Isaiah 52

1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, Put on the garments of thy beauty, Jerusalem — the Holy City; For enter no more into thee again, Do the uncircumcised and unclean.

Wake up, wake up, Zion! Be strong! Put on your best clothes, Jerusalem, the holy city. Heathen foreigners won't ever enter you again.

2 Shake thyself from dust, arise, sit, O Jerusalem, Bands of thy neck have loosed themselves, O captive, daughter of Zion.

Shake yourself free from the dust and get up. Sit on your throne, Jerusalem. Throw off the chains around your neck, captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus said Jehovah: 'For nought ye have been sold, And not by money are ye redeemed.'

This is what the Lord says: You were sold for nothing, and you will be bought back without money.

4 For thus said the Lord Jehovah: 'To Egypt My people went down at first to sojourn there, And Asshur — for nought he hath oppressed it.

This is what the Lord God says: First of all, my people went to live in Egypt, then Assyria conquered them for no reason.

5 And now, what — to Me here, An affirmation of Jehovah, That taken is My people for nought? Its rulers cause howling, — an affirmation of Jehovah, And continually all the day My name is despised.

What do have I to do now? asks the Lord. My people have been taken into captivity for no reason. Those who rule them mock them, and I'm treated with contempt that whole time, says the Lord.

6 Therefore doth My people know My name, Therefore, in that day, Surely I [am] He who is speaking, behold Me.'

So I'm going to make sure my people know me; at that time they will know that I am the one who means what he says. Yes, it's me!

7 How comely on the mountains, Have been the feet of one proclaiming tidings, Sounding peace, proclaiming good tidings, Sounding salvation, Saying to Zion, 'Reigned hath thy God.'

What a wonderful sight in the mountains is the one running to bring good news, announcing peace and good news, announcing salvation, telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”

8 The voice of thy watchmen! They have lifted up the voice, together they cry aloud, Because eye to eye they see, in Jehovah's turning back [to] Zion.

The city watchmen shout loudly and sing for joy together; they all see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.

9 Break forth, sing together, O wastes of Jerusalem, For Jehovah hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.

Let Jerusalem's ruins all sing for joy for the Lord has come to care for his people; he has set Jerusalem free.

10 Jehovah hath made bare His holy arm Before the eyes of all the nations, And seen have all the ends of the earth, The salvation of our God.

The Lord has demonstrated his holy power to all the nations; the whole world will see our God's salvation.

11 Turn aside, turn aside, go out thence, The unclean touch not, go out from her midst, Be ye pure, who are bearing the weapons of Jehovah.

Leave, leave, get out of there! Don't bring anything pagan; come out and leave it all behind. Those of you who carry the Lord's sacred articles are to purify yourselves.

12 For not in haste do ye go out, Yea, with flight ye go not on, For going before you [is] Jehovah, And gathering you [is] the God of Israel!

But don't leave in a hurry, don't be in a rush as if you're running away, for the Lord will go ahead of you, and he will also protect those at the back.

13 Lo, My servant doth act wisely, He is high, and hath been lifted up, And hath been very high.

Look: my servant will act wisely; he will be praised highly, he will be elevated in position, and seen as someone people look up to.

14 As astonished at thee have been many, (So marred by man his appearance, And his form by sons of men.)

But many were horrified by him, so disfigured in appearance, no longer looking like a man, so unlike anyone human.

15 So doth he sprinkle many nations. Concerning him kings shut their mouth, For that which was not recounted to them they have seen, And that which they had not heard they have understood!

He will surprise many nations, and kings will keep quiet because of him—for they'll see what they haven't been told, and they'll understand what they hadn't heard.