Isaiah 52 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Wake up, wake up! Put on your strength, Zion! Dress yourself in your most beautiful clothes, Jerusalem, the set-apart city — because the uncircumcised and the defiled will never pass through your gates again.

Shake the dust off yourself, rise up! Take your seat, Jerusalem. Loosen the chains from your neck, captive daughter of Zion.

Because this is what Yahweh says: "You were sold for nothing, and you will be bought back without money."

Because this is what the Lord Yahweh says: "My people went down to Egypt at first to live there as immigrants, and Assyria oppressed them for no reason."

"And now, what do I have here?" declares Yahweh. "My people have been taken away for nothing. Their rulers howl in triumph," declares Yahweh, "and my name is constantly dragged through the mud, all day long."

"So my people will know my name. So on that day they will know that I am the one who speaks — here I am."

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news, who announces peace, who carries news of good things, who announces rescue, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Listen! Your watchmen lift their voices — together they shout for joy! Because with their own eyes they see Yahweh returning to Zion.

Break out together in shouts of joy, you ruins of Jerusalem! Because Yahweh has comforted his people — he has bought back Jerusalem.

Yahweh has bared his sacred arm in the sight of every nation, and all the ends of the earth will see the rescue of our God.

Leave, leave! Get out of there! Don't touch anything unclean. Come out from the middle of it, purify yourselves, you who carry the instruments of Yahweh.

Because you will not leave in a panic, you will not go as fugitives running away — because Yahweh will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Look — my servant will act wisely. He will be raised up, lifted high, exalted to the highest place.

Just as many were horrified at the sight of him — his appearance was so disfigured, beyond human recognition, his form so marred he no longer looked like a man —

so he will startle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. Because what they were never told, they will see, and what they never heard, they will understand.