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, you barren woman, you who have not given birth; break into joyful singing and cry aloud, you who have never been in birth labor. For the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married woman,” says Yahweh.

2 Enlarge the place of your tent and extend the skins of your tabernacles, unsparingly. Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

“Make your tent larger and spread your tent curtains farther out, unsparingly; lengthen your ropes 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 will spread out to the right hand and to the left, and your descendants will conquer nations and resettle desolate cities.

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 fear for you will not be ashamed, nor be discouraged for you will not be disgraced; you will forget the shame of your youth and the disgrace of your abandonment.

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 Maker is your husband; Yahweh of hosts is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of the whole earth.

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 Yahweh has called you back as a wife abandoned and grieved in spirit, like a woman married young and rejected,” says your God.

7 For a brief moment, I have forsaken you, and with great pities, I will gather you.

“For a short time I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will 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 a flood of anger I hid my face from you momentarily; but with everlasting covenant faithfulness I will have mercy on you— says Yahweh, the one who rescues you.

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: as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or 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.

Though the mountains may fall and the hills be shaken, yet my steadfast love will not turn away from you, nor will my covenant of peace be shaken— says Yahweh, 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,

Afflicted one, storm-driven and uncomforted one, look, I will set your pavement in turquoise, 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 stones, and your outer wall of beautiful stones.

13 All your children will be taught by the Lord. And great will be the peace of your children.

Then all your children will be taught by Yahweh; and the peace of your children will be great.

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 will be established, and you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near to you.

15 Behold, a settler will arrive, who was not with me, a certain new arrival will be joined to you.

Look, if anyone stirs up trouble, it will not be from me; anyone who stirs up trouble with you will fall in defeat.

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.

See, I have created the craftsman, who blows the burning coals and forges weapons as his work, and I have created the destroyer 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 succeed; and you will condemn everyone who accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their vindication from me—this is Yahweh's declaration.”

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark