1‘Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord.2‘Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.3For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.4‘Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.5For your Maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is his name – the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.6The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit – a wife who married young, only to be rejected,’ says your God.7‘For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.8In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer.9‘To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.10Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.11‘Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[1] your foundations with lapis lazuli.12I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.13All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.14In righteousness you will be established: tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.15If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.16‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;17no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.
Isaiah 54
English Standard Version
The Eternal Covenant of Peace
1“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord. (1Sa 2:5; Isa 62:4; Ga 4:27)2“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. (Isa 49:19)3For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. (Ge 28:14; Isa 11:14)4“Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. (Isa 45:17)5For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. (Isa 43:14; Isa 62:4; Ho 2:7; Zec 14:9)6For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. (Isa 49:14; Isa 54:1; Isa 60:15; Isa 62:4)7For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. (Isa 26:20)8In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. (Isa 54:7; Isa 55:3)9“This is like the days of Noah[1] to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. (Ge 8:21; Ge 9:11)10For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Nu 25:12; Eze 34:25; Eze 37:26; Mal 2:5)11“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.[2] (Isa 51:21; Isa 60:10; Re 21:19)12I will make your pinnacles of agate,[3] your gates of carbuncles,[4] and all your wall of precious stones.13All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. (Ps 119:165; Isa 9:7; Jer 31:33; Joh 6:45)14In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.15If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you. (Isa 8:9)16Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy;17no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication[5] from me, declares the Lord.” (Isa 45:24)