The Fertility of Zion
1 “Shout for joy, O barren one, she who has not given birth;
Break forth into joyful shouting and rejoice, she who has not gone into labor [with child]!
For the [spiritual] sons of the desolate onewill bemore numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the site of your tent [to make room for more children];
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not spare them;
Lengthen your tent ropes
And make your pegs (stakes) firm [in the ground].
3 “For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
And your descendants will take possession of nations
And will inhabit deserted cities.
4 “Do not fear, for you will not be put to shame,
And do not feel humiliatedorashamed, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.
5 “For your husband is your Maker,
The Lordof hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of the whole earth.
6 “For the Lordhas called you,
Like a wife who has been abandoned, grieved in spirit,
And like a wife [married] in her youth when she is [later] rejectedandscorned,”
Says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
But with great compassionandmercy I will gather you [to Myself again].
8 “In an outburst of wrath
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the Lordyour Redeemer.
9 “For this islikethe waters of Noah to Me,
As I swore [an oath] that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
In the same way I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
Nor will My covenant of peace be shaken,”
Says the Lordwho has compassion on you.
11 “O you afflicted [city], storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Listen carefully, I will set your [precious] stones in mortar,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 “And I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of [shining] beryl stones,
And all your [barrier]walls of precious stones.
13 “And all your [spiritual] sons will be disciples [of the Lord],
And great will be thewell-being of your sons.
14 “You will be firmly established in righteousness:
You will be far from [even the thought of] oppression, for you will not fear,
And from terror, for it will not come near you.
15 “If anyone fiercely attacks you it will not be from Me.
Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.
16 “Listen carefully, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals
And who produces a weapon for its purpose;
And I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin.
17 “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;
And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.
This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
Andthis istheir vindication from Me,” says the Lord.