A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

54 “Sing, O abarren,

You who have not borne!

Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,

You who have not labored with child!

For more are the children of the desolate

Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.

2 “Enlarge bthe place of your tent,

And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;

Do not spare;

Lengthen your cords,

And strengthen your stakes.

3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,

And your descendants will cinherit the nations,

And make the desolate cities inhabited.

4 “Do dnot fear, for you will not be ashamed;

Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;

For you will forget the shame of your youth,

And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.

5 eFor your Maker is your husband,

The Lord of hosts is His name;

And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

He is called fthe God of the whole earth.

6 For the Lord ghas called you

Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,

Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”

Says your God.

7 “For ha mere moment I have forsaken you,

But with great mercies iI will gather you.

8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;

jBut with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”

Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “For this is like the waters of kNoah to Me;

For as I have sworn

That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth,

So have I sworn

That I would not be angry with lyou, nor rebuke you.

10 For mthe mountains shall depart

And the hills be removed,

nBut My kindness shall not depart from you,

Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”

Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.