Isaiah 53-55

New International Version

53 Who has believed our message^(A)
    and to whom has the arm^(B) of the Lord been revealed?^(C)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,^(D)
    and like a root^(E) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance^(F) that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering,^(G) and familiar with pain.^(H)
Like one from whom people hide^(I) their faces
    he was despised,^(J) and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,^(K)
yet we considered him punished by God,^(L)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.^(M)
5 But he was pierced^(N) for our transgressions,^(O)
    he was crushed^(P) for our iniquities;
the punishment^(Q) that brought us peace^(R) was on him,
    and by his wounds^(S) we are healed.^(T)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,^(U)
    each of us has turned to our own way;^(V)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity^(W) of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed^(X) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;^(Y)
he was led like a lamb^(Z) to the slaughter,^(AA)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression^[a] and judgment^(AB) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;^(AC)
    for the transgression^(AD) of my people he was punished.^[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,^(AE)
    and with the rich^(AF) in his death,
though he had done no violence,^(AG)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.^(AH)

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will^(AI) to crush^(AJ) him and cause him to suffer,^(AK)
    and though the Lord makes^[c] his life an offering for sin,^(AL)
he will see his offspring^(AM) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper^(AN) in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,^(AO)
    he will see the light^(AP) of life^[d] and be satisfied^[e];
by his knowledge^[f] my righteous servant^(AQ) will justify^(AR) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.^(AS)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,^[g](AT)
    and he will divide the spoils^(AU) with the strong,^[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,^(AV)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.^(AW)
For he bore^(AX) the sin of many,^(AY)
    and made intercession^(AZ) for the transgressors.

⁴ “Do not be afraid;^(BL) you will not be put to shame.^(BM)
    Do not fear disgrace;^(BN) you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth^(BO)
    and remember no more the reproach^(BP) of your widowhood.^(BQ)
5 For your Maker^(BR) is your husband^(BS)—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One^(BT) of Israel is your Redeemer;^(BU)
    he is called the God of all the earth.^(BV)
6 The Lord will call you back^(BW)
    as if you were a wife deserted^(BX) and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,^(BY)
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
⁷ “For a brief moment^(BZ) I abandoned^(CA) you,
    but with deep compassion^(CB) I will bring you back.^(CC)
8 In a surge of anger^(CD)
    I hid^(CE) my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness^(CF)
    I will have compassion^(CG) on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.^(CH)

⁹ “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(CI)
So now I have sworn^(CJ) not to be angry^(CK) with you,
    never to rebuke^(CL) you again.
¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken^(CM)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(CN) for you will not be shaken^(CO)
    nor my covenant^(CP) of peace^(CQ) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(CR) on you.

¹¹ “Afflicted^(CS) city, lashed by storms^(CT) and not comforted,^(CU)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[i](CV)
    your foundations^(CW) with lapis lazuli.^(CX)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(CY) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(CZ)
    and great will be their peace.^(DA)
14 In righteousness^(DB) you will be established:^(DC)
Tyranny^(DD) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(DE)
Terror^(DF) 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^(DG) to you.

¹⁶ “See, it is I who created the blacksmith^(DH)
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon^(DI) fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer^(DJ) to wreak havoc;
¹⁷     no weapon forged against you will prevail,^(DK)
    and you will refute^(DL) every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants^(DM) of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication^(DN) from me,”
declares the Lord.

⁶ Seek^(EH) the Lord while he may be found;^(EI)
    call^(EJ) on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake^(EK) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(EL)
Let them turn^(EM) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(EN) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(EO)

⁸ “For my thoughts^(EP) are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”^(EQ)
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,^(ER)
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.^(ES)
10 As the rain^(ET) and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,^(EU)
    so that it yields seed^(EV) for the sower and bread for the eater,^(EW)
11 so is my word^(EX) that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,^(EY)
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose^(EZ) for which I sent it.
¹² You will go out in joy^(FA)
    and be led forth in peace;^(FB)
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song^(FC) before you,
and all the trees^(FD) of the field
    will clap their hands.^(FE)
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers^(FF) the myrtle^(FG) will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,^(FH)
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”