541 "Sing, OÂ childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, OÂ Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband," says the Lord . 2 "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. 4 "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. 5 For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven's Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
6 For the Lord has called you back from your grief- as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
11 "OÂ storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. 13 I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. 14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat. 16 "I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord ; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!
541 "Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women." God says so! 2 "Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. 3 You're going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family. You're going to take over whole nations; you're going to resettle abandoned cities. 4 Don't be afraid - you're not going to be embarrassed. Don't hold back - you're not going to come up short. You'll forget all about the humiliations of your youth, and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory. 5 For your Maker is your bridegroom, his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel, known as God of the whole earth.
6 You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief, and God welcomed you back, Like a woman married young and then left," says your God. 7 Your Redeemer God says: "I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I'm bringing you back. 8 In an outburst of anger I turned my back on you - but only for a moment. It's with lasting love that I'm tenderly caring for you. 9 "This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I'm promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. 10 For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The God who has compassion on you says so.
11 "Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with sapphires, 12 construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. 13 All your children will have God for their teacher - what a mentor for your children! 14 You'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble - nothing to fear! far from terror - it won't even come close! 15 If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. 16 I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer - 17 But no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what God's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." God's Decree.
541 Sing, O barren, she hath not borne! Break forth with singing, and cry aloud, She hath not brought forth! For more 'are' the sons of the desolate, Than the sons of the married one, said Jehovah. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, And the curtains of thy tabernacles they stretch out, Restrain not—lengthen thy cords, And thy pins make strong. 3 For right and left thou breakest forth, And thy seed doth nations possess, 4 And desolate cities they cause to be inhabited. Fear not, for thou art not ashamed, Nor blush, for thou art not confounded, For the shame of thy youth thou forgettest, And the reproach of thy widowhood Thou dost not remember any more. 5 For thy Maker 'is' thy husband, Jehovah of Hosts 'is' His name, And thy Redeemer 'is' the Holy One of Israel, 'God of all the earth,' He is called.
6 For, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Called thee hath Jehovah, Even a youthful wife when she is refused, said thy God. 7 In a small moment I have forsaken thee, And in great mercies I do gather thee, 8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face 'for' a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer—Jehovah! 9 For, the waters of Noah 'is' this to Me, In that I have sworn—the waters of Noah Do not pass again over the earth—So I have sworn, Wrath is not upon thee, Nor rebuke against thee. 10 For the mountains depart, and the hills remove, And My kindness from thee departeth not, And the covenant of My peace removeth not, Said hath thy loving one—Jehovah.
11 O afflicted, storm-tossed, not comforted, Lo, I am laying with cement thy stones, And have founded thee with sapphires, 12 And have made of agate thy pinnacles, And thy gates of carbuncle stones, And all thy border of stones of delight, 13 And all thy sons are taught of Jehovah, And abundant 'is' the peace of thy sons. 14 In righteousness thou establishest thyself, Be far from oppression, for thou fearest not, And from ruin, for it cometh not near unto thee. 15 Lo, he doth diligently assemble without My desire, Who hath assembled near thee? By thee he falleth! 16 Lo, I—I have prepared an artizan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument for his work, And I have prepared a destroyer to destroy. 17 No weapon formed against thee prospereth, And every tongue rising against thee, In judgment thou condemnest. This 'is' the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, And their righteousness from me, an affirmation of Jehovah!
