50 This is what the Lord says to his people:
‘Did I send your mother away,
like a man sends away his wife?
Where is the paper to say
why I have sent her away?
Did I sell you to pay people that I was in debt to?
Where is the paper that shows
the reason for my debt?
Listen! I sold you because of your sins.
I sent your mother away
because you have not obeyed me. [ a ]
2 Nobody was there to meet me,
when I came to help you.
When I called out to you,
nobody answered me.
Do you think that my arm is too weak to rescue you?
Am I not strong enough to save you?
Look! I can speak to the sea so that it becomes dry!
I can cause rivers to become deserts.
Then the fish die because they have no water.
3 I can cause the sky to become dark,
as if I have covered it with sackcloth.’
4 ‘The Almighty Lord has given his message to me, his servant.
I speak it on his behalf.
I know what to say to help weak and tired people.
The Lord wakes me up every morning
so that I can learn something.
I listen carefully to him,
as a student listens to his teacher.
5 The Almighty Lord has spoken clearly to me.
I have accepted his message,
and I have not turned back.
6 I offered my back
to the people who hit me.
I offered my face
to the people who pulled out my beard.
When they insulted me and they spat at me,
I did not hide my face from them.
7 The Almighty Lord helps me,
so I will not be ashamed.
I have decided to stand and be strong,
because I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 God is the one who says that I am right,
and he stands beside me.
So who will accuse me that I have done something wrong?
We should meet in court!
Anyone who accuses me should come and speak!
9 Look! The Almighty Lord himself helps me.
So nobody can say that I am guilty.
All the people who accuse me will soon disappear.
They will spoil like old clothes that moths have eaten!’
10 Do any of you respect the Lord with fear?
Do any of you obey his servant's message?
Are you walking in a place that is completely dark,
where there is no light?
Then you should trust in the Lord
as the God who will help you.
11 But no! You have lit your own fires.
You have burned branches to give yourselves light.
So now you must walk in the light of the fires that you have lit.
And this is what I will do for you:
I will punish you with great pain!
50 This is what the Lord says:
“People of Israel, you say that I divorced your mother, Jerusalem.
But where is the legal paper that proves I divorced her?
My children, did I owe money to someone?
Did I sell you to pay a debt?
No, you were sold because of the bad things you did.
Your mother was sent away because of the bad things you did.
2 I came home and found no one there.
I called and called, but no one answered.
Do you think I cannot get you back?
Do you think I cannot save you?
Look, if I gave the command, the ocean would dry up!
I can turn rivers into a desert.
The fish would die without water,
and their bodies would rot.
3 I can make the skies dark.
I can cover the skies in darkness as black as sackcloth.”
4 The Lord God gave me the ability to teach, so now I teach these sad people. Every morning he wakes me and teaches me like a student. 5 The Lord God helps me learn, and I have not turned against him. I will not stop following him. 6 I will let those people beat me and pull the hair from my beard. I will not hide my face when they say bad things to me and spit at me. 7 The Lord God will help me, so the bad things they say will not hurt me. I will be strong. I know I will not be disappointed.
8 God is with me, and he is the one who shows that I am innocent. So no one can say I am guilty. If anyone wants to try to prove me wrong, they should come here, and we will have a trial. 9 But look, the Lord God helps me, so no one can prove me guilty. As for them, they will all be like worthless old clothes, eaten by moths.
10 People who respect the Lord also listen to his servant. That servant lives completely trusting in God without knowing what will happen. He really trusts in the Lord ’s name and depends on his God.
11 The Lord says, “Look, you people want to do whatever you want. So light your own fires and torches, but you will be punished. You will fall into your fires and torches and be burned. I will make that happen.”
50 Thus saith the Lord , Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord , that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord , and stay upon his God.
11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is the ( A ) certificate of divorce
By which I have ( B ) sent your mother away?
Or to whom of My creditors did I ( C ) sell you?
Behold, you were sold for your ( D ) wrongdoings,
And for your ( E ) wrongful acts your mother ( F ) was sent away.
2 Why was there ( G ) no one when I came?
When I called, why was there no one to answer?
Is My ( H ) hand so short that it cannot redeem?
Or do I have no power to rescue?
Behold, I ( I ) dry up the sea with My rebuke,
I ( J ) turn rivers into a wilderness;
Their fish stink for lack of water,
And die of thirst.
3 I ( K ) clothe the heavens with blackness,
And make sackcloth their covering.”
4 The Lord [ a ] God has given Me the tongue of ( L ) disciples,
So that I may know how to ( M ) sustain the weary one with a word.
He awakens Me ( N ) morning by morning,
He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.
5 The Lord God has ( O ) opened My ear,
And I was ( P ) not disobedient,
Nor did I turn back.
6 I ( Q ) gave My back to those who strike Me ,
And My cheeks to those who pull out My beard;
I did not hide My face from insults and spitting.
7 For the Lord God ( R ) helps Me,
Therefore, I am ( S ) not disgraced;
Therefore, I have made My face like ( T ) flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He who ( U ) vindicates Me is near;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us ( V ) stand up to each other.
Who has a case against Me?
Let him approach Me.
9 Behold, ( W ) the Lord God helps Me;
( X ) Who is he who condemns Me?
Behold, ( Y ) they will all wear out like a garment;
A moth will eat them.
10 Who is among you who fears the Lord ,
Who obeys the voice of His ( Z ) servant,
Who ( AA ) walks in darkness and has no light?
Let him ( AB ) trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
11 Behold, all you who ( AC ) kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with flaming arrows,
Walk in the light of your fire
And among the flaming arrows you have set ablaze.
This you will have from My hand:
You will ( AD ) lie down in torment.
50 This is what the Lord says:
“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce ( A )
with which I sent her away?
Or to which of my creditors
did I sell ( B ) you?
Because of your sins ( C ) you were sold; ( D )
because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
2 When I came, why was there no one?
When I called, why was there no one to answer? ( E )
Was my arm too short ( F ) to deliver you?
Do I lack the strength ( G ) to rescue you?
By a mere rebuke ( H ) I dry up the sea, ( I )
I turn rivers into a desert; ( J )
their fish rot for lack of water
and die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with darkness ( K )
and make sackcloth ( L ) its covering.”
4 The Sovereign Lord ( M ) has given me a well-instructed tongue, ( N )
to know the word that sustains the weary. ( O )
He wakens me morning by morning, ( P )
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. ( Q )
5 The Sovereign Lord ( R ) has opened my ears; ( S )
I have not been rebellious, ( T )
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat ( U ) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; ( V )
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting. ( W )
7 Because the Sovereign Lord ( X ) helps ( Y ) me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint, ( Z )
and I know I will not be put to shame. ( AA )
8 He who vindicates ( AB ) me is near. ( AC )
Who then will bring charges against me? ( AD )
Let us face each other! ( AE )
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign Lord ( AF ) who helps ( AG ) me.
Who will condemn ( AH ) me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths ( AI ) will eat them up.
10 Who among you fears ( AJ ) the Lord
and obeys ( AK ) the word of his servant? ( AL )
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light, ( AM )
trust ( AN ) in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.
11 But now, all you who light fires
and provide yourselves with flaming torches, ( AO )
go, walk in the light of your fires ( AP )
and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand: ( AQ )
You will lie down in torment. ( AR )
