And I will lead the blind by a road they do not know; I will cause [them] to tread on paths they have not known. I will make darkness {in their presence} into light and rough places into level ground. These [are] the things I will do, and I will not forsake them.

They shall turn back; they shall be {greatly ashamed}, those who trust in an image, who say to a cast image, "You [are] our gods."

But this [is] a people plundered and looted; all of them are trapped in holes, and they are kept hidden in houses of imprisonment. They have become like plunder, and there is no one who saves; [like] booty, and there is no one who says, "Restore!"

Who gave Jacob to a plunderer and Israel to those who plunder? [Was it] not Yahweh, against whom we have sinned? And they were not willing to walk in his ways, and they would not {obey} his law.

When you pass through the waters, I [will be] with you, and through the rivers, they shall not flow over you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and [the] flame shall not scorch you.

Bring out [the] people blind yet with eyes, and deaf, though they have ears.

Let all the nations gather together, and let [the] peoples assemble. Who among them has declared this, and {declared} [the] former things to us? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be in the right, and let them hear and say, "[It is] true!"

who brings out chariot and horse, army and mighty one. Together they lie down; they cannot rise. They are extinguished, quenched like wick.

this people whom I formed for myself, so they might {make known} my praise.

And they shall sprout {among} [the] grass like willows by a watercourse of water.

All those who form an idol [are] nothing, and their delightful things do not profit. And their witnesses do not see or know, so they will be ashamed.

Look! all his companions shall be ashamed, and [the] artisans [are] human! Let all of them assemble; let them stand up. They shall tremble; they shall be ashamed together.

They do not know, and they do not understand, for their eyes [are] besmeared {so that they cannot see}, their {minds} {so that they have no insight}.

who keeps the word of his servant and carries out the plan of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt, and I will restore its ruins';

so that they may know from [the] rising of [the] sun and from [the] west that [there is] none besides me; I [am] Yahweh and there is none besides [me].

Thus says Yahweh: "The acquisition of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabeans, tall men, shall pass over to you; they shall be yours, and they shall walk behind you. They shall pass over in chains, and they shall bow down to you; they will pray to you: 'Surely God [is] with you, and there is no [other]. Besides [him] [there is] no God.'"

Assemble and come; draw near together, survivors of the nations! They do not know, those who carry {their wooden idols} and pray to a god who cannot save.

In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right, and they shall boast."

They stoop; they bow down together. They are not able to save [the] burden, but {they themselves go} in captivity.

Those who lavish gold from [the] purse and weigh out silver in the balance scales; hire {a goldsmith} and he makes him a god; they bow down, indeed they bow in worship.

They carry it on [their] shoulder; they support it and they set it [in] its place, and it stands in position. It cannot be removed from its place; even [when] he cries out to it, it does not answer. It does not save him from his trouble.

Come down and sit on [the] dust, virgin daughter of Babylon! Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter of Chaldea! For {they shall no longer call} you tender and delicate.

Sit silently and go into the darkness, daughter of Chaldea, for {they shall no longer call} you mistress of kingdoms.

Look! They are like stubble; [the] fire burns them completely. They cannot deliver {themselves} from [the] {power} of [the] flame; there is no coal {for warming oneself}, [no] fire before which to sit.

So are to you [those with] whom you have labored, your traders from your youth. They wander, each to his side; there is no one who can save you.

For they call themselves {after the holy city}, and they lean on the God of Israel-- Yahweh of hosts [is] his name.

"I declared the former things from {of old}, and they went out from my mouth. And I {announced} them suddenly; I acted, and they came [to pass],

And I declared [them] to you from of old; I { announced} [them] to you before they came [to pass] so that you would not say, 'My idol did them, and my image and my cast image commanded them.'

Now they are created, and not from {of old}, and before today, and you have not heard them so that you could not say, "Look! I knew them."

Indeed, my hand founded [the] earth, and my right hand spread out [the] heavens; [when] I summon them, they stand in position together.

And [when] he led them through the deserts, they were not thirsty; he made water flow from [the] rock for them, and he split [the] rock, and [the] water gushed out.

Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one, to the one who despises life, to the one who abhors [the] nation, to [the] slave of rulers: "Kings shall see and stand up; princes, and they shall bow down, for the sake of Yahweh, who [is] faithful, the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you."

saying to the {prisoners}, "Come out!" to those who [are] in darkness, "Show yourselves!" they shall feed {along} [the] ways, and their pasturage [shall be] on all [the] barren heights.

