Chapter 52

Up, up, array thyself, Sion, in all thy strength; clothe thyself as befits thy new glory, Jerusalem, city of the Holy One! The uncircumcised, the unclean, shall enter thee no more.

Shake the dust from thee, Jerusalem, rise up and take thy throne; rid thy neck of the chains that bound it, Sion, once captive queen!

This is the Lord’s promise, You were bartered away for nothing, and you shall be ransomed without cost.

Time was, the Lord God says, long ago, when my people went down into Egypt and dwelt among strangers there; time was, since then, they were oppressed, beyond all reason, by the Assyrians;

what needs it,2 the Lord says, then or now, my people should be carried off thus wantonly into exile? Their new masters sin defiantly, bring my name continually into reproach.

The day comes when my own people my own name will recognize, nor doubt that I, who promised to be with them, am with them now.

Welcome, welcome on the mountain heights the messenger that cries, All is well! Good news brings he, deliverance cries he, telling Sion, Thy God has claimed his throne!

A shout goes up from the watchmen; they are crying out all at once, all at once echoing their praise; their own eyes shall witness it, when the Lord brings Sion deliverance.

Rejoice, echo all at once with rejoicing, ruined homes of Jerusalem; comfort from the Lord for the Lord’s people, Jerusalem redeemed!

The Lord bares his holy arm for all the nations to see it; to the remotest corners of earth he, our God, makes known his saving power.

Return, return; no more of Babylon; touch nothing defiled as you come out from the heart of her, keep yourselves unsullied, you that have the vessels of the Lord’s worship in your charge.

No need for confusion at the time of your going; this shall be no hasty flight, with the Lord himself to march before you, the God of Israel to rally you.

See, here is my servant, one who will be prudent in all his dealings. To what height he shall be raised, how exalted, how extolled!

So many there be that stand gazing in horror; was ever a human form so mishandled, human beauty ever so defaced?

Yet this is he that will purify a multitude of nations; kings shall stand dumb in his presence; seen, now, where men had no tidings of him, made known to such as never heard his name.