Isaiah 54
The LORD calls the barren woman to sing, for her children will be more than those of the married woman. Her Maker is her husband -- the LORD of hosts is His name -- and He calls her back like a wife forsaken. No weapon formed against her shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against her in judgment she shall condemn.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. | Sing, O barren woman — you who did not give birth! Break out into song and cry aloud, You who have never been in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of the married wife, says the LORD. |
| 2 | Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; | Enlarge the place of Your tent; let the curtains of Your dwelling be stretched out wide. Do not hold back — lengthen Your ropes and drive Your stakes deep. |
| 3 | For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. | For You will spread out to the right and to the left. Your descendants shall possess the nations and will settle the desolate cities. |
| 4 | Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. | Do not fear, for You will not be ashamed. Do not be dismayed, for You will not be disgraced. You will forget the shame of Your youth, and You will no longer remember the reproach of Your widowhood. |
| 5 | For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. | For Your Maker is Your husband — the LORD of hosts is His name. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. He shall be called the God of all the earth. |
| 6 | For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. | For the LORD has called You like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit — like a young wife when You were rejected, says Your God. |
| 7 | For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. | For a brief moment I abandoned You, but with great mercies I will gather You. |
| 8 | In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. | In a surge of anger I hid My face from You for a moment. But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on You, says the LORD Your Redeemer. |
| 9 | For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. | For this is like the days of Noah to Me. As I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. |
| 10 | For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. | For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from You. My covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD Who has mercy on You. |
| 11 | O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. | O afflicted city — storm-tossed and not comforted — I will set Your stones in beautiful colors and lay Your foundations with sapphires. |
| 12 | And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. | I will make Your battlements of rubies, Your gates of jewels, and all Your walls of precious stones. |
| 13 | And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. | All Your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of Your children. |
| 14 | In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. | You shall be established in righteousness. You shall be far from oppression — you shall not fear. You shall be far from terror — it shall not come near You. |
| 15 | Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. | If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from Me. Whoever gathers against you shall fall because of you. |
| 16 | Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. | I have created the craftsman who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for His purpose. I have also created the destroyer to cause ruin. |
| 17 | No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. | No weapon formed against You shall succeed. Every tongue that rises against You in judgment You shall refute. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me, declares the LORD. |