CHAPTER 54

1 Shout, O barrens that didst not bear; Shout And sing, thou that didst not conceive; For more are the children of the widow, Than the children of the married woman, saith Jehovah.

2 Widen the place of thy tabernacles; And let them stretch out the curtains of thy tents; Spare not; Lengthen thy cords; And strengthen thy stakes.

3 For on the right hand And on the left thou shalt be multiplied; And thy seed shall possess the Gentiles; And they shall inhabit the desolate cities.

4 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; And blush not, for thou shalt not be exposed to disgrace; Yea, the shame of thy youth thou shalt forget; And the reproach of thy widowhood thou shalt no longer remember.

5 For thy husband is thy Make, Whose name is Jehovah of hosts; And thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. ¹

6 For as a woman forsaken And broken in spirit Jehovah hath called thee; And a wife of youth, Who hadst been dismissed, Saith thy God.

7 For a little moment have I forsaken thee, And with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a moment of wrath I hid my face for a little from thee; But with everlasting kindness have I had compassion on thee, Saith Jehovah thy Redeemer.

9 For the waters of Noah ² this is to me; As I have sworn that the waters of Noah Shall no more pass over the earth; So have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, To rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall indeed be shaken, And the hills shall tremble; But my mercy shall not depart from thee, And the covenant of my peace shall not waver, Saith Jehovah, who hath compassion on thee.

11 O thou wretched, tossed by a tempest, Destitute of consolation; Behold! I will build thy stones on carbuncles, And will found thee on sapphires.

12 And I will lay thy windows with pearls, And thy gates with shilling stone, And all thy borders with precious stone.

13 For all thy children shall be taught by Jehovah, And thy children shall have great peace.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be equipped; Thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear it; And from terror, for it shall not come near thee.

15 And he who assembleth shall assemble against thee without me; He who assembleth in thee shall fall against thee.

16 Behold! I have created the smith, That bloweth the coals in the fire, And bringeth out the instrument for his work; I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No instrument that hath been formed against thee shall prosper; And every tongue that hath risen against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah; And their righteousness is from me, saith Jehovah.