Isaiah 63

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, with blood-red robes from Bozrah? he whose clothing is fair, stepping with pride in his great strength? I whose glory is in the right, strong for salvation.

Who is this coming from Edom, from the town of Bozrah with clothes stained crimson? Who is this wearing robes of splendor, leaning forward in his great strength as he marches? It is me, the one who always speaks goodness and truth, the one who has the power to save.

2 Why is your clothing red, and why are your robes like those of one who is crushing the grapes?

Why are your clothes red, like you've been treading grapes in a winepress?

3 I have been crushing the grapes by myself, and of the peoples there was no man with me: in my wrath and in my passion, they were crushed under my feet; and my robes are marked with their life-blood, and all my clothing is red.

I've been treading the winepress by myself; from the nations around no one came to help me. So in my anger I trod them down as if they were grapes, in my fury I trampled them. It's their blood that has stained my clothes.

4 For the day of punishment is in my heart, and the year for the payment of the price for my people has come.

For I decided this was the day of my vengeance; the year of my redemption has come.

5 And I saw that there was no helper, and I was wondering that no one gave them support: so my arm did the work of salvation, and my wrath was my support.

I looked around, but no one came to help; I was shocked that there was no one to assist me. So I saved them through my own strength alone, and my own anger kept me going.

6 And in my passion the peoples were crushed under my feet, and broken in my wrath, and I put down their strength to the earth.

I trampled down the nations in my anger; in my fury I made them drunk, and spilled their blood upon the ground.

7 I will give news of the mercies of the Lord, and his great acts, even all the things the Lord has done for us, in his great grace to the house of Israel; even all he has done for us in his unnumbered mercies.

I want to tell everyone about the Lord's trustworthy love. I will praise the Lord for everything he's done for us—all the good things he has done for the descendants of Israel because of his kindness and his infinite trustworthy love.

8 For he said, Truly they are my people, children who will not be false: so he was their saviour out of all their trouble.

He said, “Aren't they my people, children who wouldn't lie to me?” So he became their Savior.

9 It was no sent one or angel, but he himself who was their saviour: in his love and in his pity he took up their cause, and he took them in his arms, caring for them all through the years.

He suffered with them in all their suffering, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and kindness he redeemed them. He picked them up and carried them all throughout those years long ago.

10 But they went against him, causing grief to his holy spirit: so he was turned against them, and made war on them.

But they rebelled against him, and caused his Holy Spirit grief, so to them he became like an enemy and he fought against them.

11 Then the early days came to their minds, the days of Moses his servant: and they said, Where is he who made the keeper of his flock come up from the sea? where is he who put his holy spirit among them,

Then they thought back to the days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They shouted out, “Where is the one who took Israel through the sea, along with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who placed his Holy Spirit among his people?

12 He who made the arm of his glory go at the right hand of Moses, by whom the waters were parted before them, to make himself an eternal name;

Where is the one who lifted Moses' right hand, and who used his amazing power to divided the sea in front of them, giving him such a wonderful, enduring reputation?

13 He who made them go through the deep waters, like a horse in the waste land?

Where is the one who led them through the depths of the sea?” They were like a horse running through the desert, they didn't stumble.

14 Like the cattle which go down into the valley, they went without falling, the spirit of the Lord guiding them: so you went before your people, to make yourself a great name.

Like cattle descending into a valley, the Lord's Spirit gave them rest. This is how you led your people, earning a glorious reputation for yourself.

15 Let your eyes be looking down from heaven, from your holy and beautiful house: where is your deep feeling, the working of your power? do not keep back the moving of your pity and your mercies:

Lord, look down on us from heaven! Watch from your high home, in your holiness and glory! Where is your enthusiasm and power? You're not showing me your feelings of sympathy and kindness!

16 For you are our father, though Abraham has no knowledge of us, and Israel gives no thought to us: you, O Lord, are our father; from the earliest days you have taken up our cause.

But you are still our Father, even though Abraham wouldn't know us and Israel wouldn't acknowledge us. You, Lord, are our Father; you have always been called our Redeemer from long ago.

17 O Lord, why do you send us wandering from your ways, making our hearts hard, so that we have no fear of you? Come back, because of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.

Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways, and make us stubborn so we don't respect you? Come back to us for the sake of your servants, the tribes that belong to you.

18 Why have evil men gone over your holy place, so that it has been crushed under the feet of our haters?

Your Temple belonged to us for a little while, but then our enemies invaded and destroyed it.

19 We have become as those who were never ruled by you, on whom your name was not named.

We were yours from ancient times, but we've ended up like people you've never ruled, never identified as yours.