Isaiah 52
1 Wake up, wake up, Zion! Be strong! Put on your best clothes, Jerusalem, the holy city. Heathen foreigners won't ever enter you again.
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself free from the dust and get up. Sit on your throne, Jerusalem. Throw off the chains around your neck, captive daughter of Zion.
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 This is what the Lord says: You were sold for nothing, and you will be bought back without money.
For thus saith the LORD: Ye were sold for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 This is what the Lord God says: First of all, my people went to live in Egypt, then Assyria conquered them for no reason.
For thus saith the Lord GOD: My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 What do have I to do now? asks the Lord. My people have been taken into captivity for no reason. Those who rule them mock them, and I'm treated with contempt that whole time, says the Lord.
Now therefore, what do I here, saith the LORD, seeing that My people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them do howl, saith the LORD, and My name continually all the day is blasphemed.
6 So I'm going to make sure my people know me; at that time they will know that I am the one who means what he says. Yes, it's me!
Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I, even He that spoke, behold, here I am.
7 What a wonderful sight in the mountains is the one running to bring good news, announcing peace and good news, announcing salvation, telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announceth peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announceth salvation; that saith unto Zion: 'Thy God reigneth!'
8 The city watchmen shout loudly and sing for joy together; they all see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.
Hark, thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see, eye to eye, the LORD returning to Zion.
9 Let Jerusalem's ruins all sing for joy for the Lord has come to care for his people; he has set Jerusalem free.
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power to all the nations; the whole world will see our God's salvation.
The LORD hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Leave, leave, get out of there! Don't bring anything pagan; come out and leave it all behind. Those of you who carry the Lord's sacred articles are to purify yourselves.
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, ye that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12 But don't leave in a hurry, don't be in a rush as if you're running away, for the Lord will go ahead of you, and he will also protect those at the back.
For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rearward.
13 Look: my servant will act wisely; he will be praised highly, he will be elevated in position, and seen as someone people look up to.
Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 But many were horrified by him, so disfigured in appearance, no longer looking like a man, so unlike anyone human.
According as many were appalled at thee — so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men —
15 He will surprise many nations, and kings will keep quiet because of him—for they'll see what they haven't been told, and they'll understand what they hadn't heard.
So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.
