Isaiah 62:8–63:6

⁸The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise.

He has lifted up his right hand and mighty arm.

He has promised, “I will never give your grain

to your enemies for food again.

Outsiders will never again drink the fresh wine

you have worked so hard for.

⁹Instead, those who gather the grain will eat it themselves.

And they will praise me.

Those who gather grapes to make the wine will enjoy it.

They will drink it in the courtyards of my temple.”

¹⁰Go out through your gates, people of Jerusalem! Go out!

Prepare the way for the rest of your people to return.

Build up the road! Build it up!

Remove the stones.

Raise a banner over the city

for the nations to see.

¹¹The Lord has announced a message

from one end of the earth to the other.

He has said, “Tell the people of Zion,

‘Look! Your Savior is coming!

He is bringing his people back as his reward.

He has won the battle over their enemies.’ ”

¹²They will be called The Holy People.

The Lord will set them free.

And Jerusalem will be named The City the Lord Cares About.

It won’t be deserted anymore.

God Will Save His People and Punish Their Enemies

63Who is this man coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom?

His clothes are stained bright red.

Who is he? He is dressed up in all of his glory.

He is marching toward us with great strength.

The Lord answers, “It is I.

I have won the battle.

I am mighty.

I have saved my people.”

²Why are your clothes red?

They look as if you have been stomping

on grapes in a winepress.

³The Lord answers, “I have been stomping on the nations

as if they were grapes.

No one was there to help me.

I walked all over the nations because I was angry.

That is why I stomped on them.

Their blood splashed all over my clothes.

So my clothes were stained bright red.

⁴I decided it was time to pay Israel’s enemies back.

The year for me to set my people free had come.

⁵I looked around, but no one was there to help me.

I was shocked that no one gave me any help.

So I used my own powerful arm to save my people.

I had the strength to do it because I was angry.

⁶I walked all over the nations because I was angry with them.

I made them drink from the cup of my burning anger.

I poured their blood out on the ground.”