Isaiah 54 / 66
- 1"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD .
- 2"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
- 3For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
- 4"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
- 5For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
- 6The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.
- 7"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
- 8In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
- 9"To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.
- 10Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD , who has compassion on you.
- 11"O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires.
- 12I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
- 13All your sons will be taught by the LORD , and great will be your children's peace.
- 14In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror 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 to you.
- 16"See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
- 17no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD , and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD .