Isaiah 54

1 “Sing, you barren woman, you who have not given birth; break into joyful singing and cry aloud, you who have never been in birth labor. For the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married woman,” says Yahweh.

Let your voice be loud in song, O woman without children; make melody and sounds of joy, you who did not give birth: for the children of her who had no husband are more than those of the married wife, says the Lord.

2 “Make your tent larger and spread your tent curtains farther out, unsparingly; lengthen your ropes and strengthen your stakes.

Make wide the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your house be stretched out without limit: make your cords long, and your tent-pins strong.

3 For you will spread out to the right hand and to the left, and your descendants will conquer nations and resettle desolate cities.

For I will make wide your limits on the right hand and on the left; and your seed will take the nations for a heritage, and make the waste towns full of people.

4 Do not fear for you will not be ashamed, nor be discouraged for you will not be disgraced; you will forget the shame of your youth and the disgrace of your abandonment.

Have no fear; for you will not be shamed or without hope: you will not be put to shame, for the shame of your earlier days will go out of your memory, and you will no longer keep in mind the sorrows of your widowed years.

5 For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of hosts is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of the whole earth.

For your Maker is your husband; the Lord of armies is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is he who takes up your cause; he will be named the God of all the earth.

6 For Yahweh has called you back as a wife abandoned and grieved in spirit, like a woman married young and rejected,” says your God.

For the Lord has made you come back to him, like a wife who has been sent away in grief of spirit; for one may not give up the wife of one's early days.

7 “For a short time I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

For a short time I gave you up; but with great mercies I will take you back again.

8 In a flood of anger I hid my face from you momentarily; but with everlasting covenant faithfulness I will have mercy on you— says Yahweh, the one who rescues you.

In overflowing wrath my face was veiled from you for a minute, but I will have pity on you for ever, says the Lord who takes up your cause.

9 For this is like the waters of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.

For this is like the days of Noah to me: for as I took an oath that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so have I taken an oath that I will not again be angry with you, or say bitter words to you.

10 Though the mountains may fall and the hills be shaken, yet my steadfast love will not turn away from you, nor will my covenant of peace be shaken— says Yahweh, who has mercy on you.

For the mountains may be taken away, and the hills be moved out of their places, but my love will not be taken from you, or my agreement of peace broken, says the Lord, who has had mercy on you.

11 Afflicted one, storm-driven and uncomforted one, look, I will set your pavement in turquoise, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

O troubled one, storm-crushed, uncomforted! see, your stones will be framed in fair colours, and your bases will be sapphires.

12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies and your gates of sparkling stones, and your outer wall of beautiful stones.

I will make your towers of rubies, and your doors of carbuncles, and the wall round you will be of all sorts of beautiful stones.

13 Then all your children will be taught by Yahweh; and the peace of your children will be great.

And all your builders will be made wise by the Lord; and great will be the peace of your children.

14 In righteousness you will be established, and you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near to you.

All your rights will be made certain to you: have no fear of evil, and destruction will not come near you.

15 Look, if anyone stirs up trouble, it will not be from me; anyone who stirs up trouble with you will fall in defeat.

See, they may be moved to war, but not by my authority: all those who come together to make an attack on you, will be broken against you.

16 See, I have created the craftsman, who blows the burning coals and forges weapons as his work, and I have created the destroyer to destroy.

See, I have made the iron-worker, blowing on the burning coals, and making the instrument of war by his work; and I have made the waster for destruction.

17 No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; and you will condemn everyone who accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their vindication from me—this is Yahweh's declaration.”

No instrument of war which is formed against you will be of any use; and every tongue which says evil against you will be judged false. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness comes from me, says the Lord.

A Dove is Sent Forth from the Ark