1 "Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
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. |
3 For 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 suffer 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. |
5 For 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. |
6 The 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. |
8 In 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. |
10 Though 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 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise,1 54:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
your foundations with sapphires.2 54:11 Or lapis lazuli |
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones. |
13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD ,
and great will be your children's peace. |
14 In 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. |
15 If 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 work havoc; |
17 no 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 . |
