Esias 54

1 Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that do not travail: for more are the children of the desolate than of her that has a husband: for the Lord has said,

“Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says the LORD.

2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and of your curtains: fix [the pins], spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your pins;

“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

3 spread forth [your tent] yet to the right and the left: for your seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and you shall make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and settle in desolate cities.

4 Fear not, because you has been put to shame, neither be confounded, because you was reproached: for you shall forget your former shame, and shall no more at all remember the reproach of your widowhood.

“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.

5 For [it is] the Lord that made you; the Lord of hosts is his name: and he that delivered you, he is the God of Israel, [and] shall be called [so] by the whole earth.

For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Hosts is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.

6 The Lord has not called you as a deserted and faint-hearted woman, nor as a woman hated from [her] youth, says your God.

For the LORD 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 little while I left you: but with great mercy will I have compassion upon you.

“For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies.

8 In a little wrath I turned away my face from you; but with everlasting mercy will I have compassion upon you, says the Lord that delivers you.

In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

9 From the time of the water of Noe this is my [purpose]: as I sware to him at that time, [saying] of the earth, I will no more be angry with you, neither when you are threatened,

“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.

10 shall the mountains depart, nor shall your hills be removed: so neither shall my mercy fail you, nor shall the covenant of your peace be at all removed: for the Lord [who is] gracious to you has spoken [it].

For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed,” says the LORD who has mercy on you.

11 Afflicted and outcast you has not been comforted: behold, I [will] prepare carbuncle [for] your stones, and sapphire for your foundations;

“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colours, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

12 and I will make your buttresses jasper, and your gates crystal, and your border precious stones.

I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.

13 And [I will cause] all your sons [to be] taught of God, and your children [to be] in great peace.

All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children’s peace will be great.

14 And you shall be built in righteousness: abstain from injustice, and you shall not fear; and trembling shall not come near you.

You will be established in righteousness. You will be far from oppression, for you will not be afraid, and far from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15 Behold, strangers shall come to you by me, and shall sojourn with you, and shall run to you for refuge.

Behold, they may gather together, but not by me. Whoever gathers together against you will fall because of you.

16 Behold, I have created you, not as the coppersmith blowing coals, and bringing out a vessel [fit] for work; but I have created you, not for ruin, that [I] should destroy [you].

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame, and forges a weapon for his work; and I have created the destroyer to destroy.

17 I will not suffer any weapon formed against you to prosper; and every voice that shall rise up against you for judgment, you shall vanquish them all; and your adversaries shall be [condemned] thereby. There is an inheritance to them that serve the Lord, and you shall be righteous before me, says the Lord.

No weapon that is formed against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgement. This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants, and their righteousness is of me,” says the LORD.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark