62
Isaiah's prayer for Jerusalem
1 Because I am very concerned about the people of Jerusalem [DOU],
I must do something to help them.
I will not stop praying for them
until their rescue from their oppressors is as apparent to everyone as the dawn,
until it is as clear as a torch shining brightly at night.
2 Some day the people of many nations will know that God has rescued you.
Their kings will see how great/glorious your city is.
And Yahweh will give your city a new name.
3 Yahweh will hold you up in his hands in order that everyone can see you.
Under his authority, you will be like a glorious headband/turban worn by a king.
4 Your city will never again be called 'the deserted city' and your land will never again be called 'the desolate land;'
it will be called 'the land that Yahweh delights in,'
and 'married to Yahweh,'
because Yahweh will delight in you,
and it will be as though you are his bride [MET].
5 You people will take possession of all the land of Judah
like [SIM] a young man takes possession of his bride.
Then your God will rejoice that you belong to him
like a bridegroom rejoices that his bride belongs to him.
6 You people of Jerusalem, I have placed watchmen on your walls;
they will plead to Yahweh day and night.
You watchmen, you must not stop praying
and reminding Yahweh about what he has promised to do.
7 And tell Yahweh that he should not rest until he finishes his work
of causing Jerusalem to be a city that is famous throughout the world.
8 Yahweh has raised his right hand to solemnly promise to the people of Jerusalem,
“I will never again allow your enemies to defeat you;
soldiers from other nations will never come again to take away your grain
and the grapes that you harvested to make wine.
9 You yourselves grew the grain,
and you will be the ones who will praise Yahweh as you eat the bread made from the grain.
Inside the courtyards of the temple
you yourselves will drink the wine made from your grapes.”
10 Go out through the city gates!
Prepare the highway on which my people will return from exile/Babylon.
Make the road smooth;
clear off all the stones;
set up signal flags to help the people-groups to see where the road is.
11 This is the message that Yahweh has sent to the people of every nation:
“Tell the people of Israel, 'Your rescuer/savior is coming!'
Look! He will be bringing your reward to you;
those whom he is setting free will be going ahead of him.''
12 They will be called 'Yahweh's own people,
the ones whom he rescued.'
And Jerusalem will be known as the city that Yahweh loves,
the city that is no longer abandoned.
Note: The Old Testament in this translation is still being worked on, and is in draft form. Updates will be posted at eBible.org/t4t/.