Isaiah 54 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Sing out, barren woman — you who never gave birth! Break into loud, joyful shouts, you who never went through labor! Because the abandoned woman will have more children than the woman who has a husband, says Yahweh.

Make your tent bigger — stretch it wide! Spread out the fabric of your dwelling without holding back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep.

Because you will spread out to the right and to the left. Your descendants will take over nations and resettle cities that were left in ruins.

Don't be afraid — you won't be put to shame. Don't hold back — you won't be humiliated. You'll forget the shame of your youth and never again remember the disgrace of your widowhood.

Because your Maker is your husband — Yahweh of Armies is his name. The one set apart over all Israel is the one who rescues you — he is called God of the whole earth.

Yahweh has called you back like a wife who was abandoned and devastated in spirit — a wife married young and then rejected, says your God.

"For just a brief moment I abandoned you, but with overwhelming compassion I will gather you back.

In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with never-ending loyal love I will have compassion on you," says Yahweh, the one who rescues you.

"This is like the days of Noah for me — just as I swore that Noah's floodwaters would never cover the earth again, so now I swear I will never be angry with you or rebuke you again.

Even if the mountains shift and the hills are shaken loose, my loyal love for you will never shift and my covenant of peace with you will never be shaken," says Yahweh, who has compassion on you.

"You afflicted city, storm-battered, with no one to comfort you — look, I am setting your stones in antimony and laying your foundations with sapphires.

I will make your towers out of rubies, your gates out of sparkling jewels, and all your walls out of precious stones.

All your children will be taught by Yahweh, and your children will have deep peace.

You will be established through justice. You will be far from oppression — you'll have nothing to fear. Terror will not come near you.

If anyone does attack you, it won't be from me. Whoever attacks you will fall because of you.

"Look — I created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges weapons for their purpose. And I created the destroyer to bring ruin.

No weapon forged against you will succeed, and you will prove wrong every tongue that accuses you. This is what Yahweh's servants inherit — their vindication comes from me," declares Yahweh.