Isaiah 54

The Future Glory of Zion

“Sing, barren woman,^a

you who never bore a child;

burst into song, shout for joy,^b

you who were never in labor;^c

because more are the children^d of the desolate^e woman

than of her who has a husband,^f”

says the Lord.

“Enlarge the place of your tent,^g

stretch your tent curtains wide,

do not hold back;

lengthen your cords,

strengthen your stakes.^h

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

your descendantsⁱ will dispossess nations^j

and settle in their desolate^k cities.

“Do not be afraid;^l you will not be put to shame.^m

Do not fear disgrace;ⁿ you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youth^o

and remember no more the reproach^p of your widowhood.^q

For your Maker^r is your husband^s—

the Lord Almighty is his name—

the Holy One^t of Israel is your Redeemer;^u

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

The Lord will call you back^w

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

a wife who married young,^y

only to be rejected,” says your God.

“For a brief moment^z I abandoned^a you,

but with deep compassion^b I will bring you back.^c

In a surge of anger^d

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

but with everlasting kindness^f

I will have compassion^g on you,”

says the Lord your Redeemer.^h

“To me this is like the days of Noah,

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

So now I have sworn^j not to be angry^k with you,

never to rebuke^l you again.

Though the mountains be shaken^mn

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love^o for you will not be shaken^p

nor my covenant^q of peace^r be removed,”

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

“Afflicted^t city, lashed by storms^u and not comforted,^v

I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,^w

your foundations^x with lapis lazuli.^y

I will make your battlements of rubies,

your gates^z of sparkling jewels,

and all your walls of precious stones.

All your children will be taught by the Lord,^a

and great will be their peace.^b

In righteousness^c you will be established:^d

Tyranny^e will be far from you;

you will have nothing to fear.^f

Terror^g will be far removed;

it will not come near you.

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

whoever attacks you will surrender^h to you.

“See, it is I who created the blacksmithⁱ

who fans the coals into flame

and forges a weapon^j fit for its work.

And it is I who have created the destroyer^k to work havoc;

no weapon forged against you will prevail,^l

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

This is the heritage of the servantsⁿ of the Lord,

and this is their vindication^o from me,”

declares the Lord.