< Isaiah 52 >
1 Awake, awake, put on your strength, Zion; put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for there shall no more enter into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself from the dust. Arise, sit up, Jerusalem. Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says YHWH, "You were sold for nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money."
4 For thus says YHWH, "My people went down at the first into Egypt to live there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 "Now therefore, what do I do here," says YHWH, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them mock," says YHWH. "Because of you, my name is continually all the day blasphemed among the nations.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name; in that day they will know that I am he who speaks; look, it is I."
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of good things, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
8 The voice of your watchmen. They lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when YHWH returns to Zion with compassion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for YHWH has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 YHWH has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and every part of the earth has seen the salvation of our God.
11 Depart, depart, go out from there, and touch no unclean thing. Go out from their midst, and be separate, you who bear the vessels of YHWH.
12 For you shall not depart in haste, nor shall you leave in flight; for YHWH will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
13 Look, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you (his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him. For that which was not told about him, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
