[je] in my anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk
and I poured out their lifeblood on the ground.”
God’s Grace to Israel
7 I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his gracious love.
8 For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who won’t act falsely.”
And so he became their savior.
9 In all their distress he wasn’t distressed,[jf]
but the angel of his presence saved them;
in his acts of love[jg] and in his acts[jh] of pity he redeemed them;
he carried them and lifted them up[ji] all the days of old.
10 Yet they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
so he changed and became their enemy,
and[jj] he himself fought against them.
11 Then they[jk] remembered the days of old,
of Moses his servant.
Where is the one who brought up[jl] out of the sea
the[jm] shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them,
12 and[jn] who made his glorious arm[jo] march at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters in front of them
to win[jp] an everlasting name,
13 who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the open desert,
they did not stumble;
14 like cattle that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
For[jq] you led your people,
to win for yourself a glorious name.
God the Father
15 Look down from heaven, and see
from your holy and glorious dwelling.
Where are your zeal and your might?
Where are the yearning of your heart and your compassion?
They are held back from me.
16 But you are our Father,
even[jr] Abraham does not know us
and Israel has not acknowledged[js] us;
you are he,[jt] O Lord, our Father,
from long ago, ‘Our Redeemer’ is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander[ju] from your ways
and harden our hearts, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
for the sake of the tribes that are your heritage.
18 Your holy people took possession[jv] for a little while,
but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary.
19 For a long time we have been those you do not rule,
those who are not called by your name.
A Prayer for God to Intervene
64 [jw]If only you would tear open the heavens and[jx] come down,
so that the mountains would quake at your presence—
2 [jy]just as fire sets twigs[jz] ablaze
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make known your name to your enemies,
yes, to your enemies before you,[ka]
so that the nations might quake at your presence!
3 When you did awesome deeds that we expected,[kb]
you came down,
and the mountains shuddered before you.
4 Since[kc] ancient times no one has heard,
and[kd] no ear has perceived,
and[ke] no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
5 You come to the aid of those who gladly do what’s right,
To those who remember you in your ways.
See, you were angry,
and we sinned against them for a long time,
but we will be saved.
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and[kf] all our righteous acts are like a filthy rag;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind, our iniquities[kg] sweep us away.
7 There is no one who calls on your name
or rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have given us[kh] into the control[ki] of our iniquity.
God, our Father, will Act
8 But as for you,[kj] O Lord, you are our Father;
and[kk] we are clay,[kl]
and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hands.[km]
9 Don’t be angry beyond measure, Lord,
and don’t remember our iniquity for a season.[kn]
Please look now, we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a desert;
Zion has become like[ko] a desert,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy Temple and our splendor,
where our ancestors praised you,
have become[kp] a conflagration of fire,
and all our dearest places have become[kq] ruins.
12 Lord, after all this, can you hold yourself back?
Can you keep silent and punish us so severely?
God’s Response
65 “I let myself be sought by those who didn’t ask for me;[kr]
I let myself be found by those who didn’t seek me.
I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’
to a nation that didn’t call on my name.
2 I held out my hands all day long
to a disobedient[ks] people,
who walk in a way that isn’t good,
following their own inclinations—
3 a people who continually provoke me to my face;
they[kt] keep sacrificing in gardens
and waving their hands[ku] over stone[kv] altars;
4 who sit among graves,
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat pigs’ meat,
with the broth[kw] of detestable things in[kx] their pots;
5 who say, ‘Keep to yourself!’
‘Don’t touch[ky] me!’ and ‘I am[kz] too holy for you!’
“Such people are smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that keeps burning all day long.
6 Watch out! It stands written before me:
‘I won’t keep silent, but I will pay back in full;
I’ll indeed repay into[la] their laps
7 both your iniquities and your ancestors’[lb] iniquities together,’’
says the Lord.
“Because they offered incense on the mountains
and insulted me on hills,[lc]
I’ll measure into[ld] their laps
full payment for their earlier actions.”
A Remnant will be Preserved
8 This is what the Lord says:
“Just as new wine is found in the cluster,
and people have said,[le] ‘Don’t destroy it,
for there is a gift in it,’
so I’ll act for my servants’ sake,
by not destroying them all.
9 I’ll bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah they[lf] will inherit[lg] my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit it,
and my servants will live there.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a fold for herds,[lh]
for my people who have sought me.
11 But as for you who forsake the Lord,
who forget my holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune[li]
and[lj] fill drink offerings[lk] for Destiny,[ll]
12 I’ll consign[lm] you to the sword,
and all of you will bend down for the slaughter—
because when I called, you didn’t answer,
when I spoke, you didn’t listen;
but you did what was evil in my sight,
and chose what I took no pleasure in.”
The Righteous and Wicked Contrasted
13 Therefore, this is what the Lord[ln] says:
“See, my servants will eat,
but you’ll go hungry;
my servants will drink,
but you’ll go thirsty;
my servants will rejoice,
but you’ll be put to shame.
14 My servants will sing in gladness[lo] of heart,
but you’ll cry for help[lp] from anguish of heart,
and you’ll howl from brokenness of spirit.
15 You’ll leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse,
and the Lord God will put you to death permanently.[lq]
16 Then whoever takes an oath[lr] by the God of faithfulness,
and whoever takes an oath in the land,
will swear by the God of faithfulness,
because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my eyes.
A New Universe
17 Take notice! I’m about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things won’t be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad[ls] and rejoice[lt] forever
in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
19 I’ll rejoice over Jerusalem,
and take delight in my people;
no longer will the sound of weeping be heard in it,
nor the cry of distress.
20 “And[lu] there will no longer be in it
a young boy[lv] who lives only a few days,
or an old person who does not live out his days;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be thought a mere youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred years will be considered accursed.
21 People[lw] will build houses and live in them;
They’ll plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They won’t build for others to inhabit;
they won’t plant for others to eat—
for like the lifetime[lx] of a tree,[ly] so will the lifetime[lz] of my people be,
and my chosen ones will long enjoy[ma] the work of their hands.
23 They won’t toil in vain
nor bear children doomed to misfortune,
for they will be offspring blessed[mb] by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call, I will answer,
while they are still speaking, I’ll hear.
25 “The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox;
but as for the serpent—
its food will be dust!
They won’t harm or destroy
on my entire holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
The Worship that God Commands
66 This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house[mc] that you would build for me,
and where will my resting place be?
2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came into being,”
declares the Lord.
“But this is the one to whom I will look favorably:
to the one who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and who[md] trembles at[me] my message.
3 “Whoever slaughters an ox
is just like[mf] one who kills a human being;
whoever sacrifices a lamb
is just like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is just like one who offers pig’s blood;
and whoever makes a memorial offering of frankincense
is just like one who blesses an idol.
Yes, these have chosen their own ways,
and they take delight in their contaminated actions.
4 Therefore[mg] I, too, will choose harsh treatment for them,
and will bring upon them what they dread.
For when I called, no[mh] one answered;
when I spoke, they didn’t listen;
but they did what I consider to be evil,
and chose what doesn’t please me.”
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 “Hear this message from the Lord,
you who tremble at his words:[mi]
“Your own brothers who hate you
and exclude you because of my name
have said: ‘Let the Lord be glorified;
he will see[mj] your joy,’
yet it is they who will be put to shame.
6 “Listen to that uproar in[mk] the city!
Listen to that noise from the Temple!
It is the sound of the Lord
paying back retribution to his enemies!
7 “Before she goes into labor she gives birth;
before her pains come upon her
she has delivered[ml] a son.
8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
And[mm] who ever sees[mn] such things?
Can a country be born in a single day,
or can a nation be brought forth in a single moment?
Yet no sooner was Zion in labor
than she delivered her children.
9 Am I to open the womb and not deliver?”
asks[mo] the Lord.
“And when I bring to delivery, am I to close[mp] the womb?”
asks your God.
10 “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be happy for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in gladness,
all you who mourn over her,
11 so that you may nurse and be satisfied
at her consoling breasts,
and so that you may drink deeply and take delight
from her glorious bosom.”
The Rule of God
12 This[mq] is what the Lord says:
“See, I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
and you will nurse,
and you[mr] will be carried on her hip,[ms]
and bounced upon her knees.
13 Like a child whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
and you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 And when you look, your hearts will rejoice
and your bodies will flourish like grass;
and it will be made known
that the Lord’s hand is with his servants,
but his fury is with his enemies.
15 “Take notice! The Lord will come with fire,
and his chariot[mt] will be[mu] like a whirlwind,
to pay back his anger—yes, his anger!—[mv] in fury,
and his menacing rebukes[mw] in flames of fire.
16 For with fire and with his sword the Lord will proceed to judgment[mx] on all humanity,[my]
and those slain by the Lord will be many.”
17 “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves,[mz] following the one at the center of those who eat the meat of pigs, disgusting things,[na] and rats, are all alike,”[nb] says[nc] the Lord. 18 “But as for me, I know their actions and their thoughts. Come[nd] and gather all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.