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Your Husband is Your Maker

54 “Sing, barren one, who has not given birth.
burst into singing and shout,
you who have not travailed.
For more are the children of the desolate
than the children of the married one,”
    says Adonai.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch out your tabernacle curtains.
Do not hold back—
    lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right hand and to the left.
Your offspring will possess the nations
and will resettle the desolate cities.
Fear not, for you will not be ashamed.
Nor cringe, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.
For your Maker is your husband[a]
Adonai-Tzva’ot is His Name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.
He will be called God of all the earth.
“For Adonai has called you back
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of one’s youth that is rejected,”
    says your God.
“For a brief moment I deserted you,
but I will regather you with great compassion.
In a surge of anger
I hid My face from you a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
    I will have compassion on you,”
    says Adonai your Redeemer.
“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me:
for as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more cover the earth,
    so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
    nor will I rebuke you.
10 Though the mountains depart and the hills be shaken,
My love will not depart from you,
nor will My covenant of peace be shaken,
says Adonai who has compassion on you.
11 Afflicted one, storm-tossed, unconsoled,
behold, I set your stones in antimony,
    lay your foundations with sapphires,
12 make your pinnacles of rubies,
    your gates of crystal,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by Adonai.
Your children will have great shalom.

No Weapon Formed Against You

14 “In righteousness you will be established.
You will be far from oppression
    —for you will not fear—
and from terror—
    for it will not come near you.
15 Behold, anyone fiercely attacking is not from Me.
Whoever stirs up strife with you will fall because of you.
16 Behold, I created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its work,
and I created the destroyer to ruin.
17 No weapon formed against you will prosper
and you will condemn every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of Adonai’s servants—
their vindication is from Me.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 54:5 cf. Rev. 21:1-4.

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.