1 "Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;

burst into song and shout,

you who have not been in labor!  * 54:1 Gl 4:27

For the children of the desolate one will be more

than the children of the married woman,"  * 54:1 1Sm 2:5; Is 62:4

says the Lord.

2 "Enlarge the site of your tent,

and let your tent curtains be stretched out;  * 54:2 Is 49:19–20

do not hold back;

lengthen your ropes,

and drive your pegs deep.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left,  * 54:3 Gn 28:14; Is 43:5–6; 60:3

and your descendants will dispossess nations

and inhabit the desolate cities.

4 "Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;  * 54:4 Is 45:17

don’t be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.

For you will forget the shame of your youth,

and you will no longer remember

the disgrace of your widowhood.  * 54:4 Is 4:1; 25:8; 51:7

5 Indeed, your husband is your Maker  * 54:5 Jr 3:14; Hs 2:19  —

his name is the Lord  of Armies —

and the Holy One of Israel  * 54:5 Is 1:4 is your Redeemer;  * 54:5 Is 41:14; 43:14

he is called the God of the whole earth.

6 For the Lord has called you,

like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,  * 54:6 Is 49:14–21; 50:1–2; 62:4

a wife of one’s youth  * 54:6 Mal 2:14 when she is rejected,"

says your God.

7 "I deserted you for a brief moment,  * 54:7 Is 26:20

but I will take you back with abundant compassion.

8 In a surge of anger

I hid my face  * 54:8 Dt 31:17–18; Is 8:17 from you for a moment,

but I will have compassion on you

with everlasting love,"  * 54:8 Ps 100:5; Jr 31:3; 33:11

says the Lord your Redeemer.

9 "For this is like the days  * 54:9 DSS, Cairo Geniza; MT, LXX read waters of Noah to me:

when I swore that the water of Noah

would never flood the earth again,  * 54:9 Gn 9:11

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you

or rebuke you.  * 54:9 Ezk 39:29

10 Though the mountains move

and the hills shake,

my love will not be removed from you

and my covenant of peace  * 54:10 Nm 25:12; Ezk 34:25; Mal 2:5 will not be shaken,"

says your compassionate Lord.

11 "Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,

I will set your stones in black mortar,  * 54:11 Lit in antimony

and lay your foundations in lapis lazuli.  * 54:11 Rv 21:19

12 I will make your fortifications  * 54:12 Lit suns; perhaps shields; Ps 84:11 out of rubies,

your gates out of sparkling stones,

and all your walls out of precious stones.

13 Then all your children will be taught by the  Lord,  * 54:13 Jn 6:45

their prosperity will be great,

14 and you will be established

on a foundation of righteousness.

You will be far from oppression,

you will certainly not be afraid;

you will be far from terror,

it will certainly not come near you.

15 If anyone attacks you,

it is not from me;

whoever attacks you

will fall before you.

16 Look, I have created the craftsman

who blows on the charcoal fire

and produces a weapon suitable for its task;

and I have created the destroyer to cause havoc.

17 No weapon formed against you will succeed,

and you will refute any accusation  * 54:17 Lit refute every tongue

raised against you in court.

This is the heritage of the  Lord’s servants,  * 54:17 Is 41:8–9; Lk 1:54

and their vindication is from me."  * 54:17 Is 45:24; 46:13

This is the  Lord’s declaration.