1‘Jerusalem, sing! You are now like a woman who never had a child. Burst into song! Shout for joy! You who have never had labour pains, you are now all alone. But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband,’ says the LORD.2‘Make a large area for your tent. Spread out its curtains. Go ahead and make your tent wider. Make its ropes longer. Drive the stakes down deeper.3You will spread out to the right and the left. Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land. They will make their homes in the deserted cities of those nations.4‘Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore. Do not be afraid of being dishonoured. People will no longer make fun of you. You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt. You will no longer remember the shame of being a widow in Babylon.5I made you. I am now your husband. My name is the LORD Who Rules Over All. I am the Holy One of Israel. I have set you free. I am the God of the whole earth.6You were like a wife who was deserted. And her heart was broken. You were like a wife who married young. And her husband sent her away. But now I am calling you to come back,’ says your God.7‘For a brief moment I left you. But because I love you so much, I will bring you back.8For a moment I turned my face away from you. I was very angry with you. But I will show you my loving concern. My faithful love will continue for ever,’ says the LORD. He is the one who set you free.9‘During Noah’s time I made a promise. I said I would never cover the earth with water again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you. I will never punish you again.10The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken. And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be removed,’ says the LORD. He shows you his loving concern.11‘Suffering city, you have been beaten by storms. You have not been comforted. I will rebuild you with turquoise stones. I will rebuild your foundations with lapis lazuli.12I will line the top of your city wall with rubies. I will make your gates out of gleaming jewels. And I will make all your walls out of precious stones.13I will teach all your children. And they will enjoy great peace.14When you do what is right, you will be made secure. Your leaders will not be mean to you. You will not have anything to be afraid of. You will not be terrified anymore. Terror will not come near you.15People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it. Those who attack you will give themselves up to you.16‘I created blacksmiths. They fan the coals into flames of fire. They make weapons that are fit for their work. I also created those who destroy others.17But no weapon used against you will succeed. People might bring charges against you. But you will prove that they are wrong. Those are the things I do for my servants. I make everything right for them,’ announces the LORD.
Isaiah 54
English Standard Version
The Eternal Covenant of Peace
1“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord. (1Sa 2:5; Isa 62:4; Ga 4:27)2“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. (Isa 49:19)3For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. (Ge 28:14; Isa 11:14)4“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. (Isa 45:17)5For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. (Isa 43:14; Isa 62:4; Ho 2:7; Zec 14:9)6For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. (Isa 49:14; Isa 54:1; Isa 60:15; Isa 62:4)7For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. (Isa 26:20)8In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isa 54:7; Isa 55:3)9“This is like the days of Noah[1] to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. (Ge 8:21; Ge 9:11)10For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Nu 25:12; Eze 34:25; Eze 37:26; Mal 2:5)11“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.[2] (Isa 51:21; Isa 60:10; Re 21:19)12I will make your pinnacles of agate,[3] your gates of carbuncles,[4] and all your wall of precious stones.13All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. (Ps 119:165; Isa 9:7; Jer 31:33; Joh 6:45)14In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.15If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you. (Isa 8:9)16Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy;17no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication[5] from me, declares the Lord.” (Isa 45:24)