Good News Translation (GNT)

God’s People Will Include All Nations

1 The Lord says to his people, “Do what is just and right, for soon I will save you.

2 I will bless those who always observe the Sabbath and do not misuse it. I will bless those who do nothing evil.”

3 A foreigner who has joined the Lord’s people should not say, “The Lord will not let me worship with his people.”

A man who has been castrated should never think that because he cannot have children, he can never be part of God’s people.

4 The Lord says to such a man, “If you honor me by observing the Sabbath and if you do what pleases me and faithfully keep my covenant,

5 then your name will be remembered in my Temple and among my people longer than if you had sons and daughters. You will never be forgotten.”

6 And the Lord says to those foreigners who become part of his people, who love him and serve him, who observe the Sabbath and faithfully keep his covenant:

7 “I will bring you to Zion, my sacred hill,give you joy in my house of prayer, and accept the sacrifices you offer on my altar. My Temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations.”

8 The Sovereign Lord, who has brought his people Israel home from exile, has promised that he will bring still other people to join them.

Israel’s Leaders Are Condemned

9 The Lord has told the foreign nations to come like wild animals and devour his people.

10 He says, “All the leaders, who are supposed to warn my people, are blind! They know nothing. They are like watch dogs that don’t bark—they only lie around and dream. How they love to sleep!

11 They are like greedy dogs that never get enough. These leaders have no understanding. They each do as they please and seek their own advantage.

12 ‘Let’s get some wine,’ these drunkards say, ‘and drink all we can hold! Tomorrow will be even better than today!’”

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Israel’s Idolatry Is Condemned

1 Good people die, and no one understands or even cares. But when they die, no calamity can hurt them.

2 Those who live good lives find peace and rest in death.

3 Come here to be judged, you sinners! You are no better than sorcerers, adulterers, and prostitutes.

4 Who are you making fun of? Who are you liars jeering at?

5 You worship the fertility gods by having sex under those sacred trees of yours. You offer your children as sacrifices in the rocky caves near stream beds.

6 You take smooth stones from there and worship them as gods. You pour out wine as offerings to them and bring them grain offerings. Do you think I am pleased with all this?

7 You go to the high mountains to offer sacrifices and have sex.

8 You set up your obscene idols just inside your front doors. You forsake me; you take off your clothes and climb in your large beds with your lovers, whom you pay to sleep with you. And there you satisfy your lust.

9 You put on your perfumes and ointments and go to worship the god Molech. To find gods to worship, you send messengers far and wide, even to the world of the dead.

10 You wear yourselves out looking for other gods, but you never give up. You think your obscene idols give you strength, and so you never grow weak.

11 The Lord says, “Who are these gods that make you afraid, so that you tell me lies and forget me completely? Have you stopped honoring me because I have kept silent for so long?

12 You think that what you do is right, but I will expose your conduct, and your idols will not be able to help you.

13 When you cry for help, let those idols of yours save you! A puff of wind will carry them off! But those who trust in me will live in the land and will worship me in my Temple.”

God’s Promise of Help and Healing

14 The Lord says, “Let my people return to me. Remove every obstacle from their path! Build the road and make it ready!

15 “I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so that I can restore their confidence and hope.

16 I gave my people life, and I will not continue to accuse them or be angry with them forever.

17 I was angry with them because of their sin and greed, and so I punished them and abandoned them. But they were stubborn and kept on going their own way.

18 “I have seen how they acted, but I will heal them. I will lead them and help them, and I will comfort those who mourn.

19 I offer peace to all, both near and far! I will heal my people.

20 But evil people are like the restless sea, whose waves never stop rolling in, bringing filth and muck.

21 There is no safety for sinners,” says the Lord.

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/57-33ff51a5556afbf2ffb2e8bac1c909a0.mp3?version_id=68—

True Fasting

1 The Lord says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins!

2 They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me.”

3 The people ask, “Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”

The Lord says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers.

4 Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers?

5 When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.

7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side.

9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word;

10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.

11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.

12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath

13 The Lord says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day,

14 then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/58-f2adbeb67b4b9e54c0b4a169233910e1.mp3?version_id=68—

The Prophet Condemns the People’s Sins

1 Don’t think that the Lord is too weak to save you or too deaf to hear your call for help!

2 It is because of your sins that he doesn’t hear you. It is your sins that separate you from God when you try to worship him.

3 You are guilty of lying, violence, and murder.

4 You go to court, but you do not have justice on your side. You depend on lies to win your case. You carry out your plans to hurt others.

5-6 The evil plots you make are as deadly as the eggs of a poisonous snake. Crush an egg, out comes a snake! But your plots will do you no good—they are as useless as clothing made of cobwebs!

7 You are always planning something evil, and you can hardly wait to do it. You never hesitate to murder innocent people. You leave ruin and destruction wherever you go,

8 and no one is safe when you are around. Everything you do is unjust. You follow a crooked path, and no one who walks that path will ever be safe.

The People Confess Their Sin

9 The people say, “Now we know why God does not save us from those who oppress us. We hope for light to walk by, but there is only darkness,

10 and we grope about like blind people. We stumble at noon, as if it were night, as if we were in the dark world of the dead.

11 We are frightened and distressed. We long for God to save us from oppression and wrong, but nothing happens.

12 “Lord, our crimes against you are many. Our sins accuse us. We are well aware of them all.

13 We have rebelled against you, rejected you, and refused to follow you. We have oppressed others and turned away from you. Our thoughts are false; our words are lies.

14 Justice is driven away, and right cannot come near. Truth stumbles in the public square, and honesty finds no place there.

15 There is so little honesty that those who stop doing evil find themselves the victims of crime.”

The Lord Prepares to Rescue His People

The Lord has seen this, and he is displeased that there is no justice.

16 He is astonished to see that there is no one to help the oppressed. So he will use his own power to rescue them and to win the victory.

17 He will wear justice like a coat of armor and saving power like a helmet. He will clothe himself with the strong desire to set things right and to punish and avenge the wrongs that people suffer.

18 He will punish his enemies according to what they have done, even those who live in distant lands.

19 From east to west everyone will fear him and his great power. He will come like a rushing river, like a strong wind.

20 The Lord says to his people, “I will come to Jerusalem to defend you and to save all of you that turn from your sins.

21 And I make a covenant with you: I have given you my power and my teachings to be yours forever, and from now on you are to obey me and teach your children and your descendants to obey me for all time to come.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/59-f52fdf4161b5c5143e446004dd879e9a.mp3?version_id=68—

The Future Glory of Jerusalem

1 Arise, Jerusalem, and shine like the sun;

The glory of the Lord is shining on you!

2 Other nations will be covered by darkness,

But on you the light of the Lord will shine;

The brightness of his presence will be with you.

3 Nations will be drawn to your light,

And kings to the dawning of your new day.

4 Look around you and see what is happening:

Your people are gathering to come home!

Your sons will come from far away;

Your daughters will be carried like children.

5 You will see this and be filled with joy;

You will tremble with excitement.

The wealth of the nations will be brought to you;

From across the sea their riches will come.

6 Great caravans of camels will come, from Midian and Ephah.

They will come from Sheba, bringing gold and incense.

People will tell the good news of what the Lord has done!

7 All the sheep of Kedar and Nebaioth

Will be brought to you as sacrifices

And offered on the altar to please the Lord.

The Lord will make his Temple more glorious than ever.

8 What are these ships that skim along like clouds,

Like doves returning home?

9 They are ships coming from distant lands,

Bringing God’s people home.

They bring with them silver and gold

To honor the name of the Lord,

The holy God of Israel,

Who has made all nations honor his people.

10 The Lord says to Jerusalem,

“Foreigners will rebuild your walls,

And their kings will serve you.

In my anger I punished you,

But now I will show you my favor and mercy.

11 Day and night your gates will be open,

So that the kings of the nations

May bring you their wealth.

12 But nations that do not serve you

Will be completely destroyed.

13 “The wood of the pine, the juniper, and the cypress,

The finest wood from the forests of Lebanon,

Will be brought to rebuild you, Jerusalem,

To make my Temple beautiful,

To make my city glorious.

14 The descendants of those who oppressed you will come

And bow low to show their respect.

All who once despised you will worship at your feet.

They will call you ‘The City of the Lord,’

‘Zion, the City of Israel’s Holy God.’

15 “You will no longer be forsaken and hated,

A city deserted and desolate.

I will make you great and beautiful,

A place of joy forever and ever.

16 Nations and kings will care for you

As a mother nurses her child.

You will know that I, the Lord, have saved you,

That the mighty God of Israel sets you free.

17 “I will bring you gold instead of bronze,

Silver and bronze instead of iron and wood,

And iron instead of stone.

Your rulers will no longer oppress you;

I will make them rule with justice and peace.

18 The sounds of violence will be heard no more;

Destruction will not shatter your country again.

I will protect and defend you like a wall;

You will praise me because I have saved you.

19 “No longer will the sun be your light by day

Or the moon be your light by night;

I, the Lord, will be your eternal light;

The light of my glory will shine on you.

20 Your days of grief will come to an end.

I, the Lord, will be your eternal light,

More lasting than the sun and moon.

21 Your people will all do what is right,

And will possess the land forever.

I planted them, I made them,

To reveal my greatness to all.

22 Even your smallest and humblest family

Will become as great as a powerful nation.

When the right time comes,

I will make this happen quickly.

I am the Lord!”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/60-2f9539634119ee2b97bbda27b57319aa.mp3?version_id=68—

The Good News of Deliverance

1 The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his Spirit.

He has chosen me and sent me

To bring good news to the poor,

To heal the broken-hearted,

To announce release to captives

And freedom to those in prison.

2 He has sent me to proclaim

That the time has come

When the Lord will save his people

And defeat their enemies.

He has sent me to comfort all who mourn,

3 To give to those who mourn in Zion

Joy and gladness instead of grief,

A song of praise instead of sorrow.

They will be like trees

That the Lord himself has planted.

They will all do what is right,

And God will be praised for what he has done.

4 They will rebuild cities that have long been in ruins.

5 My people, foreigners will serve you.

They will take care of your flocks

And farm your land and tend your vineyards.

6 And you will be known as the priests of the Lord,

The servants of our God.

You will enjoy the wealth of the nations

And be proud that it is yours.

7 Your shame and disgrace are ended.

You will live in your own land,

And your wealth will be doubled;

Your joy will last forever.

8 The Lord says,

“I love justice and I hate oppression and crime.

I will faithfully reward my people

And make an eternal covenant with them.

9 They will be famous among the nations;

Everyone who sees them will know

That they are a people whom I have blessed.”

10 Jerusalem rejoices because of what the Lord has done.

She is like a bride dressed for her wedding.

God has clothed her with salvation and victory.

11 As surely as seeds sprout and grow,

The Sovereign Lord will save his people,

And all the nations will praise him.

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1 I will speak out to encourage Jerusalem;

I will not be silent until she is saved,

And her victory shines like a torch in the night.

2 Jerusalem, the nations will see you victorious!

All their kings will see your glory.

You will be called by a new name,

A name given by the Lord himself.

3 You will be like a beautiful crown for the Lord.

4 No longer will you be called “Forsaken,”

Or your land be called “The Deserted Wife.”

Your new name will be “God Is Pleased with Her.”

Your land will be called “Happily Married,”

Because the Lord is pleased with you

And will be like a husband to your land.

5 Like a young man taking a virgin as his bride,

He who formed you will marry you.

As a groom is delighted with his bride,

So your God will delight in you.

6 On your walls, Jerusalem, I have placed sentries;

They must never be silent day or night.

They must remind the Lord of his promises

And never let him forget them.

7 They must give him no rest until he restores Jerusalem

And makes it a city the whole world praises.

8 The Lord has made a solemn promise,

And by his power he will carry it out:

“Your grain will no longer be food for your enemies,

And foreigners will no longer drink your wine.

9 But you that planted and harvested the grain

Will eat the bread and praise the Lord.

You that tended and gathered the grapes

Will drink the wine in the courts of my Temple.”

10 People of Jerusalem, go out of the city

And build a road for your returning people!

Prepare a highway; clear it of stones!

Put up a signal so that the nations can know

11 That the Lord is announcing to all the earth:

“Tell the people of Jerusalem

That the Lord is coming to save you,

Bringing with him the people he has rescued.”

12 You will be called “God’s Holy People,”

“The People the Lord Has Saved.”

Jerusalem will be called “The City That God Loves,”

“The City That God Did Not Forsake.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/62-8c0f0e62fb39b4e05d234d8ae23f33d9.mp3?version_id=68—

The Lord’s Victory over the Nations

1 “Who is this coming from the city of Bozrah in Edom? Who is this so splendidly dressed in red, marching alongin power and strength?”

It is the Lord, powerful to save, coming to announce his victory.

2 “Why is his clothing so red, like that of someone who tramples grapes to make wine?”

3 The Lord answers, “I have trampled the nations like grapes, and no one came to help me. I trampled them in my anger, and their blood has stained all my clothing.

4 I decided that the time to save my people had come; it was time to punish their enemies.

5 I was amazed when I looked and saw that there was no one to help me. But my anger made me strong, and I won the victory myself.

6 In my anger I trampled whole nations and shattered them. I poured out their lifeblood on the ground.”

The Lord’s Goodness to Israel

7 I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love;

I praise him for all he has done for us.

He has richly blessed the people of Israel

because of his mercy and constant love.

8 The Lord said, “They are my people; they will not deceive me.” And so he saved them

9 from all their suffering. It was not an angel, but the Lord himself who saved them. In his love and compassion he rescued them. He had always taken care of them in the past,

10 but they rebelled against him and made his holy spirit sad. So the Lord became their enemy and fought against them.

11 But then theyremembered the past, the days of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and they asked, “Where now is the Lord, who saved the leaders of his people from the sea? Where is the Lord, who gave his spirit to Moses?

12-13 Where is the Lord, who by his power did great things through Moses, dividing the waters of the sea and leading his people through the deep water, to win everlasting fame for himself?”

Led by the Lord, they were as sure-footed as wild horses, and never stumbled.

14 As cattle are led into a fertile valley, so the Lord gave his people rest. He led his people and brought honor to his name.

A Prayer for Mercy and Help

15 Lord, look upon us from heaven, where you live in your holiness and glory. Where is your great concern for us? Where is your power? Where are your love and compassion? Do not ignore us.

16 You are our father. Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob do not acknowledge us, but you, Lord, are our father, the one who has always rescued us.

17 Why do you let us stray from your ways? Why do you make us so stubborn that we turn away from you? Come back, for the sake of those who serve you, for the sake of the people who have always been yours.

18 We, your holy people, were driven out by our enemies for a little while; they trampled down your sanctuary.

19 You treat us as though you had never been our ruler, as though we had never been your people.

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1 Why don’t you tear the sky open and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear.

2 They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence!

3 There was a time when you came and did terrifying things that we did not expect; the mountains saw you and shook with fear.

4 No one has ever seen or heard of a God like you, who does such deeds for those who put their hope in him.

5 You welcome those who find joy in doing what is right, those who remember how you want them to live. You were angry with us, but we went on sinning; in spite of your great anger we have continued to do wrong since ancient times.

