Isaiah 52

1 Wake up! Wake up!
Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful clothes,
O Jerusalem,s holy city!
For uncircumcised and unclean pagans
will no longer invade you.

2 Shake off the dirt!t
Get up, captives Jerusalem!
Take off the iron chains around your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!

3 For this is what the Lord says:
“You were sold for nothing,
and you will not be redeemed for money.”

4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:
“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;
Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.

5 And now, what do we have here?”t says the Lord.
“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,
those who rule over them taunt,”t says the Lord,
“and my name is constantly slanderedt all day long.

6 For this reason my people will know my name,
for this reason they will knowt at that timet that I am the one who says,
‘Here I am.’”

7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountainst
the feet of a messenger who announces peace,
a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”t

8 Listen,t your watchmen shout;
in unison they shout for joy,
for they see with their very own eyest
the Lord’s return to Zion.

9 In unison give a joyful shout,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord consoles his people;
he protectst Jerusalem.

10 The Lord revealst his royal powert
in the sight of all the nations;
the entiret earth sees
our God deliver.t

11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!
Don’t touch anything unclean!
Get out of it!
Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items!t

12 Yet do not depart quickly
or leave in a panic.t
For the Lord goes before you;
the God of Israel is your rear guard.

The Lord Will Vindicate His Servant

13 “Look, my servant will succeed!t
He will be elevated, lifted high, and greatly exaltedt –

14 (just as many were horrified by the sight of you)t
he was so disfiguredt he no longer looked like a man;t

15 his form was so marred he no longer looked humant –
so nowt he will startlet many nations.
Kings will be shocked by his exaltation,t
for they will witness something unannounced to them,
and they will understand something they had not heard about.

ISAIAH 52

Jerusalem Can Celebrate

1  t Jerusalem, wake up!
Stand up and be strong.
Holy city of Zion,
dress in your best clothes.
Those foreigners who ruined
your sacred city
won't bother you again.

2 Zion, rise from the dirt!
Free yourself from the rope
around your neck.

Suffering Will End

3 The [Lord] says:
My people, you were sold,
but not for money;
now you will be set free,
but not for a payment.

4 Long ago you went to Egypt
where you lived
as foreigners.
Then Assyria was cruel to you,

5  t and now another nationt
has taken you prisoner
for no reason at all.
Your leaders groan with pain, t
and day after day
my own name is cursed.

6 My people, you will learn
who I am and who is speaking
because I am here.

A Message of Hope //for Jerusalem

7  t What a beautiful sight!
On the mountains a messenger
announces to Jerusalem,
“Good news! You're saved.
There will be peace.
Your God is now King.”

8 Everyone on guard duty,
sing and celebrate!
Look! You can see the [Lord]
returning to Zion.

9 Jerusalem, rise from the ruins!
Join in the singing.
The [Lord] has given comfort
to his people;
he comes to your rescue.

10 The [Lord] has shown all nations
his mighty strength;
now everyone will see
the saving power of our God.

A Command //To Leave Babylon

11  t Leave the city of Babylon!
Don't touch anything filthy.
Wash yourselves. Be ready
to carry back everything sacred
that belongs to the [Lord].

12 You won't need to run.
No one is chasing you.
The [Lord] God of Israel
will lead and protect you
from enemy attacks.

The Suffering Servant

13 The [Lord] says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.

14 Many were horrified
at what happened to him.t
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.t

15  t My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;t
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.t
They will see and think about
things they have never seen
or thought about before.