Isaiah 52 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Wake up! Wake up Zion! {\cf2\super [420]} \par Dress yourself!\par Put on your strength!\par Holy Jerusalem, stand up!\par People that have not agreed\par to follow God {\cf2\super [421]} \par will not enter you again.\par Those people are not pure and clean.\par

² Shake off the dust!\par Put on your wonderful clothes!\par Jerusalem, Daughter of Zion, {\cf2\super [422]} \par you were a prisoner.\par But now, free yourself from the chains\par that are around your neck!\par

³ The Lord says,\par “You were not sold for money.\par So I will not use money\par to make you free.”\par

⁴ The Lord my Master says, “My people first went down to Egypt to stay—\{and then they became slaves\}. Later, Assyria made them slaves.

⁵ Now look what has happened! Another nation has taken my people. That country did not pay to take my people. This nation rules my people and laughs at them. Those people always say bad things about me.”

⁶ The Lord says, “\{This has happened\} so my people will learn about me. My people will know who I am. My people will know my name, and they will know that I Am He {\cf2\super [423]} is speaking to them.”

⁷ It is a wonderful thing to see a messenger come over the hills with good news. It is wonderful to hear a messenger announce, “There is peace! We have been saved! Your God is king!”

⁸ The city guards {\cf2\super [424]} begin shouting.\par They are all rejoicing together!\par Why? Because every one of them\par sees the Lord returning to Zion. {\cf2\super [425]} \par

⁹ Jerusalem, your destroyed buildings\par will be happy again.\par You will all rejoice together.\par Why? Because the Lord will be kind\par to Jerusalem.\par The Lord will rescue his people.\par

¹⁰ The Lord will show his holy strength\par to all the nations.\par All the faraway countries will see\par how God saves his people.\par

¹¹ You people should leave Babylon!\par Leave that place!\par \{Priests,\} you carry the things\par that are used in worship.\par So make yourselves pure.\par Don’t touch anything that is not pure.\par

¹² You will leave Babylon.\par But they will not force you to leave\par in a hurry.\par You will not be forced to run away.\par You will walk out,\par \{and the Lord will walk with you\}.\par The Lord will be in front of you,\par and the God of Israel will be behind you. {\cf2\super [426]} \par

¹³ “Look at my Servant. He will be very successful. {\cf2\super [427]} He will be very important. \{In the future\} people will honor and respect him.