Isaiah 63

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

1Who is this coming from Edom, from the town of Bozrah? His clothes are stained red. He walks with great strength. He says, "It is I. I speak what is right. I am strong to save."

2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

2Why are your clothes red? They look like the clothes of a person who stomps on grapes.

Note"Winefat" is an old word for a winepress. It was a big stone tub. People crushed grapes by stepping on them with their bare feet. The juice ran out red.

3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

3"I stomped the grapes alone. No one from the nations was with me. I trampled them because I was angry. I walked on them in my great anger. Their blood splashed on my clothes. All my clothes were stained.

4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

4"The day to pay back wrong was in my heart. The year to set my people free had come.

5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

5"I looked, but no one was there to help. I was shocked that no one stood with me. So my own arm saved me. My own anger held me up.

6And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

6"I trampled the nations because I was angry. In my anger I made them stumble like drunk people. I poured their blood out on the ground."

7I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

7I will tell about the LORD's steady love. I will tell about the good things he did. He gave so much to the people of Israel. He did it because he is kind and full of love.

8For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.

8For he said, "These are surely my people. They are children who will be true to me." So he became the one who saved them.

9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

9When they were hurting, he was hurting too. His own angel, his messenger, saved them. He loved them and felt sorry for them, so he set them free. He picked them up and carried them, all through those long-ago days.

10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

10But they turned against him. They made his Holy Spirit sad. So he turned and became their enemy. He himself fought against them.

Note"Vexed" here does not mean annoyed. It means they made God's Spirit sad, the way you make a loving parent sad.

11Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?

11Then his people remembered the old days, the days of Moses. They asked, "Where is the one who brought us up out of the sea? He brought us out with the shepherds who led his flock. Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit among them?

12That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?

12"He sent his strong arm to walk beside Moses. He split the water open in front of them. He did it so his name would be known forever.

13That led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?

13"He led them through the deep water. They went like a horse running on open land. They did not trip."

14As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.

14Cattle go down into a valley and rest there. In the same way, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. That is how you led your people, LORD. You did it to make your name great.

15Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

15Look down from heaven and see us. Look from your holy and shining home. Where is your strong care for us? Where is your deep love and kindness? Are you holding them back from me?

NoteThe KJV says "the sounding of thy bowels." In old English, that meant a person's deepest feelings of love and pity, not their stomach.

16Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

16But you are our father. Abraham does not know us now. Israel does not claim us as his own. But you, LORD, are our father. You are the one who sets us free. Your name has always been.

17O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

17LORD, why do you let us wander away from your paths? Why do you let our hearts grow hard, so we stop honoring you? Come back to us. We are your servants. We are the families that belong to you.

18The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

18Your holy people had your holy place for only a short time. Now our enemies have stomped all over it.

19We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name.

19We have become like people you never ruled. We seem like people who never carried your name.