< Isaiah 54 >
1 Give praise, you who are barren and unable to conceive. Sing praise and make a joyful noise, you who have not given birth. For many are the children of the desolate, more so than of her who has a husband, says the Lord.
"Sing, barren, you who did not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than of her that has a husband," says YHWH.
2 Enlarge the place of your tent and extend the skins of your tabernacles, unsparingly. Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
"Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations; do not spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall extend to the right and to the left. And your offspring shall inherit the nations, and you shall inhabit the desolate cities.
For you shall spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your descendants shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
4 Do not be afraid! For you will not be confounded, and you will not blush. And you will not be put to shame, because you shall forget the confusion of your youth, and you shall no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
"Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame, nor will you be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. For you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For the One who made you will rule over you. The Lord of hosts is his name. And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, will be called the God of all the earth.
For your husband is your Creator; YHWH of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
6 For the Lord has called you, like a woman forsaken and mourning in spirit, and like a wife rejected in her youth, said your God.
For YHWH 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 brief moment, I have forsaken you, and with great pities, I will gather you.
"For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.
8 In a moment of indignation, I have hidden my face from you, for a little while. But with everlasting mercy, I have taken pity on you, said your Redeemer, the Lord.
In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness will I have mercy on you," says YHWH your Redeemer.
9 For me, it is just as in the days of Noah, to whom I swore that I would no longer bring in the waters of Noah over the earth. Thus have I sworn not to be angry with you, and not to rebuke you.
"For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains will be moved, and the hills will tremble. But my mercy will not depart from you, and the covenant of my peace will not be shaken, said the Lord, who has compassion on you.
For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed," says YHWH who has mercy on you.
11 O poor little ones, convulsed by the tempest, away from any consolation! Behold, I will set your stones in order, and I will lay your foundation with sapphires,
"You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, look, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 and I will make your ramparts out of jasper, and your gates out of sculpted stones, and all your borders out of desirable stones.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies, and your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord. And great will be the peace of your children.
And all your children shall be taught by God; and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 And you will be founded in justice. Depart far from oppression, for you will not be afraid. And depart from terror, for it will not approach you.
In righteousness you shall be established: you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not be afraid; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Behold, a settler will arrive, who was not with me, a certain new arrival will be joined to you.
Look, they may gather together, but not by me: whoever shall gather together against you shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I created the smith who fans the coals of the fire and produces an object by his work, and I have created the slayer who destroys.
"Look, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, and brings forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 No object which has been formed to use against you will succeed. And every tongue that resists you in judgment, you shall judge. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and this is their justice with me, says the Lord.
No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of YHWH, and their righteousness which is of me," says YHWH.