Isaiah 54

1 "Sing, barren, you who did not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than of her that has a husband," says Jehovah.

Let your voice be loud in song, O woman without children; make melody and sounds of joy, you who did not give birth: for the children of her who had no husband are more than those of the married wife, says the Lord.

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations; do not spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong.

3 For you shall spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your descendants shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

For I will make wide your limits on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will take the nations for a heritage, and make the waste towns full of people.

4 "Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame, nor will you be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. For you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.

Have no fear; for you will not be shamed or without hope: you will not be put to shame, for the shame of your earlier days will go out of your memory, and you will no longer keep in mind the sorrows of your widowed years.

5 For your husband is your Creator; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is he who takes up your cause; he will be named the God of all the earth.

6 For Jehovah has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off," says your God.

For the Lord has made you come back to him, like a wife who has been sent away in grief of spirit; for one may not give up the wife of one's early days.

7 "For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.

For a short time I gave you up; but with great mercies I will take you back again.

8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting loving kindness will I have mercy on you," says Jehovah your Redeemer.

In overflowing wrath my face was veiled from you for a minute, but I will have pity on you for ever, says the Lord who takes up your cause.

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

For this is like the days of Noah to me: for as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so have I taken an oath that I will not again be angry with you, or say bitter words to you.

10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed," says Jehovah who has mercy on you.

For the mountains may be taken away, and the hills be moved out of their places, but my love will not be taken from you, or my agreement of peace broken, says the Lord, who has had mercy on you.

11 "You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, look, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

O troubled one, storm-crushed, uncomforted! see, your stones will be framed in fair colours, and your bases will be sapphires.

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

I will make your towers of rubies, and your doors of carbuncles, and the wall round you will be of all sorts of beautiful stones.

13 And all your children shall be taught by God; and great shall be the peace of your children.

And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children.

14 In righteousness you shall be established: you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not be afraid; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you.

15 Look, they may gather together, but not by me: whoever shall gather together against you shall fall because of you.

See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you.

16 "Look, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals, and brings forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

See, I have made the iron-worker, blowing on the burning coals, and making the instrument of war by his work; and I have made the waster for destruction.

17 No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me," says Jehovah.

No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark