Isaiah 54

The Future Glory of Zion

54“Sing, barren woman,^u

you who never bore a child;

burst into song, shout for joy,^v

you who were never in labor;^w

because more are the children^x of the desolate^y woman

than of her who has a husband,^z”

says the Lord.

²“Enlarge the place of your tent,^a

stretch your tent curtains wide,

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords,

strengthen your stakes.^b

³For you will spread out to the right and to the left;

your descendants^c will dispossess nations^d

and settle in their desolate^e cities.

⁴“Do not be afraid;^f you will not be put to shame.^g

Do not fear disgrace;^h you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youthⁱ

and remember no more the reproach^j of your widowhood.^k

⁵For your Maker^l is your husband^m—

the Lord Almighty is his name—

the Holy Oneⁿ of Israel is your Redeemer;^o

he is called the God of all the earth.^p

⁶The Lord will call you back^q

as if you were a wife deserted^r and distressed in spirit—

a wife who married young,^s

only to be rejected,” says your God.

⁷“For a brief moment^t I abandoned^u you,

but with deep compassion^v I will bring you back.^w

⁸In a surge of anger^x

I hid^y my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting kindness^z

I will have compassion^a on you,”

says the Lord your Redeemer.^b

⁹“To me this is like the days of Noah,

when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.^c

So now I have sworn^d not to be angry^e with you,

never to rebuke^f you again.

¹⁰Though the mountains be shaken^g

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love^h for you will not be shakenⁱ

nor my covenant^j of peace^k be removed,”

says the Lord, who has compassion^l on you.

¹¹“Afflicted^m city, lashed by stormsⁿ and not comforted,^o

I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^ap

your foundations^q with lapis lazuli.^r

¹²I will make your battlements of rubies,

your gates^s of sparkling jewels,

and all your walls of precious stones.

¹³All your children will be taught by the Lord,^t

and great will be their peace.^u

¹⁴In righteousness^v you will be established:^w

Tyranny^x will be far from you;

you will have nothing to fear.^y

Terror^z will be far removed;

it will not come near you.

¹⁵If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;

whoever attacks you will surrender^a to you.

¹⁶“See, it is I who created the blacksmith^b

who fans the coals into flame

and forges a weapon^c fit for its work.

And it is I who have created the destroyer^d to wreak havoc;

¹⁷no weapon forged against you will prevail,^e

and you will refute^f every tongue that accuses you.

This is the heritage of the servants^g of the Lord,

and this is their vindication^h from me,”

declares the Lord.