< 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.
Awake, awake, put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, holy city; for never again will the uncircumcised or the unclean enter 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.
Shake yourself off from the dust; arise and sit, Jerusalem; take off the chain from your neck, captive, daughter of Zion.
3 For thus hath said the Lord, For naught were you sold, and without silver shall ye be redeemed.
For this is what Yahweh says, “You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money.”
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.
For this is what the Lord Yahweh says, “In the beginning my people went down to live temporarily in Egypt; and Assyria has oppressed them for no good reason.
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.
Now what do I have here—this is Yahweh's declaration—seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them mock—this is Yahweh's declaration—and my name is blasphemed continually all day long.
6 Therefore shall my people know my name, therefore on that day, that I am he that speaketh it: here am I.
Therefore my people will know my name; they will know in that day that I am the one who says, “Yes, it is I!”
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.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, who announces peace, who bears good tidings, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
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.
Listen, your watchmen raise their voices, together they shout for joy, for they will see, every eye of theirs, Yahweh's return to Zion.
9 Break forth [in song], shout together, ye ruins of Jerusalem; the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
Break out into joyful singing together, you ruins of Jerusalem; for Yahweh has comforted his people; he has redeemed 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 has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the earth will see the salvation of our God.
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.
Leave, leave, go out from there; touch nothing unclean; leave from her midst; purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of Yahweh.
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.
For you will not go out in a rush, nor will you leave in a panic; for Yahweh will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearguard.
13 Behold, my servant shall be prosperous, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be placed very high.
Look, my servant will act wisely; he will be high and lifted up, and he will be exalted.
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, —
As many were horrified at you— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man, and his form no longer looked like anything 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.
Even so, my servant will sprinkle many nations and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For that which they had not been told, they will see, and that which they had not heard, they will understand.

< Isaiah 52 >