1Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. (Ex 28:2; Ex 28:40; Ne 11:1; Isa 35:8; Isa 48:2; Isa 51:17; Isa 60:21; Joe 3:17; Zec 3:1; Re 21:27)2Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. (Isa 51:14; Isa 51:23)3For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” (Isa 45:13; Isa 50:1; 1Pe 1:18)4For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing.[1] (Ge 46:6)5Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. (Eze 36:20; Eze 36:23; Ro 2:24)6Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.” (Isa 49:26)7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” (Isa 40:9; Na 1:15; Ro 10:15)8The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. (Isa 33:17; Isa 33:22; Isa 62:6; 1Co 13:12; 1Jo 3:2; Re 22:4)9Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. (Ps 98:4; Isa 40:1; Isa 51:3; Isa 51:12; Isa 58:12)10The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (Ps 98:3; Isa 51:9; Lu 3:6)11Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. (Ezr 1:7; Isa 48:20; Jer 50:8; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:45; Zec 2:6; 2Co 6:17; Re 18:4)12For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Ex 12:11; Ex 12:33; Ex 12:39; Ex 14:19; Isa 58:8; Mic 2:13)
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
13Behold, my servant shall act wisely;[2] he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. (Isa 42:1)14As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind— (Isa 53:2)15so shall he sprinkle[3] many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. (Le 4:6; Le 4:17; Isa 49:7; Isa 49:23; Ro 15:21; Ro 16:25)
Isaiah 52
New International Version
1Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendour, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.2Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive.3For this is what the Lord says: ‘You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.’4For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live; lately, Assyria has oppressed them.5‘And now what do I have here?’ declares the Lord. ‘For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock,[1]’ declares the Lord. ‘And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.6Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.’7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’8Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.9Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.10The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.11Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house.12But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
The suffering and glory of the servant
13See, my servant will act wisely[2]; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.14Just as there were many who were appalled at him[3] – his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness –15so he will sprinkle many nations,[4] and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isaiah 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.
Isaiah 52
New International Reader’s Version
1Wake up! Zion, wake up! Dress yourself with strength as if it were your clothes. Holy city of Jerusalem, put on your clothes of glory. Those who haven’t been circumcised will never enter you again. Neither will those who are ‘unclean’.2Get up, Jerusalem! Shake off your dust. Take your place on your throne. Captured people of Zion, remove the chains from your neck.3The LORD says, ‘When you were sold as slaves, no one paid anything for you. Now no one will pay any money to set you free.’4The LORD and King continues, ‘Long ago my people went down to Egypt. They lived there for a while. Later, Assyria crushed them without any reason.5‘Now look at what has happened to them,’ announces the LORD. ‘Once again my people have been taken away. And no one paid anything for them. Those who rule over them boast about it,’ announces the LORD. ‘All day long without stopping, people speak evil things against my name.6So the day will come when my people will really know the meaning of my name. They will know what kind of God I am. They will know that I told them in advance they would return to their land. They will know that it was I.’7What a beautiful sight it is to see messengers coming with good news! How beautiful to see them coming down from the mountains with a message about peace! How wonderful it is when they bring the good news that we are saved! How wonderful when they say to Zion, ‘Your God rules!’8Listen! Those on guard duty are shouting out the message. With their own eyes they see the LORD returning to Zion. So they shout for joy.9Burst into songs of joy together, you broken-down buildings in Jerusalem. The LORD has comforted his people. He has set Jerusalem free.10The LORD will use the power of his holy arm to save his people. All the nations will see him do it. Everyone from one end of the earth to the other will see it.11You who carry the objects that belong to the LORD’s temple, leave Babylon! Leave it! Get out of there! Don’t touch anything that isn’t pure and ‘clean’. Come out of Babylon and be pure.12But this time you won’t have to leave in a hurry. You won’t have to rush away. The LORD will go ahead of you and lead you. The God of Israel will follow behind you and guard you.
The suffering and glory of the Lord’s servant
13The LORD says, ‘My servant will act wisely and accomplish his task. He will be highly honoured. He will be greatly respected.14Many people were shocked when they saw him. He was so scarred that he no longer looked like a person. His body was so twisted that he did not look like a human being anymore.15But many nations will be surprised when they see what he has done. Kings will be so amazed that they will not be able to say anything. They will understand things they were never told. They will know the meaning of things they never heard.’