Isaiah 52:1-12

Note: this song begins with Jerusalem invited to awaken from squalor and uncleanness, and ends with the captives leaving uncleanness behind. However, overall it looks more like an ABA’B’ pattern – A/A” specifies Jerusalem and Zion, and B/B’ is about God delivering His people from captivity through which they come to “know” His Name, and the nations see the God of Israel at` work!

A. Jerusalem to be restored to glory
1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion;
put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city:
for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem:
loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the LORD,
Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

B. YHWH will deliver His people  and  vindicate His Name
4 For thus saith the Lord GOD,
My people went down afore time into Egypt to sojourn there;
and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD,
that my people is taken away for nought?
they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD;
and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 
6 Therefore my people shall know my name:
therefore they shall know in that day
that I am he that doth speak:
behold, it is I.

A’. Good news forJerusalem – the captives are returning
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;
that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation;
that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice;
with the voice together shall they sing:
for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem:
for the LORD hath comforted his people,
he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

B’. YHWH leads the captives home and all nations see
10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm
in the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth
shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence,
touch no unclean thing;
go ye out of the midst of her;
be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight:
for the LORD will go before you;
and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

 

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