Isaiah 54
54
Sing, barren woman
1Sing, barren woman who has borne no child;
break forth into singing and cry out,
you who were never in labor,
for the children of the wife who has been deserted will be more numerous than the children of the married, says the LORD.
2Enlarge the site of your tent,
and stretch out the drapes of your dwellings;
don’t hold back.
Lengthen your tent ropes and strengthen your stakes.
3To the right and to the left you will burst out,
and your children will possess the nations’ land
and settle their desolate cities.
4Don’t fear,
because you won’t be ashamed;
don’t be dismayed,
because you won’t be disgraced.
You will forget the shame of your youth;
you’ll no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5The one marrying you is the one who made you—
the LORD of heavenly forces is his name.
The one redeeming you is the holy one of Israel,
the one called the God of all the earth.
6As an abandoned and dejected woman the LORD has summoned you;
as a young wife when she is rejected,
says your God.
7For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great mercy I will bring you back.
8In an outburst of rage,
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting love I have consoled you,
says your redeemer, the LORD.
9These are like the days#54.9 Or for the waters of Noah for me,
when I promised that Noah’s waters would never again cover the earth.
Likewise I promise not to rage against you or rebuke you.
10The mountains may shift,
and the hills may be shaken,
but my faithful love won’t shift from you,
and my covenant of peace won’t be shaken,
says the LORD, the one who pities you.
11Suffering one, storm-tossed, uncomforted,
look, I am setting your gemstones in silvery metal
and your foundations with sapphires.
12I will make your towers of rubies,
and your gates of beryl,
and all your walls of precious jewels.
13All your children will be disciples of the LORD—
I will make peace abound for your children.
14You will be firmly founded in righteousness.
You will stay far from oppression because you won’t fear,
far from terror because it won’t come near you.
15If anyone attacks you, it’s none of my doing.
Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16Look, I myself created the metalworker who blows the fire of coal and who produces a tool for his work.
And I myself created the looter to destroy.
17No weapon fashioned against you will succeed,
and you may condemn every tongue that disputes with you.
This is the heritage of the LORD’s servants,
whose righteousness comes from me, says the LORD.
Currently Selected:
Isaiah 54: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Isaiah 54
54
Zion Will Be Secure
1 “Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth!
Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one are more numerous
than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 Make your tent larger,
stretch your tent curtains farther out!#tn Heb “the curtains of our dwelling places let them stretch out.”
Spare no effort,
lengthen your ropes,
and pound your stakes deep.#tn Heb “your stakes strengthen.”
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your children will conquer#tn Or “take possession of”; NAB “shall dispossess.” nations
and will resettle desolate cities.
4 Don’t be afraid, for you will not be put to shame!
Don’t be intimidated,#tn Or “embarrassed”; NASB “humiliated…disgraced.” for you will not be humiliated!
You will forget about the shame you experienced in your youth;
you will no longer remember the disgrace of your abandonment.#tn Another option is to translate, “the disgrace of our widowhood” (so NRSV). However, the following context (vv. 6-7) refers to Zion’s husband, the Lord, abandoning her, not dying. This suggests that an אַלְמָנָה (’almanah) was a woman who had lost her husband, whether by death or abandonment.
5 For your husband is the one who made you –
the Lord who commands armies is his name.
He is your protector,#tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14. the Holy One of Israel.#sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
He is called “God of the entire earth.”
6 “Indeed, the Lord will call you back
like a wife who has been abandoned and suffers from depression,#tn Heb “like a woman abandoned and grieved in spirit.”
like a young wife when she has been rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a short time I abandoned#tn Or “forsook” (NASB). you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In a burst#tn According to BDB 1009 s.v. שֶׁטֶף the noun שֶׁצֶף here is an alternate form of שֶׁטֶף (shetef, “flood”). Some relate the word to an alleged Akkadian cognate meaning “strength.” of anger I rejected you#tn Heb “I hid my face from you.” momentarily,
but with lasting devotion I will have compassion on you,”
says your protector,#tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14. the Lord.
9 “As far as I am concerned, this is like in Noah’s time,#tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “For [or “indeed”] the waters of Noah [is] this to me.” כִּי־מֵי (ki-me, “for the waters of”) should be emended to כְּמֵי (kÿmey, “like the days of”), which is supported by the Qumran scroll 1QIsaa and all the ancient versions except LXX.
when I vowed that the waters of Noah’s flood#tn Heb “the waters of Noah” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). would never again cover the earth.
In the same way I have vowed that I will not be angry at you or shout at you.
10 Even if the mountains are removed
and the hills displaced,
my devotion will not be removed from you,
nor will my covenant of friendship#tn Heb “peace” (so many English versions); NLT “of blessing.” be displaced,”
says the Lord, the one who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one, driven away,#tn Or, more literally, “windblown, storm tossed.” and unconsoled!
Look, I am about to set your stones in antimony
and I lay your foundation with lapis-lazuli.
12 I will make your pinnacles out of gems,#tn Perhaps, “rubies” (so ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).
your gates out of beryl,#tn On the meaning of אֶקְדָּח (’eqdakh), which occurs only here, see HALOT 82 s.v.
and your outer wall#tn Heb “border” (so ASV); NASB “your entire wall.” out of beautiful#tn Heb “delightful”; KJV “pleasant.” stones.
13 All your children will be followers of the Lord,
and your children will enjoy great prosperity.#tn Heb “and great [will be] the peace of your sons.”
14 You will be reestablished when I vindicate you.#tn Heb “in righteousness [or “vindication”] you will be established.” The precise meaning of צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) here is uncertain. It could mean “righteousness, justice,” indicating that the city will be a center for justice. But the context focuses on deliverance, suggesting that the term means “deliverance, vindication” here.
You will not experience oppression;#tn Heb “Be far from oppression!” The imperative is used here in a rhetorical manner to express certainty and assurance. See GKC 324 §110.c.
indeed, you will not be afraid.
You will not be terrified,#tn Heb “from terror.” The rhetorical command, “be far” is understood by ellipsis here. Note the preceding context.
for nothing frightening#tn Heb “it,” i.e., the “terror” just mentioned. will come near you.
15 If anyone dares to#tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb here for emphasis. challenge you, it will not be my doing!
Whoever tries to challenge you will be defeated.#tn Heb “will fall over you.” The expression נָפַל עַל (nafal ’al) can mean “attack,” but here it means “fall over to,” i.e., “surrender to.”
16 Look, I create the craftsman,
who fans the coals into a fire
and forges a weapon.#tn Heb “who brings out an implement for his work.”
I create the destroyer so he might devastate.
17 No weapon forged to be used against you will succeed;
you will refute everyone who tries to accuse you.#tn Heb “and every tongue that rises up for judgment with you will prove to be guilty.”
This is what the Lord will do for his servants –
I will vindicate them,”#tn Heb “this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me.”
says the Lord.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC