Isaiah Chapter 52

Deliverance for Jerusalem

¹ Wake up, wake up;

                              dress yourself with strength, Zion;

                                    put on your beautiful clothes, Jerusalem the holy city;

                              defiled, godless people won’t invade you anymore.

                                    ²Get up, shake off the dust, captive Jerusalem;

                              take the chains off your neck, resident in Zion,

³ because Yahveh says:

                                             “You were sold for nothing;

                              you’ll be redeemed without money.

                              ⁴ In the beginning my people went down to Egypt to live;

                                                      now the Assyrians oppress them for no reason.

                              ⁵ Why are my people enslaved for nothing

                                                      and their rulers wail and blaspheme me all the time?

                              ⁶ Now my people will know my name;

                                                      they’ll know I’m the one that’s talking to them.”        

Is 52:1-6

                        ⁷ How welcome on the mountains

                              is the messenger that brings good news,

                                    that announces peace and happiness,

                                    that declares salvation and says to Zion,

                                          “Your God reigns!”

                        ⁸ Listen! Your watchmen are happy and singing;

                              they can see that Yahveh is restoring Zion.

                        ⁹ Break out in joyful song together,

                                    you laid-waste places in Jerusalem,

                              because Yahveh has comforted his people;

                                    he’s redeemed Jerusalem.

                        ¹⁰ He’s bared his holy arm

                                    so the nations can witness the deliverance he’s bringing.     

                        ¹¹ Leave, leave there; don’t hang onto anything defiled;

                              purify yourselves, you that bring back Yahveh’s sacred objects.

                        ¹² You won’t go out quickly like fleeing refugees;

                              Yahveh will lead you out;

                              the God of Israel will be your rear guard.                       

Is 52:7-12

The Suffering Servant Poem (52:13-53:12)

                        ¹³ My servant will succeed;

                              he’ll be looked up to and highly honored.

                        ¹⁴ But, even as many were astonished at you, my people,

                              so his astonishing appearance was marred beyond human resemblance;

                                    his form mutilated beyond recognition.

                        ¹⁵ He’ll cleanse many nations;

                                    kings will shut their mouths in his presence.

                              They’ll see what they had no one to tell them

                                    and understand what they hadn’t heard.                    

Is 52:13-15