They shall not be hungry or thirsty, and heat and sun shall not strike them, for he who takes pity on them will lead them, and he will guide them to springs of water.

Lift your eyes up all around and see; all of them gather; they come to you. {As surely as I live}, {declares} Yahweh, surely you shall put on all of them like [an] ornament, and you shall bind them on like bride.

Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I will lift my hand up to [the] nations, and I will raise my signal to [the] peoples, and they shall bring your sons in [their] bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on [their] shoulders.

And kings shall be your {guardians}, and their queens your nurses. They shall bow down, {faces} [to the] ground, to you, and they will lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I [am] Yahweh; those who await me shall not be ashamed.

And I will feed your oppressors their [own] flesh, and they shall be drunk [with] their blood as [with] wine. Then all flesh shall know that I [am] Yahweh, your savior and redeemer, the strong [one] of Jacob."

Why was there no man when I came, no one who answered when I called? {Do I lack the strength to save}? Or [is there] no power in me to deliver? Look! by my rebuke I dry up [the] sea; I {make} [the] rivers a desert; their fish stink because there is no water, and they die because of thirst.

My righteousness [is] near; my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge [the] peoples. [The] coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they wait.

So the redeemed ones of Yahweh shall return, and they shall come [to] Zion with singing, and everlasting joy [shall be] on their heads. Joy and gladness shall {appear}; sorrow and sighing shall flee away!

Your children have fainted; they lie at [the] head of all [the] streets, like an antelope in a snare, those who are full [of] the wrath of Yahweh, the rebuke of your God.

The voices of your watchmen! They lift up [their] voices; together they sing for joy; for they {clearly} see Yahweh's return [to] Zion.

so he shall sprinkle many nations; because of him, kings shall shut their mouths. For they shall see what has not been told them, and they shall consider with full attention what they have not heard.

for you will spread out [to the] right and [to the] left. And your descendants will be heir [to the] nations, and they will inhabit desolate towns.

For just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and they do not return there except they have watered the earth thoroughly and cause it to bring forth and sprout, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

His watchmen [are] blind, none of them know. They [are] all dumb dogs; they are unable to bark, panting, lying down, loving to slumber.

And the dogs {have a greedy appetite}; they {are never satisfied}. And they are [the] shepherds! They do not have understanding. They all turn to their [own] way, each one for his [own] gain, {every one of them}.

he enters [into] peace; they will rest on their beds, walking straight ahead of him.

Your portion [is] among [the] smooth [stones] of [the] valley; they, they [are] your lot; indeed, to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a food offering. Shall I relent concerning these [things]?

I myself will declare your righteousness and your works, but they will not benefit you.

Yet they seek me day [by] day, and they desire the knowledge of my ways like a nation that {practiced} righteousness, and had not forsaken the judgment of its God; they ask me for {righteous judgments}, they desire the closeness of God.

And they shall rebuild ancient ruins from you; you shall erect [the] foundations of {many generations,} and {you shall be called} [the] bricklayer [of] [the] breach, [the] restorer of paths to live [in].

There is nobody {who pleads with} justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty. They rely on nothing and speak vanity. They conceive trouble and beget iniquity;

they hatch viper eggs, and they weave a spider web. One who eats their eggs dies, and that which is pressed is hatched [as] a serpent.

Their webs cannot become clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their works [are] works of iniquity, and deeds of violence [are] in their hands.

Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts [are] thoughts of iniquity; devastation and destruction [are] in their highways.

They do not know [the] way of peace, and there is no justice in their firm paths. They have made their paths crooked for themselves; everyone {who walks} in it knows no peace.

So they shall fear the name of Yahweh from [the] west, and his glory from the sunrise, for he will come like narrow stream; the wind of Yahweh drives it on.

Lift up your eyes all around and see! All of them gather; they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be looked after on [the] hip.

A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young male camels of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praise of Yahweh.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you. They shall present a sacrifice for favor [on] my altar, and I will glorify {my honorable house}.

Who [are] these? They fly like cloud, and like doves to their coops.

And your gates shall continually be open, day and night they shall not be shut, to bring you [the] wealth of nations, and their kings shall be led.

And the children of those who oppressed you shall come to you bending low, and all those who treated you disrespectfully shall bow down at the soles of your feet. And they shall call you the city of Yahweh, Zion [of] the holy one of Israel.

And all your people [shall be] righteous; they shall take possession of [the] land forever, the shoot of his planting, the work of my hands, to show my glory.

to {give} for those in mourning in Zion, to give them a head wrap instead of ashes, [the] oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. And {they will be called} oaks of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, to show his glory.

