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 your strength, O Zion, Put on the garments of your beauty, Jerusalem—the Holy City; For the uncircumcised and unclean no longer enter into you again.
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 yourself from dust, arise, sit, O Jerusalem, Bands of your neck have loosed themselves, 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 said YHWH: “You have been sold for nothing, And you are 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 said Lord YHWH: “My people went down at first To Egypt to sojourn there, And Asshur—he has oppressed it for nothing.
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].
And now, what [have] I here,” A declaration of YHWH, “That My people are taken for nothing? Its rulers cause howling,” A declaration of YHWH, “And My Name is continually despised all the day.
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 know My Name, Therefore, in that day, Surely I [am] He who is speaking, behold Me.”
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 lovely on the mountains, Have been the feet of one proclaiming tidings, Sounding peace, proclaiming good tidings, Sounding salvation, Saying to Zion, “Your God has reigned.”
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.
The voice of your watchmen! They have lifted up the voice, together they cry aloud, Because they see eye to eye, In YHWH’s turning back [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, sing together, O ruins of Jerusalem, For YHWH has comforted His people, He has 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.
YHWH has made His holy arm bare Before the eyes of all the nations, And all the ends of the earth have seen 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].
Turn aside, turn aside, go out from there, Do not touch the unclean, Go out from her midst, Be pure, who are carrying the weapons of YHWH.
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 you do not go out in haste, Indeed, you do not go on with flight, For YHWH [is] going before you, And the God of Israel [is] gathering you!
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 acts wisely, He is high, and has been lifted up, And has been 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.
As many have been astonished at You (His appearance so marred by man, And His form by 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 He sprinkles many nations. Kings shut their mouth concerning Him, For that which was not recounted to them they have seen, And that which they had not heard they have understood!
