Isaiah 63

The Lord's Day of Vengeance

1  Who is this who comes from Edom,
in crimsoned garments from Bozrah,
he who is splendid in his apparel,
marching in the greatness of his strength?
"It is I, speaking in righteousness,
mighty to save."

2  Why is your apparel red,
and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?

3  "I have trodden the winepress alone,
and from the peoples no one was with me;
I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath;
their lifebloodt spattered on my garments,
and stained all my apparel.
4  For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and my year of redemptiont had come.
5  I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled, but there was no one to uphold;
so my own arm brought me salvation,
and my wrath upheld me.
6  I trampled down the peoples in my anger;
I made them drunk in my wrath,
and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth."

The Lord's Mercy Remembered

7  I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8  For he said, "Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely."
And he became their Savior.
9  In all their affliction he was afflicted,t
and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

10  But they rebelled
and grieved his Holy Spirit;
therefore he turned to be their enemy,
and himself fought against them.
11  Then he remembered the days of old,
of Moses and his people.t
Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
with the shepherds of his flock?
Where is he who put in the midst of them
his Holy Spirit,
12  who caused his glorious arm
to go at the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to make for himself an everlasting name,
13  who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in the desert,
they did not stumble.
14  Like livestock that go down into the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
So you led your people,
to make for yourself a glorious name.

Prayer for Mercy

15  Look down from heaven and see,
from your holy and beautifult habitation.
Where are your zeal and your might?
The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion
are held back from me.
16  For you are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
you, O Lord, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is your name.
17  O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways
and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.
18  Your holy people held possession for a little while;t
our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.
19  We have become like those over whom you have never ruled,
like those who are not called by your name.

Isaiah 63

The Victorious Divine Warrior

1 Who is this who comes from Edom,s
dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah?t
Whot is this one wearing royal attire,t
who marches confidentlys because of his great strength?
“It is I, the one who announces vindication,
and who is able to deliver!”t

2 Why are your clothes red?
Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat?t

3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;
no one from the nations joined me.
I stomped on thems in my anger;
I trampled them down in my rage.
Their juice splashed on my garments,
and stainedt all my clothes.

4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,
and then payback time arrived.t

5 I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was shocked because there was no one offering support.s
So my right arm accomplished deliverance;
my raging anger drove me on.t

6 I trampled nations in my anger,
I made them drunks in my rage,
I splashed their blood on the ground.”t

A Prayer for Divine Intervention

7 I will tell of the faithful acts of the Lord,
of the Lord’s praiseworthy deeds.
I will tell about allt the Lord did for us,
the many good things he did for the family of Israel,t
because oft his compassion and great faithfulness.

8 He said, “Certainly they will be my people,
children who are not disloyal.”t
He became their deliverer.

9 Through all that they suffered, he suffered too.t
The messenger sent from his very presencets delivered them.
In his love and mercy he protectedt them;
he lifted them up and carried them throughout ancient times.t

10 But they rebelled and offendedt his holy Spirit,s
so he turned into an enemy
and fought against them.

11 His people remembered the ancient times.t
Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea,
along with the shepherd oft his flock?
Where is the one who placed his holy Spirit among them,s

12 the one who made his majestic power available to Moses,t
who divided the water before them,
gaining for himself a lasting reputation,t

13 who led them through the deep water?
Like a horse running on flat landt they did not stumble.

14 Like an animal that goes down into a valley to graze,t
so the Spirit of the Lord granted them rest.
In this wayt you guided your people,
gaining for yourself an honored reputation.t

15 Look down from heaven and take notice,
from your holy, majestic palace!
Where are your zealt and power?
Do not hold back your tender compassion!t

16 For you are our father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not recognize us.
You, Lord, are our father;
you have been called our protector from ancient times.t

17 Why, Lord, do you make us strayt from your ways,t
and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you?ts
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your inheritance!

18 For a short time your specialt nation possessed a land,t
but then our adversaries knocked downt your holy sanctuary.

19 We existed from ancient times,t
but you did not rule over them,
they were not your subjects.t