1Vågn op, Jerusalem! Vågn op og iklæd dig Herrens kraft! Zion, du hellige by, tag festtøjet på! For de gudløse skal ikke længere have lov at slippe ind gennem dine porte.2Rejs dig fra dine ydmygelser, Jerusalem! Ryst støvet af dig, Zions fangne datter, og befri dig for lænken om din hals!3For Herren siger: „I blev solgt til fangenskab uden betaling, og uden penge skal I købes tilbage.4For længe siden rejste I frivilligt ned til Egypten for at bo der som fremmede. Men senere førte assyrerne jer bort som slaver uden betaling.5Og hvad ser jeg nu? Et andet folk har taget mit folk som slaver uden betaling. Folkets ledere praler af deres overlegenhed, og jeg bliver vanæret dagen lang.6Men mit folk skal få at se, hvem jeg virkelig er, og erfare min magt. Til den tid vil de forstå, at det er mig, Herren, som har talt til dem.”7Hvor bliver det skønt at høre sendebudet komme løbende hen over bjergene med det glædelige budskab om fred og frelse. Til Jerusalems indbyggere råber han: „Din Gud har vist sin kongemagt!”8Vægterne råber og synger af glæde, for med egne øjne ser de Herrens folk vende hjem til Zion.9Bryd ud i jubelsang, Jerusalems ruiner! For Herren har hjulpet sit folk og sat Jerusalems indbyggere i frihed.10Herren har vist sin vældige magt for øjnene af alle folkeslagene. Hele jorden vil få at vide, hvordan Gud har frelst sit folk.11Læg Babylon bag jer, drag bort fra den urene by! Rør ikke ved noget urent, men rens jer, så I kan bære Herrens tempelkar tilbage til Jerusalem.12Forlad byen i ro og orden, ikke som nogle, der flygter for livet. Nej, Herren selv, Israels Gud, vil gå foran jer, og han vil slutte op bag jer med sin beskyttelse.
Herrens lidende tjener
13Herren siger: „Se, det skal lykkes for min tjener. Han bliver ophøjet, får ære og pris.14-15Mange var målløse ved synet af ham, så umenneskelig ussel og mishandlet så han ud. Men de skal forundres over ham i hans herlighed. Selv konger vil tabe både næse og mund ved synet af ham. For de skal få noget at se, som ingen havde fortalt dem. De skal erfare, hvad de aldrig havde drømt om.”
Esajas 52
King James Version
1Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.3For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.4For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.5Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.6Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.10The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.11Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing ; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.12For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.