And they shall build [the] ancient ruins, they shall erect [the] former deserted [places]. And they shall restore [the] {devastated cities}, [the] deserted [places] of {many generations}.

Instead of your shame, a double portion, and [instead of] insult, they will rejoice [over] their portion. Therefore they will take a double portion in their land; {they shall possess everlasting joy}.

And their descendants will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All those who see them shall recognize them, that they [are] descendants [whom] Yahweh has blessed.

I have appointed watchmen upon your walls, Jerusalem; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who profess Yahweh have no rest.

But those who gather it shall eat it, and they shall praise Yahweh, and those who gather it shall drink it in {my holy courts}.

And they shall call them "The {Holy People}, The Redeemed Of Yahweh," and {you} shall be called "Sought After, A City Is Not Forsaken."

And he said, "Surely my people [are] children; they will not break faith." And he became a Savior to them.

But they {were the ones who} rebelled, and they grieved {his Holy Spirit}, so he {became an enemy to them}; he himself fought against them.

{who led} them through the depths? They did not stumble like horse in the desert;

We have been since antiquity; you did not rule them; {they were not called by your name}.

And since ancient [times] they have not heard, have not listened, no eye has seen a God except you; he {acts} for the one who waits for him.

You meet with the one who rejoices, one who does righteousness. In your ways they remember you. Look! You were angry and we sinned against them [in] ancient [times] and we were saved.

your iniquities and the iniquities of your ancestors together, says Yahweh, because they made smoke offerings on the mountains and they taunted me on the hills, I will measure their punishment [from the] beginning into the fold of their garment."

Thus says Yahweh: "Just as the new wine is found in the cluster, and they say 'You must not destroy it, for [there is] a blessing in it,' so I will do for the sake of my servants {by} not destroying {everyone}.

Whoever blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of trustworthiness, and the one who swears an oath in the land shall swear by the God of trustworthiness, because the former troubles are forgotten, and they are hidden from my eyes.

For look! I [am] about to create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered, and they shall not {come to mind}.

And they shall build houses and inhabit [them], and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. For the days of my people [shall be] like the days of tree, and my chosen ones shall enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor for nothing, and they shall not give birth to horror, for they {shall be offspring blessed by} Yahweh, and their descendants with them.

And this will happen: before they call, I myself will answer; [while] still they [are] speaking, I myself will hear.

[The] wolf and [the] lamb shall feed like one, and [the] lion shall eat straw like the ox, but dust [shall be] [the] serpent's food. They shall do no evil, and they shall not destroy on all {my holy mountain}," says Yahweh.

The one who slaughters bull strikes a man; the one who slaughters lamb for sacrifice breaks the neck [of] a dog. The one who offers an offering, [the] blood of swine; the one who offers frankincense blesses an idol. Indeed, they themselves have chosen their ways, and their soul delights in their abhorrence.

Indeed, I myself I will choose their ill treatment, and I will bring them objects of their dread, because I called, and {no one answered}; I spoke and they did not listen, but they did the evil in my eyes, and they chose that in which I do not delight."

Hear the word of Yahweh, you who are frightened at his word: Your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for my name's sake have said, "Let Yahweh be honored so that we may see your joy!" But they themselves shall be ashamed.

"And I--their works and thoughts!--[am] about to come to gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see my glory.

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw [the] bow; Tubal and Javan, the faraway coastlands that have not heard [of] my fame, and have not seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations,

"And they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people {who have rebelled} against me, for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

For, look, I [am] calling to all [the] clans of [the] kingdoms of [the] north," {declares} Yahweh, "and they will come and set each one his throne [at] the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah.

And I will pass my judgments on them because of all their wickedness [in] that they have forsaken me, and they made sacrifices to other gods, and they bowed in worship to the works of their hands.

And they will fight against you but they will not prevail against you, for I [am] with you," {declares} Yahweh, "to deliver you."

Thus says Yahweh: "What injustice did your ancestors find in me that they were far from me, and they went after the vanity, and they became vain?

And they did not say, 'Where [is] Yahweh, the one who brought us up from the land of Egypt, the one who led us in the desert, in a land of desert plains and gorges, in a land of dryness and deep darkness, in a land {that no one passes through}, and no human lives there?'

The priests did not say, 'Where [is] Yahweh?' and those who handle the law did not know me, and the shepherds have {rebelled against me}, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and they went after [things which] do not profit.