Isaiah 52

¹ Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your glorious garments, O Jerusalem, holy city. No longer shall the uncircumcised or the unclean enter you.

² Shake off the dust, ascend to the throne, Jerusalem; Loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter Zion!

³ For thus says the LORD: You were sold for nothing, and without money you shall be redeemed.

⁴ Thus says the Lord GOD: To Egypt in the beginning my people went down, to sojourn there; Assyria, too, oppressed them for nought.

⁵ But now, what am I to do here? says the LORD. My people have been taken away without redress; their rulers make a boast of it, says the LORD; all the day my name is constantly reviled.

⁶ Therefore on that day my people shall know my renown, that it is I who have foretold it. Here I am!

⁷ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, "Your God is King!"

⁸ Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry, together they shout for joy, For they see directly, before their eyes, the LORD restoring Zion.

⁹ Break out together in song, O ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, he redeems Jerusalem.

¹⁰ The LORD has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; All the ends of the earth will behold the salvation of our God.

¹¹ Depart, depart, come forth from there, touch nothing unclean! Out from there! Purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

¹² Yet not in fearful haste will you come out, nor leave in headlong flight, For the LORD comes before you, and your rear guard is the God of Israel.

¹³ See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.

¹⁴ Even as many were amazed at him-- so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals--

¹⁵ So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it.