Gud indvarsler en ny tid
1Glæd dig, du kvinde, som ikke kan få børn. Bryd ud i jubel, du, som ikke kender til veer. Den tilsidesatte hustru får masser af børn, langt flere end hende, der har manden.
2Gør dine telte større, spar ikke på pladsen. Udspænd flere teltduge, gør bardunerne længere, og slå pløkkerne godt fast. 3For dine efterkommere skal brede sig til højre og venstre. De skal bosætte sig i de forladte byer og herske over fremmede folkeslag.
4Vær ved godt mod, for du vil ikke blive skuffet. Din ungdoms skam skal du glemme, dine sørgeår som bortvist hustru er forbi. 5Din Skaber vil hjemføre dig som sin brud. Herren, den Almægtige, er hans navn. Han er din Befrier, Israels Hellige, hele jordens Gud. 6Israels folk, du er som en gift kvinde, der sidder forladt og sørgende tilbage, som en ungdomshustru, der blev forkastet af sin mand.
Men din Gud siger: „Jeg kalder dig hjem nu. 7Et kort øjeblik forlod jeg dig, men i min store kærlighed tager jeg dig nu til nåde. 8I vrede vendte jeg mit ansigt bort fra dig en tid, men nu vil jeg for altid vise dig kærlighed og troskab. Det er et løfte fra Herren, din Befrier.
9På Noas tid svor jeg, at jeg ikke igen ville lade en flodbølge oversvømme jorden og udrydde alt liv. Nu sværger jeg, at jeg ikke igen vil blive vred og true med at sende dig væk. 10Bjerge kan brydes ned og høje kan vakle, men min kærlighed til dig brydes ikke ned, og min fredspagt kan ikke vakle, siger Herren, som viser dig barmhjertighed.
11Mit stakkels hærgede og trøstesløse folk, jeg genopbygger jeres by med smaragder på et fundament af safirer. 12Jeg bygger dens tårne af rubiner, giver den porte af juveler og laver dens ringmur af ædelsten. 13Alle dens indbyggere vil blive undervist af Gud, og det vil gå dem godt. 14I skal få retfærdige ledere, og I skal ikke frygte for nye rædsler, for jeres fjender vil holde sig langt borte. 15Hvis nogen angriber jer, er det imod min vilje, og de vil ikke kunne stå sig i kampen mod jer. 16Det er mig, som har skabt smeden, der puster til gløderne på essen og laver stærke våben. Det er også mig, der har skabt de hære, som bringer ødelæggelse. 17Men de våben, som anvendes imod jer, vil ikke fungere, og de, der anklager jer, bliver selv dømt. Jeg vil selv forsvare mine tjenere og give dem oprejsning.
Jerusalem Will Be Glorious
1“Jerusalem, sing!
You are now like a woman who never had a child.
Burst into song! Shout for joy!
You who have never had labor pains,
you are now all alone.
But you will have more children than a woman who still has a husband,”
says the Lord.
2“Make a large area for your tent.
Spread out its curtains.
Go ahead and make your tent wider.
Make its ropes longer.
Drive the stakes down deeper.
3You will spread out to the right and the left.
Your children after you will drive out the nations that are now living in your land.
They will make their homes in the deserted cities of those nations.
4“Do not be afraid. You will not be put to shame anymore.
Do not be afraid of being dishonored.
People will no longer make fun of you.
You will forget the time when you suffered as slaves in Egypt.
You will no longer remember the shame
of being a widow in Babylon.
5I made you. I am now your husband.
My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I have set you free.
I am the God of the whole earth.
6You were like a wife who was deserted.
And her heart was broken.
You were like a wife who married young.
And her husband sent her away.
But now I am calling you to come back,” says your God.
7“For a brief moment I left you.
But because I love you so much, I will bring you back.
8For a moment I turned my face away from you.
I was very angry with you.
But I will show you my loving concern.
My faithful love will continue forever,”
says the Lord. He is the one who set you free.
9“During Noah’s time I made a promise.
I said I would never cover the earth with water again.
In the same way, I have promised not to be angry with you.
I will never punish you again.
10The mountains might shake.
The hills might be removed.
But my faithful love for you will never be shaken.
And my covenant that promises peace to you will never be removed,”
says the Lord. He shows you his loving concern.
11“Suffering city, you have been beaten by storms.
You have not been comforted.
I will rebuild you with turquoise stones.
I will rebuild your foundations with lapis lazuli.
12I will line the top of your city wall with rubies.
I will make your gates out of gleaming jewels.
And I will make all your walls out of precious stones.
13I will teach all your children.
And they will enjoy great peace.
14When you do what is right,
you will be made secure.
Your leaders will not be mean to you.
You will not have anything to be afraid of.
You will not be terrified anymore.
Terror will not come near you.
15People might attack you. But I will not be the cause of it.
Those who attack you will give themselves up to you.
16“I created blacksmiths.
They fan the coals into flames of fire.
They make weapons that are fit for their work.
I also created those who destroy others.
17But no weapon used against you will succeed.
People might bring charges against you.
But you will prove that they are wrong.
Those are the things I do for my servants.
I make everything right for them,”
announces the Lord.
