 1 Sing, O barren who never gave birth+. Break forth into singing and cry aloud you who never travailed with child. For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the Lord. 2 Make the place of your tent larger and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings. Do not spare. Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3 You will break out on the right hand and on the left. Your descendants will inherit the nations and people will inhabit ruined cities. 4 Do not fear. For you will not be ashamed nor will you blush. You will not be put to shame. You will forget the shame of your youth and not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. 5 For your maker is your husband. The Lord of hosts is His name. Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. He shall be called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the Lord has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth when you were rejected, says your God. 7 For a little moment I have left you. But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 In a little wrath I hid my presence+ from you for a moment. But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says the Lord your redeemer. 9 For this is like the waters of Noah to me. For as I swore that the waters of Noah would no longer go over the earth, so I have sworn from being angry with you and from rebuking you. 10 For the mountains will depart and the hills be removed. But my kindness will not depart from you. Nor will the covenant of my peace be removed, says the Lord who has mercy on you. 11 Afflicted one, storm tossed and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones among antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your battlements of ruby, and your gates of carbuncles, and all your borders of pleasant stones. 13 All your children will be taught by the Lord. Great wull be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness you shall be established. You shall be far from oppression. For you shall not fear. And from terror, for it shall not come near you. 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, not by me. Whoever shall gather against you, he shall fall by you. 16 Behold, I have created the smith who blows the coals in the fire, and who brings out a tool for his work. And I have created the waster to destroy. 17 No weapon that is formed against you shall be blessed. And every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment, you shall condemn. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me, says the Lord.
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