Isaiah 54

1 “Shout for joy [with triumphant praise], O barren [sterile, unable to bear children] woman, who bears no children [has not given birth]; break forth [burst out, cry aloud] in song and cry aloud [shout with joy], you who have never travailed [experienced childbirth, suffered in labor]; because more are the children of the desolate [abandoned, without a husband] woman than of her who has a husband [is married, has a master],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 2 “Enlarge [make wide, to grow wide] the site [place, location] of your tent [tabernacle, dwelling], stretch out [to spread out, extend] the curtains [drapes, hanging fabric] of your dwellings [habitations, homes], do not [refrain from, spare not] hold back [withhold, restrain]. Lengthen [to prolong, make long] your ropes [cords, strings] and drive [to thrust, push] your stakes [pegs, nails] in deep [strongly, firmly]. word study 3 For you will spread out [break forth, increase] to the right [the south] and left [the north]; your descendants [seed, offspring] will dispossess [possess, inherit] the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples] and inhabit [dwell, settle] the desolate [abandoned, devastated] cities [towns, communities]. word study 4 Do not be afraid [fear not, do not be terrified], for you will not be put to shame [ashamed, humiliated, or disgraced]; do not be intimidated [confounded, upset], for you will not be humiliated [disgraced, shamed]. For you will forget [mislay, be oblivious to] the shame [embarrassment, guilt] of your youth [adolescence, vigor] and will remember no more [not recall, no longer mind] the reproach [scorn, disgrace] of your widowhood [state of being a widow, loneliness]. word study 5 For your husband [Maker, the One who created you] is your Maker— the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people or things] is His name— the Holy [set apart, sacred] One of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] is your Redeemer [the One who buys back, saves]; He is called [known as, named] the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of all [everything, the whole] the earth [land, territory, or region]. word study 6 For the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has called [invited, summoned] you back, like a wife [woman, female companion] deserted [forsaken, abandoned] and wounded [hurt, grieved] in spirit [breath of life, mind and emotions], like the rejected [cast off, refused] wife of one’s youth [early days, youthful years],” says your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator]. word study 7 “For a brief [small, short] moment I forsook [abandoned, loosened] you, but with great [abundant, vast] compassion [tender love, mercies] I will bring [gather, collect] you back. word study 8 In a surge [overflowing, outburst] of anger [wrath, rage] I hid [concealed, veiled] My face [presence, countenance] from you for a moment [brief instant, short time], but with everlasting [forever, age-during] kindness [lovingkindness, mercy] I will have compassion [pity, love] on you,” says the LORD [Yehovah, the Redeemer] your Redeemer [Savior, Deliverer]. word study 9 “For to Me this is like the days of Noah [a time of divine judgment and salvation], when I swore [made a solemn oath, promised] that the waters of Noah [a devastating flood] would never again cover the earth [the land, the material world]. So I have sworn [pledged, vowed] that I will not be angry with you [or furious, full of wrath] or rebuke you [correct or scold, with a stern warning]. word study 10 Though the mountains [may cease to exist, may disappear] may be removed [taken away, departed] and the hills [small hills] may be shaken [waver, unstable], My loving devotion [kindness, mercy, pity] will not depart [be taken away, removed] from you, and My covenant [promise, agreement, treaty] of peace [completeness, wellness, friendship, shalom] will not be broken [removed, shaken],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], who has compassion [mercy, love, pity] on you. word study 11 “O afflicted [troubled, storm-crushed] city, lashed [tossed] by storms [tempests], without [lacking] solace [comfort], surely I [the Lord] will set your stones [precious gems] in antimony [fair colors, a type of eye makeup] and lay your foundations [establish, sit down together] with sapphires [valuable blue stones]. word study 12 I will make your pinnacles [of valuable red stones, rubies] of rubies, your gates [carbuncles] of sparkling jewels, and all your walls [borders, boundaries] of precious [pleasant, delightful] stones. word study 13 Then all [every single one] your sons [children, descendants] will be taught [instructed, discipled] by the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], and great [abundant, many] will be their [your children’s] prosperity [peace, shalom, completeness]. word study 14 In [moral and spiritual] righteousness [justice, virtue, and morality] you will be established [set up, firmly founded], far from [completely removed from] oppression [injury, fraud, or unjust gain], for you will have no [absence of] fear [dread, or anxiety]. Terror [ruin, consternation, or destruction] will be far removed, for it will not come near [approach or draw close to] you. word study 15 If anyone [an invader, an enemy] attacks [assails, gathers against] you, it is not from Me [not by my authority, not sent by me]; whoever [anyone who, whosoever] assails [gathers together against] you will fall [be defeated, fail] before [because of, on account of] you. word study 16 Behold [look, see], I [the Lord, God] have created [brought into existence, formed] the craftsman [artificer, skilled worker] who fans [blows, breathes on] the coals [burning embers] into flame [fire] and forges [makes, shapes] a weapon [instrument, tool] fit [suitable, appropriate] for its task [work, purpose]; and I have created [formed, made] the destroyer [waster, one who ruins] to wreak [cause, bring about] havoc [destruction, chaos]. word study 17 No weapon [forged to harm] formed against you shall prosper [succeed, achieve its goal], and you will refute [condemn, prove wrong] every tongue [language, accusation] that accuses you. This is the heritage [inheritance, birthright] of the servants [slaves, devoted ones] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], and their vindication [righteousness, justification] is from Me [with Me, through My power],” declares the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. word study