| Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 54
"Sing,
O barren woman, you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy, you who were
never in labor; because more are the children
of the desolate woman than of her who has a
husband," says the LORD.
"Enlarge
the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains
wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes. For you will spread
out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations and
settle in their desolate cities.
"Do
not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do
not fear disgrace; you will not be umiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth and
remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
For your Maker is your husband- the LORD Almighty
is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your
Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
The LORD will call you back as if you were a
wife deserted and distressed in spirit- a wife
who married young, only to be rejected,"
says your God.
"For
a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep
compassion I will bring you back. In a surge
of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion
on you," says the LORD your Redeemer.
"To
me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore
that the waters of Noah would never again cover
the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry
with you, never to rebuke you again. Though
the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed," says
the LORD, who has compassion on you.
"O
afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise, your
foundations with sapphires. I will make your
battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling
jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.
All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and
great will be your children's peace. In righteousness
you will be established: Tyranny will be far
from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror
will be far removed; it will not come near you.
If anyone does attack you, it will not be my
doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.
"See,
it is I who created the blacksmith who fans
the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit
for its work. And it is I who have created the
destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against
you will prevail, and you will refute every
tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage
of the servants of the LORD, and this is their
vindication from me," declares the LORD
.
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