Isaiah 52
What Happens in This Chapter
God calls Jerusalem to wake up, shake off the dust, and put on her best clothes, because the time of being held captive is ending. He says his people were sold for nothing and will be bought back without money, and messengers run over the mountains with the news that God is King. The people are told to leave that place, stay clean, and carry the LORD's holy dishes out, without rushing, because God will go in front of them and behind them. The chapter ends by pointing to God's servant, whose face was hurt beyond recognition, and who will be lifted up high while kings fall silent.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Awake, 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, Zion! Put on your strength. Jerusalem, holy city, put on your beautiful clothes. From now on, the uncircumcised and the unclean will not come into you again.
"Uncircumcised" means people who are not part of Israel. "Unclean" means people who are not ready to come and worship God.
2Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
2Shake the dust off yourself. Get up and sit on your seat as a queen, Jerusalem. Take the chains off your neck, you people of Zion who were carried away.
3For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
3This is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing. You will be bought back and set free without any money."
4For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
4This is what the Lord GOD says: "Long ago my people went down to Egypt to live there. Later Assyria was cruel to them for no reason at all."
5Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
5"So what do I have here now?" says the LORD. "My people were taken away for nothing. The men who rule them make fun of them," says the LORD. "All day long, every day, people say bad things about my name."
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.
6"So my people will come to know my name. On that day they will know that I am the one who speaks. Look, here I am!"
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 lovely on the mountains are the feet of the messenger! He brings good news. He tells everyone that peace has come. He brings word of good things. He says that God saves. He tells Zion, "Your God is King!"
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.
8Your watchmen, the guards who watch over the city, shout out loud. They sing together for joy. They will see it with their own eyes when the LORD comes back to Zion.
9Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
9Sing for joy together, you broken and empty parts of Jerusalem. The LORD has comforted his people. He has bought Jerusalem back and set her free.
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.
10The LORD has made his holy arm bare for all the nations to see. People everywhere, all over the earth, will see how our God saves.
"Made his arm bare" is a picture of a person pushing up his sleeve to get ready for hard work or a fight.
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.
11Go away, go away, leave that place! Do not touch anything unclean. Come out from the middle of it. Make yourselves clean, you who carry the LORD's holy dishes.
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 rereward.
12You will not have to leave in a hurry. You will not have to run away. The LORD will go ahead of you. The God of Israel will walk behind you to keep you safe.
13Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
13Look, my servant will act wisely and do well. He will be lifted up and honored and raised very high.
14As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
14Many people were shocked when they looked at him. His face was hurt worse than any other man's face. His body was hurt more than a person's body should ever be.
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.
15In the same way, he will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. They will see something no one ever told them. They will understand something they never heard before.
Sprinkling water or blood on someone was how a priest showed that a person was made clean.
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