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The Vindication and Salvation of Zion

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
    and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn
    and her salvation like a burning torch.(A)
The nations shall see your vindication
    and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
    that the mouth of the Lord will give.(B)
You shall be a beautiful crown in the hand of the Lord
    and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.(C)
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
    and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her
    and your land Married,
for the Lord delights in you,
    and your land shall be married.(D)
For as a young man marries a young woman,
    so shall your builder[a] marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
    so shall your God rejoice over you.(E)
Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
    I have posted sentinels;
all day and all night
    they shall never be silent.
You who remind the Lord,
    take no rest,(F)
and give him no rest
    until he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes it renowned throughout the earth.(G)
The Lord has sworn by his right hand
    and by his mighty arm:
I will not again give your grain
    to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink the wine
    for which you have labored,(H)
but those who harvest it shall eat it
    and praise the Lord,
and those who gather it shall drink it
    in my holy courts.(I)

10 Go through, go through the gates;
    prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
    clear it of stones;
    lift up an ensign over the peoples.(J)
11 The Lord has proclaimed
    to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
    “Look, your savior comes;
his reward is with him
    and his recompense before him.”(K)
12 They shall be called, “The Holy People,
    The Redeemed of the Lord,”
and you shall be called, “Sought Out,
    A City Not Forsaken.”(L)

Vengeance on Edom

63 “Who is this coming from Edom,
    from Bozrah in garments stained crimson?
Who is this so splendidly robed,
    marching in his great might?”

“It is I, announcing vindication,
    mighty to save.”(M)

“Why are your robes red
    and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress?”(N)

“I have trodden the winepress alone,
    and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
    and trampled them in my wrath;
their juice spattered on my garments,
    and I stained all my robes.(O)
For the day of vengeance was in my mind,
    and the year for my redeeming work had come.(P)
I looked, but there was no helper;
    I was abandoned, and there was no one to sustain me,
so my own arm brought me victory,
    and my wrath sustained me.(Q)
I trampled down peoples in my anger;
    I crushed them[b] in my wrath,
    and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.”(R)

God’s Mercy Remembered

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
    the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
    and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.(S)
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not act deceitfully,”
and he became their savior
    in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
    but his presence that saved them;
in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.(T)

10 But they rebelled
    and grieved his holy spirit;
therefore he became their enemy;
    he himself fought against them.(U)
11 Then they[c] remembered the days of old,
    of Moses his servant.[d]
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea
    with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is the one who put within them
    his holy spirit,(V)
12 who caused his glorious arm
    to march at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
    to make for himself an everlasting name,(W)
13     who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
    they did not stumble.(X)
14 Like cattle that go down into the valley,
    the spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
Thus you led your people,
    to make for yourself a glorious name.(Y)

A Prayer of Penitence

15 Look down from heaven and see,
    from your holy and glorious habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
    Your great pity and your compassion are withheld from me.(Z)
16 For you are our father,
    though Abraham does not know us
    and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our father;
    our Redeemer from of old is your name.(AA)
17 Why, O Lord, do you let us stray from your ways
    and let our heart harden, so that we do not fear you?
Turn back for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes that are your heritage.(AB)
18 Your holy people took possession for a little while,
    but now our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.(AC)
19 We have long been like those whom you do not rule,
    like those not called by your name.(AD)

64 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
    so that the mountains would quake at your presence—(AE)
[e]as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    so that the nations might tremble at your presence!(AF)
When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
    you came down; the mountains quaked at your presence.(AG)
From ages past no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
    who works for those who wait for him.(AH)
You meet those who gladly do right,
    those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
    because you hid yourself we transgressed.[f](AI)
We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.(AJ)
There is no one who calls on your name
    or attempts to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
    and have delivered[g] us into the hand of our iniquity.(AK)
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.(AL)
Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
    and do not remember iniquity forever.
    Now consider, we are all your people.(AM)
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
    Zion has become a wilderness,
    Jerusalem a desolation.(AN)
11 Our holy and beautiful house,
    where our ancestors praised you,
has been burned by fire,
    and all our pleasant places have become ruins.(AO)
12 After all this, will you restrain yourself, O Lord?
    Will you keep silent and punish us so severely?(AP)

Footnotes

  1. 62.5 Cn: Heb your sons
  2. 63.6 Heb mss: MT I made them drunk
  3. 63.11 Heb he
  4. 63.11 Cn: Heb his people
  5. 64.2 64.1 in Heb
  6. 64.5 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  7. 64.7 Gk Syr OL Tg: Heb melted

Zion’s New Name

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,(A)
    for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication(B) shines out like the dawn,(C)
    her salvation(D) like a blazing torch.
The nations(E) will see your vindication,
    and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name(F)
    that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
You will be a crown(G) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
No longer will they call you Deserted,(H)
    or name your land Desolate.(I)
But you will be called Hephzibah,[a](J)
    and your land Beulah[b];
for the Lord will take delight(K) in you,
    and your land will be married.(L)
As a young man marries a young woman,
    so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom(M) rejoices over his bride,
    so will your God rejoice(N) over you.

