New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O 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 .
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"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 “Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!
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"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 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities.
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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 “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.
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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 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.
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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 For the LORD has called you back from your grief— as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband,” says your God.
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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 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back.
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Your Redeemer God says: "I left you, but only for a moment. Now, with enormous compassion, I'm bringing 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.
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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 “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.
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"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 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.
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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 “O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.
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"Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with sapphires,
12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones.
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construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones.
13 I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.
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All your children will have God for their teacher - what a mentor for your children!
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.
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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 any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat.
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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 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.
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I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer -
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!
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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.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.