Isaiah 11–12

A Green Shoot from Jesse’s Stump

^1–511A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stump,

from his roots a budding Branch.

The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,

the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,

the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.

Fear-of-God

will be all his joy and delight.

He won’t judge by appearances,

won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.

He’ll judge the needy by what is right,

render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.

His words will bring everyone to awed attention.

A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.

Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,

and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.

A Living Knowledge of God

^6–9The wolf will romp with the lamb,

the leopard sleep with the kid.

Calf and lion will eat from the same trough,

and a little child will tend them.

Cow and bear will graze the same pasture,

their calves and cubs grow up together,

and the lion eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,

the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.

Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill

on my holy mountain.

The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive,

a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.

¹⁰On that day, Jesse’s Root will be raised high, posted as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious.

¹¹Also on that day, the Master for the second time will reach out to bring back what’s left of his scattered people. He’ll bring them back from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Sinar, Hamath, and the ocean islands.

^12–16And he’ll raise that rallying banner high, visible to all nations,

gather in all the scattered exiles of Israel,

Pull in all the dispersed refugees of Judah

from the four winds and the seven seas.

The jealousy of Ephraim will dissolve,

the hostility of Judah will vanish—

Ephraim no longer the jealous rival of Judah,

Judah no longer the hostile rival of Ephraim!

Blood brothers united, they’ll pounce on the Philistines in the west,

join forces to plunder the people in the east.

They’ll attack Edom and Moab.

The Ammonites will fall into line.

God will once again dry up Egypt’s Red Sea,

making for an easy crossing.

He’ll send a blistering wind

down on the great River Euphrates,

Reduce it to seven mere trickles.

None even need get their feet wet!

In the end there’ll be a highway all the way from Assyria,

easy traveling for what’s left of God’s people—

A highway just like the one Israel had

when he marched up out of Egypt.

My Strength and Song

¹12And you will say in that day,

“I thank you, God.

You were angry

but your anger wasn’t forever.

You withdrew your anger

and moved in and comforted me.

²“Yes, indeed—God is my salvation.

I trust, I won’t be afraid.

God—yes God!—is my strength and song,

best of all, my salvation!”

^3–4Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of water

from the wells of salvation.

And as you do it, you’ll say,

“Give thanks to God.

Call out his name.

Ask him anything!

Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done,

spread the news of his great reputation!

^5–6“Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all!

Let the whole earth know what he’s done!

Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion!

The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel.”