Isaiah 52
1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, thou holy city; for no more shall enter into thee henceforth the uncircumcised and the unclean.
[You people who live in the] holy city of Jerusalem [APO], wake up! Be strong again! Show that [MTY] your city is beautiful and glorious; foreigners who do not believe in God will not enter your city again [to attack you].
2 Shake thyself free from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem: loosen thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive, daughter of Zion.
People of Jerusalem, get up from [humbly] sitting in the dust and sit in places where people are honored! You people who have returned from being exiled, take off from your neck the chains which were fastened around you [as slaves in Babylonia],
3 For thus hath said the Lord, For naught were you sold, and without silver shall ye be redeemed.
because this is what Yahweh says: “[When you were taken to Babylonia], no one paid me for doing that. So now I will bring you back without [being required to] pay for you!”
4 For thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Into Egypt went my people down aforetimes, to sojourn there, and Asshur hath oppressed it without cause.
Yahweh [our] Lord [also] says this: “Long ago, my people went to Egypt to live there. [Later] they were being (oppressed/treated cruelly) by [the soldiers of] Assyria.
5 And now what have I here, saith the Lord, since my people hath been taken away for naught? its rulers vaunt aloud, saith the Lord, and continually, all the day, is my name blasphemed.
But now think about what is happening: My people are being forced to be slaves again, this time by the [people of Babylonia]. And [those who have conquered them this time have also] paid me nothing, and they despise me [MTY] continually [DOU].
6 Therefore shall my people know my name, therefore on that day, that I am he that speaketh it: here am I.
But my people will then have a close relationship with [MTY] me, and when that happens, they will know that I am the one who predicted/promised [that it would happen]. It is I, [Yahweh, who will do it].”
7 How beautiful are upon the mountains the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that publisheth peace, that announceth tidings of happiness, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.
It is a wonderful thing when messengers [MTY] arrive on the mountains/hills, bringing good news, the news about [God giving us] peace and saving us, the news that the God to whom we [Israeli people] belong is now ruling/king!
8 The voice of thy watchmen, —they raise their voice, together shall they shout; for eye to eye shall they see, when the Lord returneth unto Zion.
The watchmen [who are guarding the city] will shout and sing joyfully, because while they are watching they will see Yahweh returning to Jerusalem.
9 Break forth [in song], shout together, ye ruins of Jerusalem; the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
Jerusalem has been ruined, but the people who are there now should start to sing joyfully, because Yahweh will encourage his people; he will set his people free and bring them back to Jerusalem.
10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Yahweh will show all the nations that he is holy and powerful. People in the most remote/distant places on earth will know that he has rescued his people.
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of it; cleanse yourselves, ye bearers of the vessels of the Lord.
So, leave [the places where you were taken to when you were captured], where [everything is] unacceptable to God. You men who carry the items used for the worship of Yahweh, leave there [and return to Jerusalem], and purify yourselves [in order to be acceptable to worship God].
12 Not in haste shall ye go out, and not in flight shall ye go; for before you goeth the Lord, and your rereward is the God of Israel.
But it will not [be necessary] for you to leave suddenly, to flee in panic, because Yahweh will (go in front of/lead) you; and he will [also] protect you [from being attacked] at the rear [while you travel].
13 Behold, my servant shall be prosperous, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be placed very high.
[Yahweh says], “Listen carefully! My servant will act wisely (OR, do the right things to accomplish what he wants to), and I will highly exalt him.”
14 Just as many were astonished at thee, so greatly was his countenance marred more than any [other] man's, and his form more than [that of] the sons of men, —
But many people will be appalled when they see what has happened to him. [Because of his being beaten very badly], his appearance will be changed; people will hardly recognize that he is a human.
15 Thus will he cause many nations to jump up in [astonishment]; at him will kings shut their mouth; for what had not been told unto them shall they see, and what they had never heard shall they understand.
But he will cause [people of] many nations to be surprised; [even] kings will be silent when they stand in front of him, because they will see someone that no one had told them about [previously], and they will understand things that they had not heard about [before].
