Isaiah 52

1Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

1Wake up, wake up! Clothe yourselves with strength, Zion. Put on your beautiful clothes, Jerusalem, the holy city. From now on, the godless and the unclean will never enter you again.

2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit on thy throne, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

2Shake off the dust! Rise up and sit on your throne, Jerusalem. Remove the chains from your neck, captive daughter of Zion.

3For thus saith Jehovah, Ye were sold for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

3For this is what the LORD says: You were sold for nothing, and you will be bought back without any payment of money.

4For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there: and the Assyrian hath oppressed them without cause.

4For the Lord GOD says: At first, my people went down to Egypt to live there as foreigners, and later the Assyrians oppressed them for no reason.

5Now therefore, what do I here, saith Jehovah, seeing that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them do howl, saith Jehovah, and my name continually all the day is blasphemed.

5So now, what am I doing here? says the LORD. My people have been taken away for nothing, those who rule over them mock them, says the LORD, and my name is insulted all day long.

6Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I.

6Therefore, my people will know my name. In that day, they will know that it is I who spoke; look, it is I!

7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, who announces peace, who brings news of happiness, who announces salvation, and who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'

8The voice of thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah returneth to Zion.

8Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; they shout for joy together. With their own eyes, they will see the LORD returning to Zion.

9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

9Break out into shouts of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted his people; he has rescued Jerusalem.

10Jehovah hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

10The LORD has shown his holy power in front of all the nations. Every corner of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

11Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of Jehovah.

11Leave! Leave! Get out of there! Don't touch anything unclean. Get out of the city and keep yourselves pure, you who carry the equipment for the LORD'S temple.

12For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight: for Jehovah will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.

12But you will not leave in a frantic hurry, nor will you have to run away like fugitives. For the LORD will go ahead of you, and the God of Israel will also guard your back.

13Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

13Look, my servant will act wisely. He will be raised up, honored, and highly exalted.

14Like as many were astonished at thee (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),

14Just as many were shocked at him—his appearance was so disfigured he didn't even look human, and his form was ruined beyond recognition—

15so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they understand.

15so he will cleanse many nations. Kings will be silenced because of him. For they will see things they had never been told, and they will understand things they had never heard.