Isaiah 54

1 Rejoice, O barren that diddest not beare: breake forth into ioy and reioyce, thou that diddest not trauaile with childe: for the desolate hath moe children then the married wife, sayeth the Lord.

Sing for joy, childless woman, you who have had a baby! Shout aloud, and sing happily, Jerusalem, you who have never given birth! For the abandoned woman now has more children than the married woman, says the Lord.

2 Enlarge the place of thy tents, and let them spread out the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, stretch out thy cords and make fast thy stakes.

Make the tent where you live bigger; stretch the fabric to enlarge your home. Don't try and save space—extend your tent cords and make your tent pegs stronger.

3 For thou shalt increase on the right hande and on the left, and thy seede shall possesse the Gentiles, and dwell in the desolate cities.

You're going to be spreading out right and left; your descendants will take over the land of other nations and live in towns that were once abandoned.

4 Feare not: for thou shalt not be ashamed, neither shalt thou be confounded: for thou shalt not bee put to shame: yea, thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproch of thy widdowhoode any more.

Do not be afraid, for you won't be humiliated; don't be upset, for you won't be disgraced. You will forget about the shame of your youth, and you won't remember the embarrassment of your widowhood any longer.

5 For hee that made thee, is thine husband (whose Name is the Lord of hostes) and thy redeemer the Holy one of Israel, shall be called the God of the whole world.

For your Maker is your husband, the Lord Almighty is his name the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, he is called the God of the whole earth.

6 For the Lord hath called thee, being as a woman forsaken, and afflicted in spirite, and as a yong wife when thou wast refused, sayth thy God.

The Lord has called you to come back, like a wife who's been abandoned and deeply hurt, a wife who was married when she was young, only to be rejected, says your God.

7 For a litle while haue I forsaken thee, but with great compassion will I gather thee.

I deserted you for just a little while, but I will bring you back, showing you a great deal of kindness.

8 For a moment, in mine anger, I hid my face from thee for a litle season, but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassion on thee, sayth the Lord thy redeemer.

In a moment of anger I turned my face away from you, but now with trustworthy love I will always be kind to you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 For this is vnto me as the waters of Noah: for as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth, so haue I sworne that I would not be angrie with thee, nor rebuke thee.

To me this is just like Noah's time, when I promised on oath that a flood would never cover the earth again. In the same way I promise on oath that I won't be angry with you or tell you off.

10 For the mountaines shall remoue and the hilles shall fall downe: but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.

Though the mountains cease to exist and the hills disappear, yet my trustworthy love for you won't cease to exist and my agreement of peace won't disappear, says the Lord, who shows you kindness.

11 O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest, that hast no comfort, beholde, I wil lay thy stones with the carbuncle, and lay thy foundation with saphirs,

My poor storm-damaged city that can't be comforted! Look, I'm going to reset your stones in cement made of antimony, I will use sapphires to lay your foundations.

12 And I will make thy windowes of emeraudes, and thy gates shining stones, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

I will make your fortifications out of rubies; I will make your gates out of sparkling beryl. All your walls will be made of precious stones,

13 And all thy children shalbe taught of the Lord, and much peace shalbe to thy children.

and all your children will be students of the Lord, and they will live in complete peace.

14 In righteousnes shalt thou be established, and be farre from oppression: for thou shalt not feare it: and from feare, for it shall not come neere thee.

Your society will operate from principles of goodness and right; nobody will be there to oppress you. You won't be afraid; you won't have to face any kind of terror.

15 Beholde, the enemie shall gather himselfe, but without me: whosoeuer shall gather himselfe in thee, against thee, shall fall.

If any invader comes to attack you, I didn't send them; you will defeat anyone who attacks you.

16 Beholde, I haue created the smith that bloweth the coales in the fire, and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his worke, and I haue created the destroyer to destroy.

Look—I have created a blacksmith who blows the coals into a hot flame and forges a suitable weapon; and I have created the destroyer who brings destruction.

17 But all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper: and euery tongue that shall rise against thee in iudgement, thou shalt condemne. This is the heritage of the Lords seruants, and their righteousnesse is of me, sayth the Lord.

None of the weapons forged against you will succeed, and you will condemn anyone who accuses you. This is how the servants of the Lord are blessed, and I am the one who vindicates them, declares the Lord.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark