Under the figure of the deliverance from the Babylonish captivity, the church is invited to rejoice for her redemption from sin. Christ’s kingdom shall be exalted.

¹ Rise up, Rise up! Clothe yourself in strength, O Zion! Put on the garments of your glory, O Jerusalem, the city of the Holy One! For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer pass through you.

² Shake yourself from the dust! Arise and sit up, O Jerusalem! Loose the chains from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!

³ For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money.

⁴ For thus says the Lord God: My people descended into Egypt, in the beginning, in order to sojourn there. But the Assyrian oppressed them, without any cause at all.

⁵ And now, what is left for me here, says the Lord? For my people have been taken away without cause. Their lords treat them unjustly, says the Lord. And my name is being continually blasphemed all day long.

⁶ Because of this, my people will know my name, in that day. For it is I myself who is speaking. Behold, I am here.

⁷ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger and the preacher of peace! Announcing good and preaching peace, they are saying to Zion, “Your God will reign!”¹

1. 52:7In my interpretation, the two persons referred to here are the two prophets of Revelation.(Conte)

⁸ It is the voice of your watchmen. They have lifted up their voice. They will praise together. For they will see eye to eye, when the Lord converts Zion.

⁹ Be glad and rejoice together, O deserts of Jerusalem! For the Lord has consoled his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem.

¹⁰ The Lord has prepared his holy arm, in the sight of all the Gentiles. And all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

¹¹ Depart, depart, get out of here! Do not be willing to touch what is polluted. Go out from her midst! Be cleansed, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.

¹² For you will not go out in a tumult, nor will you take flight in a hurry. For the Lord will precede you, and the God of Israel will gather you.

¹³ Behold, my servant will understand; he will be exalted and lifted up, and he will be very sublime.

¹⁴ Just as they were stupefied over you, so will his countenance be without glory among men, and his appearance, among the sons of men.

¹⁵ He will sprinkle many nations; kings will close their mouth because of him. And those to whom he was not described, have seen. And those who have not heard, have considered.