Isaiah 63–64

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63Who is this coming from Edom,^w

from Bozrah,^x with his garments stained crimson?^y

Who is this, robed in splendor,

striding forward in the greatness of his strength?^z

“It is I, proclaiming victory,

mighty to save.”^a

²Why are your garments red,

like those of one treading the winepress?^b

³“I have trodden the winepress^c alone;

from the nations no one was with me.

I trampled^d them in my anger

and trod them down in my wrath;^e

their blood spattered my garments,^f

and I stained all my clothing.

⁴It was for me the day of vengeance;^g

the year for me to redeem had come.

⁵I looked, but there was no one^h to help,

I was appalled that no one gave support;

so my own armⁱ achieved salvation for me,

and my own wrath sustained me.^j

⁶I trampled^k the nations in my anger;

in my wrath I made them drunk^l

and poured their blood^m on the ground.”

Praise and Prayer

⁷I will tell of the kindnessesⁿ of the Lord,

the deeds for which he is to be praised,

according to all the Lord has done for us—

yes, the many good things^o

he has done for Israel,

according to his compassion^p and many kindnesses.

⁸He said, “Surely they are my people,^q

children who will be true to me”;

and so he became their Savior.^r

⁹In all their distress he too was distressed,

and the angel^s of his presence^t saved them.^a

In his love and mercy he redeemed^u them;

he lifted them up and carried^v them

all the days of old.^w

¹⁰Yet they rebelled^x

and grieved his Holy Spirit.^y

So he turned and became their enemy^z

and he himself fought^a against them.

¹¹Then his people recalled^b the days of old,

the days of Moses and his people—

where is he who brought them through the sea,^b

with the shepherd of his flock?^c

Where is he who set

his Holy Spirit^d among them,

¹²who sent his glorious arm^e of power

to be at Moses’ right hand,

who divided the waters^f before them,

to gain for himself everlasting renown,^g

¹³who led^h them through the depths?ⁱ

Like a horse in open country,

they did not stumble;^j

¹⁴like cattle that go down to the plain,

they were given rest^k by the Spirit of the Lord.

This is how you guided your people

to make for yourself a glorious name.

¹⁵Look down from heaven^l and see,

from your lofty throne,^m holy and glorious.

Where are your zealⁿ and your might?

Your tenderness and compassion^o are withheld^p from us.

¹⁶But you are our Father,^q

though Abraham does not know us

or Israel acknowledge^r us;

you, Lord, are our Father,

our Redeemer^s from of old is your name.

¹⁷Why, Lord, do you make us wander^t from your ways

and harden our hearts^u so we do not revere^v you?

Return^w for the sake of your servants,

the tribes that are your inheritance.^x

¹⁸For a little while^y your people possessed your holy place,

but now our enemies have trampled^z down your sanctuary.^a

¹⁹We are yours from of old;

but you have not ruled over them,

they have not been called^c by your name.^b

64^aOh, that you would rend the heavens^c and come down,^d

that the mountains^e would tremble before you!

²As when fire sets twigs ablaze

and causes water to boil,

come down to make your name^f known to your enemies

and cause the nations to quake^g before you!

³For when you did awesome^h things that we did not expect,

you came down, and the mountains trembledⁱ before you.

⁴Since ancient times no one has heard,

no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,^j

who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.^k

⁵You come to the help of those who gladly do right,^l

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them,

you were angry.^m

How then can we be saved?

⁶All of us have become like one who is unclean,ⁿ

and all our righteous^o acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,^p

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.^q

⁷No one^r calls on your name^s

or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden^t your face from us

and have given us over^u to^b our sins.

⁸Yet you, Lord, are our Father.^v

We are the clay, you are the potter;^w

we are all the work of your hand.^x

⁹Do not be angry^y beyond measure, Lord;

do not remember our sins^z forever.

Oh, look on us, we pray,

for we are all your people.^a

¹⁰Your sacred cities^b have become a wasteland;

even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.^c

¹¹Our holy and glorious temple,^d where our ancestors praised you,

has been burned with fire,

and all that we treasured^e lies in ruins.

¹²After all this, Lord, will you hold yourself back?^f

Will you keep silent^g and punish us beyond measure?