Isaiah 52
52
Let Zion Rejoice
1Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, Zion;
Put on your glorious garments,
Jerusalem, holy city.
Never again shall the uncircumcised
or the unclean enter you.
2Arise, shake off the dust,
sit enthroned, Jerusalem;
Loose the bonds from your neck,
captive daughter Zion!
3For thus says the Lord:
For nothing you were sold,
without money you shall be redeemed.
4For thus says the Lord God:
To Egypt long ago my people went down,
to sojourn there;
Assyria, too, oppressed them for nought.
5But now, what am I to do here?
—oracle of the Lord.
My people have been taken away for nothing;
their rulers mock, oracle of the Lord;
constantly, every day, my name is reviled.
6Therefore my people shall know my name
on that day, that it is I who speaks: Here I am!
7How beautiful upon the mountains#God leads the people back from Babylon to Zion, from whose ruined walls sentinels greet the returning exiles.
are the feet of the one bringing good news,
Announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”#Is 40:9; Rom 10:15.
8Listen! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
For they see directly, before their eyes,
the Lord’s return to Zion.#Is 62:6.
9Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord has comforted his people,
has redeemed Jerusalem.
10The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
All the ends of the earth can see
the salvation of our God.
11Depart, depart, go out from there,
touch nothing unclean!
Out from there!#From there: from Babylon. Vessels of the Lord: taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, now carried back by the exiles returning in procession to Zion; cf. Ezr 1:7. Purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12But not in hurried flight will you go out,
nor leave in headlong haste,
For the Lord goes before you,
and your rear guard is the God of Israel.#Ex 12:11.
Suffering and Triumph of the Servant of the Lord#52:13–53:12] The last of the “servant of the Lord” oracles (see note on 42:1–4). Taken together, these oracles depict a figure of one called by God for a vocation to Israel and the nations (42:4; 49:5–6); the servant’s exaltation both opens and closes the passage (52:13; 53:12). The servant responded in fidelity but has suffered opposition (50:4–6). In this fourth oracle the servant is characterized as “a man of suffering” (53:3) and appears to be unjustly put to death (53:8–9). Those who have witnessed his career somehow recognize that he is innocent, has undergone suffering for their sins (53:4–6), and his death is referred to as a reparation offering (see note on 53:10–11). The servant is described in ways that identify him with Israel (which is frequently referred to as “servant” in the context of Second Isaiah—e.g., 41:8, 9; 44:2, 21; 43:4) and is designated as “Israel” in 49:3; yet Israel outside the “servant of the Lord” oracles is not presented as sinless, but rather in exile because of sin (40:2; 42:21–25) and even as servant as deaf and blind (42:18–19). The servant is thus both identified with Israel and distinguished from it. As with the previous servant poems, this chapter helped the followers of Jesus to interpret his suffering, death, and resurrection; see especially the passion narratives.
13See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
14Even as many were amazed at him—
so marred were his features,
beyond that of mortals
his appearance, beyond that of human beings—#Ps 69:8.
15So shall he startle many nations,
kings shall stand speechless;
For those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.#Mi 7:16.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 52
52
1“Wake up, wake up;
put on your strength, Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,#Is 61:3
Jerusalem, the holy city!#Neh 11:1; Is 48:2
For the uncircumcised and the unclean
will no longer enter you.#Is 35:8; Rv 21:27
2Stand up, shake the dust off yourself!
Take your seat, Jerusalem.
Remove the bonds#52:2 Alt Hb tradition reads The bonds are removed from your neck,
captive Daughter Zion.”
3For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will be redeemed without silver.”#Is 45:13; 1Pt 1:18
4For this is what the Lord God says:
“At first my people went down to Egypt to reside there,#Gn 46:6
then Assyria oppressed them without cause.#52:4 Or them at last, or them for nothing
5So now what have I here” —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
“that my people are taken away for nothing?
Its rulers wail” —
this is the Lord’s declaration —
“and my name is continually blasphemed all day long.#Ezk 36:20; Rm 2:24
6Therefore my people will know my name;#Is 49:23
therefore they will know on that day
that I am he who says,
‘Here I am.’”
7How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the herald,
who proclaims peace,
who brings news of good things,#Nah 1:15; Rm 10:15
who proclaims salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” #Ps 93:1; Is 24:23
8The voices of your watchmen#Is 62:6 —
they lift up their voices,
shouting for joy together;
for every eye will see
when the Lord returns to Zion.
9Be joyful, rejoice together,
you ruins of Jerusalem!#Is 44:26; 51:3; 61:4
For the Lord has comforted his people;#Is 40:1
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10The Lord has displayed his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;#Ps 98:1–3; Is 51:9; 66:18–19
all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God.#Is 40:5; Lk 3:6
11Leave, leave, go out from there!#Is 48:20; Jr 50:8; Ezk 20:34,41; Zch 2:6,7; 2Co 6:17
Do not touch anything unclean;
go out from her, purify yourselves,#2Co 6:17; 2Tm 2:19
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
12For you will not leave in a hurry,#Ex 12:11,33; Dt 16:3
and you will not have to take flight;
because the Lord is going before you,#Ex 23:23; Dt 1:30; 31:8; Is 45:2
and the God of Israel is your rear guard.#Jos 6:9,13; Is 58:8
The Servant’s Suffering and Exaltation
13See, my servant#52:13 Tg adds the Messiah#Is 42:1; 49:3–7; 50:10; 53:11; Ezk 34:23–24; Zch 3:8; Ac 3:13 will be successful;#52:13 Or will act wisely
he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.#Php 2:9–11
14Just as many were appalled at you#52:14 Some Hb mss, Syr, Tg read him —
his appearance was so disfigured
that he did not look like a man,
and his form did not resemble a human being —
15so he will sprinkle many nations.#52:15 LXX reads so many nations will marvel at him#Nm 19:18–21; Ezk 36:25
Kings will shut their mouths because of him,
for they will see what had not been told them,
and they will understand what they had not heard.#Rm 15:21; Eph 3:5
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