1 Sing for joy, childless woman, you who haven't had a baby! Shout aloud, and sing happily, Jerusalem, you who have never given birth! For the abandoned woman now has more children than the married woman, says the Lord. 2 Make the tent where you live bigger; stretch the fabric to enlarge your home. Don't try and save space—extend your tent cords and make your tent pegs stronger. 3 You're going to be spreading out right and left; your descendants will take over the land of other nations and live in towns that were once abandoned. 4 Do not be afraid, for you won't be humiliated; don't be upset, for you won't be disgraced. You will forget about the shame of your youth, and you won't remember the embarrassment of your widowhood any longer. 5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord Almighty is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, he is called the God of the whole earth. 6 The Lord has called you to come back, like a wife who's been abandoned and deeply hurt, a wife who was married when she was young, only to be rejected, says your God. 7 I deserted you for just a little while, but I will bring you back, showing you a great deal of kindness. 8 In a moment of anger I turned my face away from you, but now with trustworthy love I will always be kind to you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 To me this is just like Noah's time, when I promised with an oath that a flood would never cover the earth again. In the same way I promise with an oath that I won't be angry with you or tell you off. 10 Though the mountains cease to exist and the hills disappear, yet my trustworthy love for you won't cease to exist and my agreement of peace won't disappear, says the Lord, who shows you kindness. 11 My poor storm-damaged city that can't be comforted! Look, I'm going to reset your stones in cement made of antimony, I will use sapphires to lay your foundations. 12 I will make your fortifications out of rubies; I will make your gates out of sparkling beryl. All your walls will be made of precious stones, 13 and all your children will be students of the Lord, and they will live in complete peace. 14 Your society will operate from principles of goodness and right; nobody will be there to oppress you. You won't be afraid; you won't have to face any kind of terror. 15 If any invader comes to attack you, I didn't send them; you will defeat anyone who attacks you. 16 Look—I have created a blacksmith who blows the coals into a hot flame and forges a suitable weapon; and I have created the destroyer who brings destruction. 17 None of the weapons forged against you will succeed, and you will condemn anyone who accuses you. This is how the servants of the Lord are blessed, and I am the one who vindicates them, declares the Lord.
Isaiah 54 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Galatians 4:27; Isaiah 62:4; 1 Samuel 2:5; Hebrews 11:11–12; Psalm 113:9
- 2 Isaiah 33:20; Isaiah 49:19–20; Jeremiah 10:20; Exodus 39:40; Exodus 35:18
- 3 Isaiah 43:5–6; Genesis 28:14; Isaiah 60:3–13; Isaiah 49:18–19; Ezekiel 36:35–36
- 4 Isaiah 41:10; 1 Peter 2:6; Isaiah 61:7; Jeremiah 31:19; Isaiah 45:16–17
- 5 Ephesians 5:25–27; Hosea 2:19–20; 2 Corinthians 11:2–3; Isaiah 48:17; Ezekiel 16:8
- 6 Isaiah 62:4; Hosea 2:14–15; Proverbs 5:18; Hosea 2:1–2; Ecclesiastes 9:9
- 7 Psalm 30:5; 2 Peter 3:8; Micah 4:6; Isaiah 26:20; Deuteronomy 30:3
- 8 Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 60:10; 1 Timothy 1:16; Ezekiel 39:23–24; Isaiah 54:10
- 9 Isaiah 12:1; Genesis 8:21; Genesis 9:11–16; Hebrews 6:16–18; Isaiah 55:11
- 10 Psalm 89:33–34; Psalm 46:2; Ephesians 2:4–5; Matthew 24:35; Romans 11:29
- 11 1 Peter 2:4–6; Acts 14:22; Jeremiah 30:17; Isaiah 54:6; 1 Chronicles 29:2
- 13 John 6:45; Philippians 4:7; Psalm 119:165; Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:10
- 14 Proverbs 3:25–26; Jeremiah 30:10; Zechariah 9:8; Ezekiel 36:27–28; Zechariah 2:4–5
- 15 Isaiah 41:11–16; Psalm 37:12–13; Zechariah 12:9; Zechariah 2:8; Isaiah 43:3–4
- 16 Proverbs 16:4; Exodus 9:16; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 10:5–6; Isaiah 10:15
- 17 Romans 8:28–39; Isaiah 54:15; John 10:28–30; Isaiah 50:8; Romans 8:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… than from the Jews and Samaritans, we will produce: it ran thus: "Rejoice, O barren, thou that dost not bear; break forth and shout, thou that dost not travail, because many more are the children of the desolate than of her that hath an husband." For all the Gentiles were "desolate" of the true God, serving the works of their …
… and I will lay thy ramparts with jasper, and thy gates with crystal, and thy wall with choice stones: and all thy children shall be taught of God, and great shall be the peace of thy children; and in righteousness shalt thou be built up." And yet again does he say the same thing: "Behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, …
He says, "Rejoice, O barren, thou that barest not; break forth and cry, thou that didst not travail with child: for many more are the children of the desolate than of her that has an husband." But these must suffice; and some things in them ought to be expounded; yet I think those parts sufficient which are so plain that …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… ye nations." For that God known in Judah, is King of all the earth: now by all He is acknowledged, for that is fulfilled which Isaiah saith, "He is thy God who hath delivered thee, the God of the whole earth shall He be called." "Sing ye praises with understanding." He teacheth us and warneth us to sing praises with …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… are by a hidden Bridegroom....The Prophet addeth, "Enlarge the place of Thy tabernacle, and Thy courts fix thou: there is no cause for thee to spare, extend further thy cords, and strong stakes set thou again and again on the right and on the left." Upon the right keep good men, on the left keep evil men, until there come …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)