< Isaiah 54 >
1 Exult, thou barren, that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and shout for joy, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah.
“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 thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.
“Make your tent larger and spread your tent curtains farther out, unsparingly; lengthen your ropes and strengthen your stakes.
3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess nations, and they shall make desolate cities to be inhabited.
For you will spread out to the right hand and to the left, and your descendants will conquer nations and resettle desolate cities.
4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
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 thy Maker is thy husband: Jehovah of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
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 Jehovah hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and as a wife of youth, that hath been refused, saith thy 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 small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
“For a short time I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In the outpouring of wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting loving-kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer.
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 this is [as] the waters of Noah unto me, since I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth: so have I sworn that I will no more be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
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 shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving-kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah, that hath mercy on thee.
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 [Thou] afflicted, tossed with tempest, not comforted! Behold, I will set thy stones in antimony, and lay thy foundations 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 thy battlements of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of precious stones.
I will make your pinnacles of rubies and your gates of sparkling stones, and your outer wall of beautiful stones.
13 And all thy children [shall be] taught of Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of thy children.
Then all your children will be taught by Yahweh; and the peace of your children will be great.
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee.
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, they shall surely gather together, [but] not by me: whosoever gathereth together against thee shall fall because of thee.
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, it is I who have created the smith that bloweth in the fire of coal, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the destroyer to ravage.
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 weapon that is prepared against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that riseth against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah; and their righteousness is of me, saith Jehovah.
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.”