Isaiah 54

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

1Sing, woman who never had a baby! You never gave birth. Now sing out and shout for joy. The woman left alone will have more children than the woman with a husband. The LORD says so.

2Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

2Make your tent bigger. Stretch out the cloth walls of your home. Do not hold back. Make your ropes longer. Push your tent stakes in deep.

3For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

3You will spread out to the right and to the left. Your children and their children will take over the land of other nations. They will live in cities that are empty now.

4Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

4Do not be afraid. You will not be shamed. Do not lose hope, because no one will laugh at you. You will forget the shame you felt when you were young. You will not remember the sad shame of losing your husband.

5For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

5The God who made you is like a husband to you. His name is the LORD who commands armies. He is the one who buys you back and sets you free. He is the Holy One of Israel. He will be called the God of the whole earth.

6For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

6The LORD has called you back to himself. You were like a wife who was left alone and hurt deep inside. You were like a young wife whose husband sent her away. Your God says this.

7For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

7I left you alone for a short moment. But I will gather you back with great love.

8In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

8I was angry, so I turned my face away for a moment. But I will be kind to you forever and show you love. The LORD who saves you says this.

9For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

9To me this is like the days of Noah. I promised that Noah's flood would never cover the earth again. In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you or scold you.

10For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

10The mountains may go away. The hills may be shaken loose. But my kindness will never leave you. My promise to give you peace will not be broken. The LORD who loves you says this.

11O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

11You poor city, tossed about by storms, with no one to comfort you. Look! I will set your stones so their colors shine. I will build your base with blue sapphire stones.

12And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

12I will make your high walls out of red jewels. I will make your gates out of sparkling stones. Every wall around you will be precious stone.

NoteThe KJV says "agates" and "carbuncles." These are old names for gemstones that shine red and sparkle.

13And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

13The LORD himself will teach all your children. And your children will have great peace.

14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

14You will be built up strong by doing what is right. No one will push you down. You will not be afraid. Nothing scary will come near you.

15Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

15People may come together to fight you. But I am not the one sending them. Anyone who attacks you will fall down before you.

NoteThe KJV says people will gather "but not by me." That means God is not the one sending them to attack.

16Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

16Look, I made the blacksmith. He blows on the coals to make the fire hot. Then he hammers out a weapon for his work. I also made the one who destroys.

NoteIn the KJV, "waster" means a destroyer, someone who ruins and tears things down.

17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

17No weapon made to hurt you will win. If anyone speaks against you in court, you will show that they are wrong. This is the gift the LORD gives to his servants. I am the one who makes them right. The LORD says this.