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62 I will not keep quiet for Zion’s sake;
    I will not remain silent
Until Jerusalem’s justice shines like the light of a new day
    and her liberation blazes like a torch in the dead of night.
Jerusalem, the nations of the world will witness your righteousness,
    the most powerful world leaders will see your brilliance,
And you will be called something new, something brand new,
    a name given by none other than the Eternal One.
And you will be the crowning glory of the Eternal’s power,
    a royal crown cradled in His palm and held aloft by your God for all to see.
People won’t talk about you anymore
    using words like “forsaken” or “empty.”
Instead, you will be called “My delight” and the land around you “Married,”
    because the Eternal is pleased with you and has bound Himself to your land.
As a young man marries the woman he loves,
    so your sons will marry you, Jerusalem.
As a groom takes joy in his bride,
    so your God will take joy in you.

I have stationed watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.
    Day and night, they never stop calling out.
You, too, must not rest or grow silent;
    keep reminding the Eternal to watch over Jerusalem.
Tirelessly pester God—give Him no rest—until He reestablishes Jerusalem
    and makes it worthy of praise throughout the whole world.
The Eternal has promised with all divine power and might:

Eternal One: I will never again turn over your assets to your enemies,
        never feed them from your grain stores
    Or give them the wine you have labored to produce.
    Instead, those who harvest the grain will eat its bounty,
        and offer praise to the Eternal;
    And those who gather the grapes will drink of their richness
        in the courtyards outside the temple.

10 So ready yourselves to pass through the gates, from old to new.
    Clear the way for the people;
Make it clear, easy, and straight.
    Unfurl the banners that proclaim these people are renewed!
11 For none other than the Eternal has announced for all to hear—

A divine drama is played out with the chorus on one side, the soloist on the other. The “people” ask a question, and God rings out a response. Dramatic, to say the least. What trials and tribulations the Israelites have been through! What highs and lows! It is all God’s doing in response to their faithlessness. But this is history, and now they find themselves living and working in a brand new time; a new day is coming—of restoration, peace, and glorious reputation for God’s people such as they’ve never had before. The renewal is international in scope, without peer in the world. And this, too, is God’s doing. His capacity for mercy is great. He loves His people beyond comprehension. This is why He should be recognized and appreciated by all as the one True God. He keeps saving and delivering, restoring and supporting the people, just as God has done since that moment of binding promise made so long ago.

Eternal One: Say to the daughter of Zion
        “See, your salvation is coming; your liberation is on the way—
    God’s reward is with Him: His work is by His side.”

12 And they will be called “The Holy People, Redeemed by the Eternal”;
    Jerusalem’s new name will be “Desirable City, No Longer Forsaken.”

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)

Footnotes

  1. 62.5 Cn: Heb your sons

Jerusalem Will Be Saved

62 Jerusalem, I will speak up
    for your good.
I will never be silent
till you are safe and secure,
    sparkling like a flame.
Your great victory will be seen
    by every nation and king;
the Lord will even give you
    a new name.
You will be a glorious crown,
a royal headband
    for the Lord your God.

Your name will no longer be
“Deserted and Childless,”
    but “Happily Married.”
You will please the Lord;
your country
    will be his bride.
Your people will take the land,[a]
just as a young man
    takes a bride.
The Lord will be pleased
    because of you,
just as a husband is pleased
    with his bride.

Jerusalem, on your walls
I have stationed guards,
    whose duty it is
to speak out day and night,
    without resting.
They must remind the Lord
    and not let him rest
till he makes Jerusalem strong
    and famous everywhere.

The Lord has given his word
    and made this promise:
“Never again will I give
    to your enemies
the grain and grapes
    for which you struggled.
As surely as you harvest
    your grain and grapes,
you will eat your bread
    with thankful hearts,
and you will drink your wine
    in my temple.”

10 People of Jerusalem,
    open your gates!
Repair the road to the city
    and clear it of stones;
raise a banner to help
    the nations find their way.
11 (A) Here is what the Lord has said
    for all the earth to hear:
“Soon I will come to save
the city of Zion
    and to reward you.
12 Then you will be called,
‘The Lord's Own People,
    The Ones He Rescued!’
Your city will be known
as a good place to live
    and a city full of people.”

Footnotes

  1. 62.5 Your … land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.