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Freedom for Zion

52 

Wake, awake!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion.
Put on your beautiful garments,
Jerusalem, you holy city,
for never again will the uncircumcised
and the unclean enter you.
Shake off the dust.
Get up and take your seat, Jerusalem.
Loosen the chains from your neck,
you captive daughter of Zion.

Yes, this is what the Lord says.
You were sold for nothing,
and you will be redeemed without money.

Yes, this is what the Lord God says.
In the beginning, my people went down to Egypt to stay there
    for a while.
Later Assyria oppressed them without cause.

Now what do I have here? declares the Lord.
Indeed, my people have been taken away for nothing.
Their rulers howl with mockery, declares the Lord.
My name is continually despised all day.
Therefore my people will know my name.
So on that day they will know that I am the one—
the one who is saying, “Here I am!”

The Herald of the Gospel

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of a herald,
    who proclaims peace and preaches good news,
    who proclaims salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God is king!”
The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices.
Together they shout for joy,
because with both eyes they will see it
when the Lord returns to Zion.
Break out, shout for joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem,
because the Lord is comforting his people.
    He is redeeming Jerusalem.
10 The Lord lays bare[a] his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God.

Get Away From Babylon

11 Get away! Get away! Get out of there!
Do not touch any unclean thing!
Go out from her midst.
Purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord!
12 You will not be in a hurry when you go out.
You will not be fleeing when you walk out,
because the one who walks in front of you is the Lord,
and your rearguard is the God of Israel.

The Fourth Servant Song
The Lord’s Servant Suffers for Straying Sheep

13 Look, my servant will succeed.[b]
He will rise. He will be lifted up. He will be highly exalted.
14 Just as many were appalled at him[c]
his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man,
and his form was disfigured more than any other person—
15 so he will sprinkle[d] many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him,
because they will see something they had never been told before,
and they will understand something they had never heard before.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 52:10 Or flexes
  2. Isaiah 52:13 Or act wisely
  3. Isaiah 52:14 The translation follows some Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. The main Hebrew reading is at you. Sudden shifts in person are not unusual in Hebrew poetry.
  4. Isaiah 52:15 Or startle

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)