54TH CHAPTER

The Lord’s Compassion for the Women without Children

1  Sing with joy, you childless women who never gave birth to children. 

Break into shouts of joy, you women who never had birth pains. 

“There will be more children of women who have been deserted 

than there are children of married women,” says the Lord. 

2  Expand the space of your tent. 

Stretch out the curtains of your tent, and don’t hold back. 

Lengthen your tent ropes, and drive in the tent pegs. 

3  You will spread out to the right and left. 

Your descendants will take over other nations, 

and they will resettle deserted cities. 

4  Don’t be afraid, because you won’t be put to shame. 

Don’t be discouraged, because you won’t be disgraced. 

You’ll forget the shame you’ve had since you were young. 

You won’t remember the disgrace of your husband’s death anymore. 

5  Your husband is your maker. 

His name is the Lord of Armies. 

Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. 

He is called the God of the whole earth. 

6  “The Lord has called you as if you were 

a wife who was abandoned and in grief, 

a wife who married young and was rejected,” says your God. 

7  “I abandoned you for one brief moment, 

but I will bring you back with unlimited compassion. 

8  I hid my face from you for a moment in a burst of anger, 

but I will have compassion on you with everlasting kindness,” 

says the Lord your defender. 

9  “To me this is like Noah’s floodwaters, when I swore an oath 

that Noah’s floodwaters would never cover the earth again. 

So now I swear an oath not to be angry with you or punish you. 

10  The mountains may move, and the hills may shake, 

but my kindness will never depart from you. 

My promisea of peace will never change,” 

says the Lord, who has compassion on you. 

11  “You suffering, comfortless, storm-ravaged city! 

I will rebuild your city with precious stones. 

I will reset your foundations with sapphires. 

12  I will rebuild your towers with rubies, 

your gates with sparkling stones, 

and all your walls with precious stones.” 

13  All your children will be taught by the Lord, 

and your children will have unlimited peace. 

14  You will be established in righteousness. 

You will be far from oppression, 

so you will not be afraid. 

You will be far from destruction, 

so it won’t come near you. 

15  “If anyone attacks you, it will not be my doing. 

Whoever attacks you will be defeated by you. 

16  I’ve created blacksmiths to fan the coals into flames 

and to produce useful weapons. 

I’ve also created destroyers to bring destruction. 

17  No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. 

You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. 

This is the inheritance of the Lord’s servants. 

Their victory comes from me,” declares the Lord.