Isaiah 52 WBT
Summary: Zion is called to awake, put on strength and beautiful garments, and shake off the dust of captivity, for the uncircumcised and unclean will no longer enter her, and she is told she was sold for nothing and will be redeemed without money. The chapter includes the celebrated image of the messenger on the mountains bringing good tidings of peace and salvation, proclaiming "Thy God reigneth!" (v. 7), as watchmen lift their voices together seeing the LORD returning to Zion, and the LORD baring His holy arm before all nations so "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (v. 10). The people are urged to depart Babylon, touching nothing unclean, going out not in haste but with the LORD going before and behind them as rearguard. The chapter closes introducing the Servant who will be exalted and very high, though many will be astonished at his marred appearance, setting up the Servant Song that follows in chapter 53.
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.
2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, [and] sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down formerly into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for naught? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day [is] blasphemed.
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.
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 to Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations: and all the ends of the earth shall 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; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel [will be] your rear-ward.
13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15So shall he sprinkle many nations; the 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 consider.
Also read this chapter in: KJV, WEB, ASV, WYC, GNV, DBY, YLT