The Fertile Wife of Yahweh

54 “Sing for joy, barren woman; who has not borne!

Burst forth into rejoicing and rejoice, she who has not been in labor!

For the children of the desolate woman are more than the children of the married woman,” says Yahweh.

2 “Enlarge the site of your tent,

and let them stretch out the tent curtains of your dwelling place.

You must not spare; make your tent cords long

and strengthen your pegs,

3 for you will spread out to the right and to the left.

And your descendantsa will be heir to the nations,

and they will inhabit desolate towns.

4 You must not fear, for you will not be ashamed,

and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed,

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.

5 For your husbandb is your maker,c his name is Yahweh of hosts;

and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel, he is called the God of all of the earth.

6 For Yahweh has called you like a wife forsaken and hurt of spirit,

liked the wife of childhood when she is rejected, says your God.

7 I abandoned you ⌊for a short⌋e moment,

butf I will gather you with great compassion.

8 I hid my face from you for a moment, in the flowing of anger,

butg I will have compassion on you with everlasting faithfulness” says your redeemer, Yahweh.

9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to me,

when I swore ⌊that the waters of Noah would never again pass⌋h over the earth,

so I swore ⌊that I would not be⌋i angry at you and rebuke you.

10 For the mountains may depart,

and the hills may sway,

butj my faithfulness shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not sway,”

says Yahweh, who has compassion on you,

11 “O afflicted one, driven away, who is not consoled.

Look! I am about to set your stones in hard mortar,

and I will lay your foundation with sapphires.

12 And I will ⌊make⌋k your battlements of ruby,

and your gates of stones of beryl,

and all your wall of precious stones.

13 And all your children shall be pupils of Yahweh,

and the peace of your children shall be great.

14 In righteousness you shall be established.

Be far from oppression, for you shall not fear,

and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15 If indeed one attacks, it is not from me;

whoever attacks you shall fall because of you.

16 Look! I myself have created the craftsman who blowsl the fire of coals,

and who producesm a weapon for his work;

alson I myself have created the destroyer to destroy.

17 Every weapon formed against you shall not succeed,

and you shall declare guilty every tongue that rises against you for judgment.

This is the inheritance of the servants of Yahweh,

and their ⌊legal right⌋o from me,”

⌊declares⌋p Yahweh.

Invitation to True Rewards

55 “Ho! Everyone thirsty, come to the waters!

And whoever has no money, come, buy and eat,

and come, buy without money,

wine and milk without price!

2 Why do you weigh out money for what is not food,

and your labor for ⌊what cannot satisfy⌋?a

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,

and let your soul take pleasure in ⌊rich⌋b food.

3 Extend your ear, and come to me!

Listen so thatc your soul may live,

and I will ⌊make⌋d an everlasting covenant withe you,

the enduring proofs of ⌊the mercies shown to⌋f David.

4 Look! I madeg him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and a commander for the peoples.

5 Look! You shall call a nation that you do not know,

and a nation that does not know you shall run to you,

because of Yahweh your God,

and the holy one of Israel, for he has glorified you.”

6 Seek Yahweh ⌊while he lets himself be found⌋;h

call him ⌊while he is⌋i near.

7 Let the wicked forsake his way,

and the man of sin his thoughts.

And let him return to Yahweh, thatj he may take pity on him,

and to our God, for he will ⌊forgive manifold⌋.k

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

and your ways are not my ways,”

⌊declares⌋l Yahweh.

9 “For as the heavens are ⌊higher⌋m than the earth,

so my ways are ⌊higher⌋n than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and they do not return there

except they have watered the earth thoroughly

and cause it to bring forth and sprout,

and give seed to the sower

and bread to the eater,

11 so shall be my word that goes out from my mouth.

It shall not return to me without success,

but shall accomplisho what I desire

and be successful in the thing for which I sent it.

12 For you shall go out in joy,

and you shall be led in peace.

The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you, rejoicing

and all the trees of the field shall clap hands.p

13 Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up;

instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up,

and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh,

for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”