Isaiah 62-64
Even in ashes, Zion is not abandoned; she is clay in the hands of her Redeemer.
Isaiah 62
For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, And for the sake of Jerusalem I will not keep still Until her righteousness shines like a bright light And her salvation burns like a torch.
“The nations will see your righteousness, O woman, And all kings your glory. And you will be called by a new name, Which Jehovah’s own mouth will designate.
You will become a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, A royal turban in the palm of your God.
No more will you be called an abandoned woman, And your land will no longer be called desolate. But you will be called My Delight Is in Her, And your land will be called the Married One. For Jehovah will take delight in you, And your land will be as one married.
For just as a young man marries a virgin, Your sons will marry you. With the rejoicing of a bridegroom over a bride, Your God will rejoice over you.
Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have commissioned watchmen. Continuously, all day long and all night long, they should not be silent. You who make mention of Jehovah, Do not rest, And do not give him any rest until he firmly establishes Jerusalem, Yes, until he makes her the praise of the earth.”
Jehovah has sworn an oath with his right hand, with his strong arm:
“I will no longer give your grain as food to your enemies, Nor will foreigners drink your new wine, for which you have toiled. But those gathering it will eat it and they will praise Jehovah; And those collecting it will drink it in my holy courtyards.”
Pass through, pass through the gates. Clear the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway. Rid it of stones. Raise up a signal for the peoples.
Look! Jehovah has proclaimed to the ends of the earth:
“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look! Your salvation is coming. Look! His reward is with him, And the wage he pays is before him.’”
They will be called the holy people, those repurchased by Jehovah, And you will be called Sought After, a City Not Abandoned.
Isaiah 63
Who is this coming from Edom, From Bozrah with bright-colored garments, This one with splendid clothing, Marching in his great power?
“It is I, the One speaking in righteousness, The One with great power to save.”
Why is your clothing red, And why are your garments like those of one treading the winepress?
“I have trodden the wine trough alone. No one from the peoples was with me. I kept treading them in my anger, And I kept trampling them in my wrath. My garments were spattered with their blood, And I have stained all my clothing.
For the day of vengeance is in my heart, And the year of my repurchased ones has come.
I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one offered support. So my arm brought me salvation, And my own wrath supported me.
I trampled peoples in my anger, I made them drunk with my wrath And poured out their blood on the ground.”
I will mention Jehovah’s acts of loyal love, The praiseworthy acts of Jehovah, Because of all that Jehovah has done for us, The many good things he has done for the house of Israel, According to his mercy and his great loyal love.
For he said: “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be disloyal.” So he became their Savior.
During all their distress it was distressing to him. And his own personal messenger saved them. In his love and compassion he repurchased them, And he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled and grieved his holy spirit. He then turned into their enemy, And he fought against them.
And they remembered the days of old, The days of Moses his servant:
“Where is the One who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the One who put within him His holy spirit, The One who made His glorious arm go with the right hand of Moses, The One who split the waters before them To make an everlasting name for himself, The One who made them walk through the surging waters, So that they walked without stumbling, Like a horse in the open country?
Just like livestock when they go down into the valley plain, The spirit of Jehovah made them rest.”
This is how you led your people, To make a majestic name for yourself.
Look down from heaven and see From your lofty abode of holiness and glory. Where are your zeal and your mightiness, The stirring of your compassions and your mercy? They are withheld from me.
For you are our Father; Although Abraham may not know us And Israel may not recognize us, You, O Jehovah, are our Father. Our Repurchaser of long ago is your name.
Why do you, O Jehovah, let us wander from your ways? Why do you let our hearts become hard, so that we do not fear you? Return, for the sake of your servants, The tribes of your inheritance.
Your holy people possessed it for a short time. Our adversaries have trampled on your sanctuary.
For too long we have become like those you never ruled over, Like those never called by your name.
Isaiah 64
If only you had ripped the heavens apart and come down, So that the mountains would quake because of you, As when a fire ignites the brushwood, And the fire makes the water boil, Then your name would be known to your adversaries, And the nations would tremble before you!
When you did awe-inspiring things that we dared not hope for, You came down, and the mountains quaked before you.
From of old no one has heard or given ear, Nor has any eye seen a God except you, Who acts in behalf of those who keep in expectation of him.
You have met up with those who joyfully do what is right, Those who remember you and follow your ways. Look! You became indignant, while we kept sinning, We did so for a long time. Should we now be saved?
And we have all become like someone unclean, And all our acts of righteousness are like a menstrual cloth. We will all wither like a leaf, And our errors will carry us off like the wind.
There is no one calling on your name, No one who stirs himself to take hold of you, For you have hidden your face from us, And you cause us to waste away because of our error.
But now, O Jehovah, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our Potter; We are all the work of your hand.
Do not become too indignant, O Jehovah, And do not remember our error forever. Look at us, please, for we are all your people.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a wasteland.
Our house of holiness and glory, Where our forefathers praised you, Has been burned with fire, And all the things we cherished lie in ruins.
In view of this, will you still restrain yourself, O Jehovah? Will you remain silent and let us be afflicted so severely?