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God will make Jerusalem safe again[a]

52 Wake up, Zion!
    Be ready to show your strength!
Jerusalem, God's holy city,
    Put on your beautiful clothes!
Foreign people who do not serve God
    will not attack your city again.
Shake off the dirt, Jerusalem!
    Get up and sit on your throne.
People of Zion, you are no longer prisoners,
    so take the chains off your neck.

This is what the Lord says to you:

‘I received no money when I sold you.
And I will not pay anything to make you free again.’

The Almighty Lord says,

‘Long ago, my people went to live for some time in Egypt.
    At a later time, Assyria's army was cruel to them.
But now, what is happening?
An enemy has taken my people away as slaves,
    for no good reason.[b]
Their leaders boast loudly,
    and they insult me all the time.
So I will cause my people to know my name.
When all this happens, they will know
    that I am the God who speaks to them.
I tell them that I am with them.’

Somebody is coming across the mountains
    to bring good news to us!
It is a beautiful thing to see him run towards us!
He has come to tell us that there will be peace,
    because God will save our city.
He says to Zion,
    ‘Your God rules as king!’
Listen! The guards on the city's walls are shouting!
    They all shout together with joy!
They can see for themselves
    that the Lord is returning to Zion.
Jerusalem, your buildings have become heaps of stones,
    but now you can all shout together with joy!
Sing aloud, because the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has made Jerusalem safe again.
10 The Lord has shown all the nations how strong he is.
    They can all see his holy power.
People all over the world will know
    that our God has rescued his people.
11 Leave! Leave! Go out from there.[c]
    Do not touch anything that is unclean.
    Leave that foreign place!
The people who carry the Lord's special things
    must keep themselves pure.
12 But you will not have to hurry and run away.
No, the Lord, Israel's God, will keep you safe.
    He will lead you at the front,
    and he will be your guard at the back.

The Lord's Servant

13 Look! My servant will do well.
He will move up to a high place
    where people will honour him as great.
14 At one time, when people saw him,
    they were very upset.
His body became completely spoiled,
    so that he no longer seemed to be a man.
    He did not seem to have a human body.
15 But now, he will cause the people in many nations
    to be very surprised!
Kings will have nothing to say
    when they see how great he is.
They will see something new
    that nobody had told them about.
They will understand new things
    that they had not heard about before.

Footnotes

  1. 52:1 The special city of God's people is called both ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Zion’.
  2. 52:5 ‘for no good reason’ or ‘without paying for them’
  3. 52:11 The people will leave Babylon, where they have been in exile. They will leave the foreign land and they will return to Jerusalem.

52 Awake, awake,(A) Zion,
    clothe yourself with strength!(B)
Put on your garments of splendor,(C)
    Jerusalem, the holy city.(D)
The uncircumcised(E) and defiled(F)
    will not enter you again.(G)
Shake off your dust;(H)
    rise up,(I) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,(J)
    Daughter Zion,(K) now a captive.

For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,(L)
    and without money(M) you will be redeemed.(N)

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“At first my people went down to Egypt(O) to live;
    lately, Assyria(P) has oppressed them.

“And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.

“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
    and those who rule them mock,[a]
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
    my name is constantly blasphemed.(Q)
Therefore my people will know(R) my name;(S)
    therefore in that day(T) they will know
that it is I who foretold(U) it.
    Yes, it is I.”

How beautiful on the mountains(V)
    are the feet of those who bring good news,(W)
who proclaim peace,(X)
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
    “Your God reigns!”(Y)
Listen! Your watchmen(Z) lift up their voices;(AA)
    together they shout for joy.(AB)
When the Lord returns(AC) to Zion,(AD)
    they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy(AE) together,
    you ruins(AF) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(AG) his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.(AH)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm(AI)
    in the sight of all the nations,(AJ)
and all the ends of the earth(AK) will see
    the salvation(AL) of our God.

11 Depart,(AM) depart, go out from there!
    Touch no unclean thing!(AN)
Come out from it and be pure,(AO)
    you who carry the articles(AP) of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste(AQ)
    or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,(AR)
    the God of Israel will be your rear guard.(AS)

The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

13 See, my servant(AT) will act wisely[b];
    he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.(AU)
14 Just as there were many who were appalled(AV) at him[c]
    his appearance was so disfigured(AW) beyond that of any human being
    and his form marred beyond human likeness(AX)
15 so he will sprinkle(AY) many nations,[d]
    and kings(AZ) will shut their mouths(BA) because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
    and what they have not heard, they will understand.(BB)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
  2. Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
  3. Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
  4. Isaiah 52:15 Or so will many nations be amazed at him (see also Septuagint)