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Isaiah’s Prayer for Jerusalem

62 Because I love Zion,
    I will not keep still.
Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,
    I cannot remain silent.
I will not stop praying for her
    until her righteousness shines like the dawn,
    and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.
The nations will see your righteousness.
    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name
    by the Lord’s own mouth.
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
    a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”[a]
    or “The Desolate Land.”[b]
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”[c]
    and “The Bride of God,”[d]
for the Lord delights in you
    and will claim you as his bride.
Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,
    just as a young man commits himself to his bride.
Then God will rejoice over you
    as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;
    they will pray day and night, continually.
    Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.
Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,
    until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.
The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength:
    “I will never again hand you over to your enemies.
Never again will foreign warriors come
    and take away your grain and new wine.
You raised the grain, and you will eat it,
    praising the Lord.
Within the courtyards of the Temple,
    you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed.”

10 Go out through the gates!
    Prepare the highway for my people to return!
Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders;
    raise a flag for all the nations to see.
11 The Lord has sent this message to every land:
    “Tell the people of Israel,[e]
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”
12 They will be called “The Holy People”
    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”
And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”
    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

Footnotes

  1. 62:4a Hebrew Azubah, which means “forsaken.”
  2. 62:4b Hebrew Shemamah, which means “desolate.”
  3. 62:4c Hebrew Hephzibah, which means “my delight is in her.”
  4. 62:4d Hebrew Beulah, which means “married.”
  5. 62:11 Hebrew Tell the daughter of Zion.

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)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my delight is in her.
  2. Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.