Isaiah 52
The LORD commands Zion to awake and put on her beautiful garments, for the uncircumcised and unclean shall no longer come into her. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings of peace. The LORD's Servant shall be exalted and extolled, yet His appearance was marred more than any man, and He shall sprinkle many nations.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awake, 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. | Wake up, wake up! Put on Your strength, O Zion. Put on Your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and the unclean shall enter you no more. |
| 2 | Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. | Shake Yourself free from the dust; arise and take Your seat, O Jerusalem. Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. |
| 3 | For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. | For thus says the LORD: "You were sold for nothing, and You shall be redeemed without money." |
| 4 | For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. | For thus says the Lord GOD: "My people went down to Egypt at the start to stay there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. |
| 5 | Now 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. | Now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "My people are taken away for nothing. Those who rule over them wail," declares the LORD, "and My name is continually despised all day long. |
| 6 | Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. | Therefore My people shall know My name. In that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am." |
| 7 | How 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! | How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news — who announces peace, who brings good news of good things, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" |
| 8 | Thy 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. | Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they sing for joy. For eye to eye they shall see the LORD returning to Zion. |
| 9 | Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. | Break forth together into singing, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. |
| 10 | The 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. | The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations. All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. |
| 11 | Depart 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. | Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch nothing unclean. Go out from the middle of her; purify yourselves, You who carry the vessels of the LORD. |
| 12 | For 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. | For 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. |
| 13 | Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. | See, My servant shall act wisely. He shall be raised up and lifted high and greatly exalted. |
| 14 | As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: | Just as many were appalled at Him — His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form beyond human likeness — |
| 15 | So 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. | so He shall sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were not told they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall understand. |