Isaiah 54

The ’s Love for Israel

54^*Jerusalem, you have been like a childless woman,

but now you can sing and shout for joy.

Now you will have more children

than a woman whose husband never left her!

²Make the tent you live in larger;

lengthen its ropes and strengthen the pegs!

³You will extend your boundaries on all sides;

your people will get back the land

that the other nations now occupy.

Cities now deserted will be filled with people.

⁴Do not be afraid—

you will not be disgraced again; you will not be humiliated.

You will forget your unfaithfulness as a young wife,

and your desperate loneliness as a widow.

⁵Your Creator will be like a husband to you—

the Lord Almighty is his name.

The holy God of Israel will save you—

he is the ruler of all the world.

⁶Israel, you are like a young wife,

deserted by her husband and deeply distressed.

But the Lord calls you back to him and says:

⁷“For one brief moment I left you;

with deep love I will take you back.

⁸I turned away angry for only a moment,

but I will show you my love for ever.”

So says the Lord who saves you.

^9*“In the time of Noah I promised

never again to flood the earth.

Now I promise not to be angry with you again;

I will not reprimand or punish you.

¹⁰The mountains and hills may crumble,

but my love for you will never end;

I will keep for ever my promise of peace.”

So says the Lord who loves you.

The Future Jerusalem

^11*The Lord says,

“O Jerusalem, you suffering, helpless city,

with no one to comfort you,

I will rebuild your foundations with precious stones.

^12*I will build your towers with rubies,

your gates with stones that glow like fire,

and the wall around you with jewels.

^13*“I myself will teach your people,

and give them prosperity and peace.

¹⁴Justice and right will make you strong.

You will be safe from oppression and terror.

¹⁵Whoever attacks you

does it without my consent;

whoever fights against you will fall.

¹⁶“I create the blacksmith,

who builds a fire and forges weapons.

I also create the soldier,

who uses the weapons to kill.

¹⁷But no weapon will be able to hurt you;

you will have an answer for all who accuse you.

I will defend my servants

and give them victory.”

The Lord has spoken.