Esias 54

1 Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that dost not travail: for more are the children of the desolate than of her that has a husband: for the Lord has said,

“Sing, barren, you who did not give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and of thy curtains: fix [the pins], spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy pins;

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

3 spread forth [thy tent] yet to the right and the left: for thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and thou shalt make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and settle in desolate cities.

4 Fear not, because thou has been put to shame, neither be confounded, because thou was reproached: for thou shalt forget thy former shame, and shalt no more at all remember the reproach of thy widowhood.

“Do not be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Do not be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.

5 For [it is] the Lord that made thee; the Lord of hosts is his name: and he that delivered thee, he is the God of Israel, [and] shall be called [so] by the whole earth.

For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.

6 The Lord has not called thee as a deserted and faint-hearted woman, nor as a woman hated from [her] youth, saith thy God.

For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.

7 For a little while I left thee: but with great mercy will I have compassion upon thee.

“For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies.

8 In a little wrath I turned away my face from thee; but with everlasting mercy will I have compassion upon thee, saith the Lord that delivers thee.

In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

9 From the time of the water of Noe this is my [purpose]: as I sware to him at that time, [saying] of the earth, I will no more be wroth with thee, neither when thou art threatened,

“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.

10 shall the mountains depart, nor shall thy hills be removed: so neither shall my mercy fail thee, nor shall the covenant of thy peace be at all removed: for the Lord [who is] gracious to thee has spoken [it].

For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says the LORD who has mercy on you.

11 Afflicted and outcast thou has not been comforted: behold, I [will] prepare carbuncle [for] thy stones, and sapphire for thy foundations;

“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

12 and I will make thy buttresses jasper, and thy gates crystal, and thy border precious stones.

I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

13 And [I will cause] all thy sons [to be] taught of God, and thy children [to be] in great peace.

All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children’s peace will be great.

14 And thou shalt be built in righteousness: abstain from injustice, and thou shalt not fear; and trembling shall not come nigh thee.

You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15 Behold, strangers shall come to thee by me, and shall sojourn with thee, and shall run to thee for refuge.

Behold, they may gather together, but not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.

16 Behold, I have created thee, not as the coppersmith blowing coals, and bringing out a vessel [fit] for work; but I have created thee, not for ruin, that [I] should destroy [thee].

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.

17 I will not suffer any weapon formed against thee to prosper; and every voice that shall rise up against thee for judgment, thou shalt vanquish them all; and thine adversaries shall be [condemned] thereby. There is an inheritance to them that serve the Lord, and ye shall be righteous before me, saith the Lord.

No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is of me,” says the LORD.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark