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The Covenant of Peace

54 Sing, O barren,
    you who did not bear a child.
Break forth into singing and cry aloud,
    you who did not travail with child.
For more are the children of the desolate
    than the children of the married wife,
    says the Lord.
Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations;
    spare not,
lengthen your cords,
    and strengthen your stakes.
For you shall spread out to the right hand and to the left,
    and your descendants shall inherit the nations
    and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

Do not fear, for you shall not be ashamed nor be humiliated;
    for you shall not be put to shame,
for you shall forget the shame of your youth
    and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of Hosts is His name;
and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
    He shall be called the God of the whole earth.
For the Lord has called you
    as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
and a wife of youth
    when you were refused, says your God.
For a small moment I have forsaken you,
    but with great mercies I will gather you.
In a little wrath
    I hid My face from you for a moment;
but with everlasting kindness
    I will have mercy on you,
    says the Lord your Redeemer.

For this is as the waters of Noah to Me;
    for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no longer cover the earth,
so I have sworn that I would not be wrathful with you
    nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may be removed,
    and the hills may shake,
but My kindness shall not depart from you,
    nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,
    says the Lord who has mercy on you.

11 O afflicted one, tossed with tempest and not comforted,
    I will lay your stones with fair colors
    and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your windows of agates,
    and your gates of crystal,
    and all your borders of precious stones.
13 All your sons shall be taught of the Lord,
    and great shall be the peace of your sons.
14 In 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.
15 Indeed they shall surely assail you fiercely, but not from Me.
    Whoever assails you shall fall for your sake.

16 See, I have created the smith
    that blows the coals in the fire
    and who brings forth an instrument for his work;
and I have created the destroyer in order to cause ruin.
17     No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper,
    and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and their vindication is from Me,
    says the Lord.

The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
    you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
    than of her who has a husband,(F)
says the Lord.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,(G)
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.(H)
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants(I) will dispossess nations(J)
    and settle in their desolate(K) cities.

“Do not be afraid;(L) you will not be put to shame.(M)
    Do not fear disgrace;(N) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth(O)
    and remember no more the reproach(P) of your widowhood.(Q)
For your Maker(R) is your husband(S)
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One(T) of Israel is your Redeemer;(U)
    he is called the God of all the earth.(V)
The Lord will call you back(W)
    as if you were a wife deserted(X) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,(Y)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
“For a brief moment(Z) I abandoned(AA) you,
    but with deep compassion(AB) I will bring you back.(AC)
In a surge of anger(AD)
    I hid(AE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness(AF)
    I will have compassion(AG) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.(AH)

“To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.(AI)
So now I have sworn(AJ) not to be angry(AK) with you,
    never to rebuke(AL) you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken(AM)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love(AN) for you will not be shaken(AO)
    nor my covenant(AP) of peace(AQ) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion(AR) on you.

11 “Afflicted(AS) city, lashed by storms(AT) and not comforted,(AU)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a](AV)
    your foundations(AW) with lapis lazuli.(AX)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates(AY) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,(AZ)
    and great will be their peace.(BA)
14 In righteousness(BB) you will be established:(BC)
Tyranny(BD) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.(BE)
Terror(BF) will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender(BG) to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith(BH)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon(BI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer(BJ) to wreak havoc;
17     no weapon forged against you will prevail,(BK)
    and you will refute(BL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants(BM) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication(BN) from me,”
declares the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.