Isaiah 52:1-12

God will make Jerusalem safe again

52:1The special city of God's people is called both ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Zion’.

1 Wake up, Zion!

Be ready to show your strength!

Jerusalem, God's holy city,

Put on your beautiful clothes!

Foreign people who do not serve God

will not attack your city again.

2 Shake off the dirt, Jerusalem!

Get up and sit on your throne.

People of Zion, you are no longer prisoners,

so take the chains off your neck.

3 This is what the Lord says to you:

‘I received no money when I sold you.

And I will not pay anything to make you free again.’

4 The Almighty Lord says,

‘Long ago, my people went to live for some time in Egypt.

At a later time, Assyria's army was cruel to them.

5 But now, what is happening?

An enemy has taken my people away as slaves,

for no good reason.

52:5‘for no good reason’ or ‘without paying for them’

Their leaders boast loudly,

and they insult me all the time.

6 So I will cause my people to know my name.

When all this happens, they will know

that I am the God who speaks to them.

I tell them that I am with them.’

7 Somebody is coming across the mountains

to bring good news to us!

It is a beautiful thing to see him run towards us!

He has come to tell us that there will be peace,

because God will save our city.

He says to Zion,

‘Your God rules as king!’

8 Listen! The guards on the city's walls are shouting!

They all shout together with joy!

They can see for themselves

that the Lord is returning to Zion.

9 Jerusalem, your buildings have become heaps of stones,

but now you can all shout together with joy!

Sing aloud, because the Lord has comforted his people.

He has made Jerusalem safe again.

10 The Lord has shown all the nations how strong he is.

They can all see his holy power.

People all over the world will know

that our God has rescued his people.

11 Leave! Leave! Go out from there.

52:11The people will leave Babylon, where they have been in exile. They will leave the foreign land and they will return to Jerusalem.

Do not touch anything that is unclean.

Leave that foreign place!

The people who carry the Lord's special things

must keep themselves pure.

12 But you will not have to hurry and run away.

No, the Lord, Israel's God, will keep you safe.

He will lead you at the front,

and he will be your guard at the back.