Isaiah 52:13-57:21

New International Version

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

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,^(T)
yet we considered him punished by God,^(U)
    stricken by him, and afflicted.^(V)
5 But he was pierced^(W) for our transgressions,^(X)
    he was crushed^(Y) for our iniquities;
the punishment^(Z) that brought us peace^(AA) was on him,
    and by his wounds^(AB) we are healed.^(AC)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,^(AD)
    each of us has turned to our own way;^(AE)
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity^(AF) of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed^(AG) and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;^(AH)
he was led like a lamb^(AI) to the slaughter,^(AJ)
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression^[d] and judgment^(AK) he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;^(AL)
    for the transgression^(AM) of my people he was punished.^[e]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,^(AN)
    and with the rich^(AO) in his death,
though he had done no violence,^(AP)
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.^(AQ)

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will^(AR) to crush^(AS) him and cause him to suffer,^(AT)
    and though the Lord makes^[f] his life an offering for sin,^(AU)
he will see his offspring^(AV) and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper^(AW) in his hand.
¹¹ After he has suffered,^(AX)
    he will see the light^(AY) of life^[g] and be satisfied^[h];
by his knowledge^[i] my righteous servant^(AZ) will justify^(BA) many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.^(BB)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,^[j](BC)
    and he will divide the spoils^(BD) with the strong,^[k]
because he poured out his life unto death,^(BE)
    and was numbered with the transgressors.^(BF)
For he bore^(BG) the sin of many,^(BH)
    and made intercession^(BI) for the transgressors.

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

⁹ “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^(CR)
So now I have sworn^(CS) not to be angry^(CT) with you,
    never to rebuke^(CU) you again.
¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken^(CV)
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love^(CW) for you will not be shaken^(CX)
    nor my covenant^(CY) of peace^(CZ) be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion^(DA) on you.

¹¹ “Afflicted^(DB) city, lashed by storms^(DC) and not comforted,^(DD)
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^[l](DE)
    your foundations^(DF) with lapis lazuli.^(DG)
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates^(DH) of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
¹³ All your children will be taught by the Lord,^(DI)
    and great will be their peace.^(DJ)
14 In righteousness^(DK) you will be established:^(DL)
Tyranny^(DM) will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.^(DN)
Terror^(DO) 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^(DP) to you.

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

⁶ Seek^(EQ) the Lord while he may be found;^(ER)
    call^(ES) on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake^(ET) their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.^(EU)
Let them turn^(EV) to the Lord, and he will have mercy^(EW) on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.^(EX)

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

“Maintain justice^(FR)
    and do what is right,^(FS)
for my salvation^(FT) is close at hand
    and my righteousness^(FU) will soon be revealed.
² Blessed^(FV) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath^(FW) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

³ Let no foreigner^(FX) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”^(FY)
And let no eunuch^(FZ) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

“To the eunuchs^(GA) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant^(GB)—
⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls^(GC)
    a memorial^(GD) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name^(GE)
    that will endure forever.^(GF)
6 And foreigners^(GG) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister^(GH) to him,
to love the name^(GI) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath^(GJ) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—
⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain^(GK)
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices^(GL)
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.^(GM)”^(GN)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather^(GO) still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

57 The righteous perish,^(GZ)
    and no one takes it to heart;^(HA)
the devout are taken away,
    and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
    to be spared from evil.^(HB)
2 Those who walk uprightly^(HC)
    enter into peace;
    they find rest^(HD) as they lie in death.

³ “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,^(HE)
    you offspring of adulterers^(HF) and prostitutes!^(HG)
4 Who are you mocking?
    At whom do you sneer
    and stick out your tongue?
Are you not a brood of rebels,^(HH)
    the offspring of liars?
⁵ You burn with lust among the oaks^(HI)
    and under every spreading tree;^(HJ)
you sacrifice your children^(HK) in the ravines
    and under the overhanging crags.
⁶ The idols^(HL) among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;
    indeed, they are your lot.
Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings^(HM)
    and offered grain offerings.
    In view of all this, should I relent?^(HN)
7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;^(HO)
    there you went up to offer your sacrifices.^(HP)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts
    you have put your pagan symbols.
Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,
    you climbed into it and opened it wide;
you made a pact with those whose beds you love,^(HQ)
    and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.^(HR)
9 You went to Molek^[m](HS) with olive oil
    and increased your perfumes.^(HT)
You sent your ambassadors^[n](HU) far away;
    you descended to the very realm of the dead!^(HV)
10 You wearied^(HW) yourself by such going about,
    but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’^(HX)
You found renewal of your strength,^(HY)
    and so you did not faint.

¹¹ “Whom have you so dreaded and feared^(HZ)
    that you have not been true to me,
and have neither remembered^(IA) me
    nor taken this to heart?^(IB)
Is it not because I have long been silent^(IC)
    that you do not fear me?
¹² I will expose your righteousness and your works,^(ID)
    and they will not benefit you.
¹³ When you cry out^(IE) for help,
    let your collection of idols save^(IF) you!
The wind will carry all of them off,
    a mere breath will blow^(IG) them away.
But whoever takes refuge^(IH) in me
    will inherit the land^(II)
    and possess my holy mountain.”^(IJ)

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!^(IK)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”^(IL)
15 For this is what the high and exalted^(IM) One says—
    he who lives forever,^(IN) whose name is holy:
“I live in a high^(IO) and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite^(IP) and lowly in spirit,^(IQ)
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite.^(IR)
16 I will not accuse^(IS) them forever,
    nor will I always be angry,^(IT)
for then they would faint away because of me—
    the very people^(IU) I have created.
¹⁷ I was enraged by their sinful greed;^(IV)
    I punished them, and hid^(IW) my face in anger,
    yet they kept on in their willful ways.^(IX)
18 I have seen their ways, but I will heal^(IY) them;
    I will guide^(IZ) them and restore comfort^(JA) to Israel’s mourners,
¹⁹     creating praise on their lips.^(JB)
Peace, peace,^(JC) to those far and near,”^(JD)
    says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”
²⁰ But the wicked^(JE) are like the tossing sea,^(JF)
    which cannot rest,
    whose waves cast up mire^(JG) and mud.
²¹ “There is no peace,”^(JH) says my God, “for the wicked.”^(JI)