6 All of us have been sinful; even our best actions are filthy through and through. Because of our sins we are like leaves that wither and are blown away by the wind.

7 No one turns to you in prayer; no one goes to you for help. You have hidden yourself from us and have abandonedus because of our sins.

8 But you are our father, Lord. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,

9 so do not be too angry with us or hold our sins against us forever. We are your people; be merciful to us.

10 Your sacred cities are like a desert; Jerusalem is a deserted ruin,

11 and our Temple, the sacred and beautiful place where our ancestors praised you, has been destroyed by fire. All the places we loved are in ruins.

12 Lord, are you unmoved by all this? Are you going to do nothing and make us suffer more than we can endure?

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God’s Punishment of the Rebellious

1 The Lord said, “I was ready to answer my people’s prayers, but they did not pray. I was ready for them to find me, but they did not even try. The nation did not pray to me, even though I was always ready to answer, ‘Here I am; I will help you.’

2 I have always been ready to welcome my people, who stubbornly do what is wrong and go their own way.

3 They shamelessly keep on making me angry. They offer pagan sacrifices at sacred gardensand burn incense on pagan altars.

4 At night they go to caves and tombs to consult the spirits of the dead. They eat pork and drink broth made from meat offered in pagan sacrifices.

5 And then they say to others, ‘Keep away from us; we are too holy for you to touch!’ I cannot stand people like that—my anger against them is like a fire that never goes out.

6 “I have already decided on their punishment, and their sentence is written down. I will not overlook what they have done, but will repay them

7 for their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They have burned incense at pagan hill shrines and spoken evil of me. So I will punish them as their past deeds deserve.”

8 The Lord says, “No one destroys good grapes; instead, they make wine with them. Neither will I destroy all my people—I will save those who serve me.

9 I will bless the Israelites who belong to the tribe of Judah, and their descendants will possess my land of mountains. My chosen people, who serve me, will live there.

10 They will worship me and will lead their sheep and cattle to pasture in the Plain of Sharon in the west and in Trouble Valley in the east.

11 “But it will be different for you that forsake me, who ignore Zion, my sacred hill,and worship Gad and Meni, the gods of luck and fate.

12 It will be your fate to die a violent death, because you did not answer when I called you or listen when I spoke. You chose to disobey me and do evil.

13 And so I tell you that those who worship and obey me will have plenty to eat and drink, but you will be hungry and thirsty. They will be happy, but you will be disgraced.

14 They will sing for joy, but you will cry with a broken heart.

15 My chosen people will use your name as a curse. I, the Sovereign Lord, will put you to death. But I will give a new name to those who obey me.

16 Anyone in the land who asks for a blessing will ask to be blessed by the faithful God. Whoever takes an oath will swear by the name of the faithful God. The troubles of the past will be gone and forgotten.”

The New Creation

17 The Lord says, “I am making a new earth and new heavens. The events of the past will be completely forgotten.

18 Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create. The new Jerusalem I make will be full of joy, and her people will be happy.

19 I myself will be filled with joy because of Jerusalem and her people. There will be no weeping there, no calling for help.

20 Babies will no longer die in infancy, and all people will live out their life span. Those who live to be a hundred will be considered young. To die before that would be a sign that I had punished them.

21-22 People will build houses and get to live in them—they will not be used by someone else. They will plant vineyards and enjoy the wine—it will not be drunk by others. Like trees, my people will live long lives. They will fully enjoy the things that they have worked for.

23 The work they do will be successful, and their children will not meet with disaster. I will bless them and their descendants for all time to come.

24 Even before they finish praying to me, I will answer their prayers.

25 Wolves and lambs will eat together; lions will eat straw, as cattle do, and snakes will no longer be dangerous. On Zion, my sacred hill,there will be nothing harmful or evil.”

—https://cdn-youversionapi.global.ssl.fastly.net/audio-bible-youversionapi/363/32k/ISA/65-40b18b820066473d7efe691f81ed4c59.mp3?version_id=68—