To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified, (61:3). Continue reading →

“No longer will you have the sun for light by day,
Nor for brightness will the moon give you light;
But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And your God for your glory.
²⁰ “Your sun will no longer set,
Nor will your moon wane;
For you will have the Lord for an everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning will be over,” (60:19-20). Continue reading →

Therefore justice is far from us,
And righteousness does not overtake us;
We hope for light, but behold, darkness,
For brightness, but we walk in gloom.
¹⁰ We grope along the wall like blind men,
We grope like those who have no eyes;
We stumble at midday as in the twilight,
Among those who are vigorous we are like dead men.
¹¹ All of us growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none,
For salvation, but it is far from us, (59:9-11). Continue reading →

“Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed
And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?” (58:5). Continue reading →

For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite,” (57:15). Continue reading →

The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered,” (56:8).

The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered,” (56:8 ESV). Continue reading →

“Incline your ear and come to Me.
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David, (55:3). Continue reading →

“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you,” (54:14). Continue reading →

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors, (53:12). Continue reading →

The Lord has bared His holy arm
In the sight of all the nations,
That all the ends of the earth may see
The salvation of our God, (52:10). Continue reading →