I have posted watchmen(O) on your walls, Jerusalem;
    they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the Lord,
    give yourselves no rest,(P)
and give him no rest(Q) till he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes her the praise(R) of the earth.

The Lord has sworn(S) by his right hand
    and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain(T)
    as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
    for which you have toiled;
but those who harvest it will eat(U) it
    and praise the Lord,(V)
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
    in the courts of my sanctuary.”(W)

10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(X)
    Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(Y)
    Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(Z) for the nations.

11 The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:(AA)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(AB)
    ‘See, your Savior comes!(AC)
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”(AD)
12 They will be called(AE) the Holy People,(AF)
    the Redeemed(AG) of the Lord;
and you will be called Sought After,
    the City No Longer Deserted.(AH)

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,(AI)
    from Bozrah,(AJ) with his garments stained crimson?(AK)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
    striding forward in the greatness of his strength?(AL)

“It is I, proclaiming victory,
    mighty to save.”(AM)

Why are your garments red,
    like those of one treading the winepress?(AN)

“I have trodden the winepress(AO) alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled(AP) them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;(AQ)
their blood spattered my garments,(AR)
    and I stained all my clothing.
It was for me the day of vengeance;(AS)
    the year for me to redeem had come.
I looked, but there was no one(AT) to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm(AU) achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.(AV)
I trampled(AW) the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk(AX)
    and poured their blood(AY) on the ground.”

Praise and Prayer

I will tell of the kindnesses(AZ) of the Lord,
    the deeds for which he is to be praised,
    according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things(BA)
    he has done for Israel,
    according to his compassion(BB) and many kindnesses.
He said, “Surely they are my people,(BC)
    children who will be true to me”;
    and so he became their Savior.(BD)
In all their distress he too was distressed,
    and the angel(BE) of his presence(BF) saved them.[c]
In his love and mercy he redeemed(BG) them;
    he lifted them up and carried(BH) them
    all the days of old.(BI)
10 Yet they rebelled(BJ)
    and grieved his Holy Spirit.(BK)
So he turned and became their enemy(BL)
    and he himself fought(BM) against them.

11 Then his people recalled[d] the days of old,
    the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,(BN)
    with the shepherd of his flock?(BO)
Where is he who set
    his Holy Spirit(BP) among them,
12 who sent his glorious arm(BQ) of power
    to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters(BR) before them,
    to gain for himself everlasting renown,(BS)
13 who led(BT) them through the depths?(BU)
Like a horse in open country,
    they did not stumble;(BV)
14 like cattle that go down to the plain,
    they were given rest(BW) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
    to make for yourself a glorious name.

15 Look down from heaven(BX) and see,
    from your lofty throne,(BY) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal(BZ) and your might?
    Your tenderness and compassion(CA) are withheld(CB) from us.
16 But you are our Father,(CC)
    though Abraham does not know us
    or Israel acknowledge(CD) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
    our Redeemer(CE) from of old is your name.
17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander(CF) from your ways
    and harden our hearts(CG) so we do not revere(CH) you?
Return(CI) for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes that are your inheritance.(CJ)
18 For a little while(CK) your people possessed your holy place,
    but now our enemies have trampled(CL) down your sanctuary.(CM)
19 We are yours from of old;
    but you have not ruled over them,
    they have not been called[e] by your name.(CN)

64 [f]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(CO) and come down,(CP)
    that the mountains(CQ) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(CR) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(CS) before you!
For when you did awesome(CT) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(CU) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(CV)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(CW)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(CX)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(CY)
    How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,(CZ)
    and all our righteous(DA) acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,(DB)
    and like the wind our sins sweep us away.(DC)
No one(DD) calls on your name(DE)
    or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden(DF) your face from us
    and have given us over(DG) to[g] our sins.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father.(DH)
    We are the clay, you are the potter;(DI)
    we are all the work of your hand.(DJ)
Do not be angry(DK) beyond measure, Lord;
    do not remember our sins(DL) forever.
Oh, look on us, we pray,
    for we are all your people.(DM)
10 Your sacred cities(DN) have become a wasteland;
    even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.(DO)
11 Our holy and glorious temple,(DP) where our ancestors praised you,
    has been burned with fire,
    and all that we treasured(DQ) lies in ruins.
12 After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?(DR)
    Will you keep silent(DS) and punish us beyond measure?

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
  2. Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
  3. Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
  4. Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
  5. Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called
  6. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.
  7. Isaiah 64:7 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew have made us melt because of