Isaiah 62:8–63:6

^8–9God has taken a solemn oath,

an oath he means to keep:

“Never again will I open your grain-filled barns

to your enemies to loot and eat.

Never again will foreigners drink the wine

that you worked so hard to produce.

No. The farmers who grow the food will eat the food

and praise God for it.

And those who make the wine will drink the wine

in my holy courtyards.”

^10–12Walk out of the gates. Get going!

Get the road ready for the people.

Build the highway. Get at it!

Clear the debris,

hoist high a flag, a signal to all peoples!

Yes! God has broadcast to all the world:

“Tell daughter Zion, ‘Look! Your Savior comes,

Ready to do what he said he’d do,

prepared to complete what he promised.’ ”

Zion will be called new names: Holy People, God-Redeemed,

Sought-Out, City-Not-Forsaken.

Who Goes There?

¹63The watchmen call out,

“Who goes there, marching out of Edom,

out of Bozrah in clothes dyed red?

Name yourself, so splendidly dressed,

advancing, bristling with power!”

“It is I: I speak what is right,

I, mighty to save!”

²“And why are your robes so red,

your clothes dyed red like those who tread grapes?”

^3–6“I’ve been treading the winepress alone.

No one was there to help me.

Angrily, I stomped the grapes;

raging, I trampled the people.

Their blood spurted all over me—

all my clothes were soaked with blood.

I was set on vengeance.

The time for redemption had arrived.

I looked around for someone to help

—no one.

I couldn’t believe it

—not one volunteer.

So I went ahead and did it myself,

fed and fueled by my rage.

I trampled the people in my anger,

crushed them under foot in my wrath,

soaked the earth with their Life-blood.”