Isaiah 52
1 [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].
Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 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],
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 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!”
For thus saith the LORD: Ye were sold for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 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.
For thus saith the Lord GOD: My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 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].
Now therefore, what do I here, saith the LORD, seeing that My people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them do howl, saith the LORD, and My name continually all the day is blasphemed.
6 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].”
Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I, even He that spoke, behold, here I am.
7 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!
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announceth peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announceth salvation; that saith unto Zion: 'Thy God reigneth!'
8 The watchmen [who are guarding the city] will shout and sing joyfully, because while they are watching they will see Yahweh returning to Jerusalem.
Hark, thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see, eye to eye, the LORD returning to Zion.
9 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.
Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the LORD hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10 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.
The LORD hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 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].
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, ye that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12 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].
For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rearward.
13 [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.”
Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.
14 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.
According as many were appalled at thee — so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men —
15 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].
So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive.
