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 majesty, O Zion! Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For no more shall 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 erect, 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 Jehovah: For naught were ye sold, And without money shall ye be ransomed.
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 Jehovah: My people went down to Egypt formerly 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].
And now, what have I here to do, saith the Lord, When my people is taken away for naught, And their tyrants exult, saith Jehovah, And all the day long my name 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 shall my people know my name; Therefore in that day shall they know That I am he that said, Behold, here am I!
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 him that bringeth good tidings, of him that proclaimeth peace! That bringeth good tidings, that proclaimeth salvation! That saith to Zion, “Thy God is king!”
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! the voice of thy watchmen! They lift up the voice together; yea, they shout! For eye to eye shall they behold, When Jehovah returneth 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; shout together, ye ruins of Jerusalem! For Jehovah hath pity on his people; he redeemeth 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.
Jehovah maketh bare his holy arm In the sight of all the nations; All the ends of the earth Behold the salvation from 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, depart ye; go ye out from thence; Touch no unclean thing! Go ye out from the midst of her; Be ye clean, ye that bear the vessels of Jehovah!
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 not in haste shall ye go forth, Nor in flight shall ye pass along; For Jehovah shall march in your front, And the God of Israel bring up your rear.
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 lifted up, and set on high, and greatly exalted.
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 were amazed at the sight of him, —So disfigured and scarcely human was his visage, And so unlike that of a man was his form, —
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 cause many nations to exult on account of him; Kings shall shut their mouths before him. For what had never been told them shall they see, And what they never heard shall they perceive.
