52 Wake up, wake up, strengthen yourself Tsiyyon (Zion).[ref]

Put your beautiful clothes on, Yerushalem, sacred city,

because the uncircumcised and the ‘unclean’ people won’t enter you again.

2 Shake yourself free from the dust.

Take action, you captive Yerushalem.

Release the chains from your neck, you captive daughter of Tsiyyon

3 because Yahweh says this:

You were sold for nothing

and you’ll gain your freedom without any payment,

4 because my master Yahweh says this:

My people went down to Egypt to stay there long ago,

and then Assyria (Heb. Asshur) has oppressed the nation for nothing.

5 Now Yahweh declares:

My people were taken for no reason.

His rulers mock him[ref]

and my name is continually slandered throughout the day.

That is Yahweh’s declaration.

6 Therefore my people will know my name because on that day

it will be me speaking and saying, ‘Here I am.’

7 How delightful is the one who brings good news across the mountains announcing peace—[ref]

≈ bringing good news that announces a coming rescuer,

and telling Tsiyyon that their god reigns.

8 Your watchmen will all call out loudly at the same time.

≈ They’ll all shout happily because each of them will see that Yahweh has returned to Tsiyyon.

9 Start shouting out happily you ruined places in Yerushalem

because Yahweh has encouraged his people—he’s paid the price for Yerushalem’s freedom.

10 In front of all the nations, Yahweh has revealed that he’s holy and powerful,

≈ and even the ends of the earth will see that our god rescues his people.

11 Get out, get out, leave that place! Don’t touch anything that’s ‘unclean’.[ref]

≈ Get out from among it. Purify yourselves, all of you who carry Yahweh within you,

12 because you won’t leave out in a rush.

≈ You all won’t have to flee hurriedly

because Yahweh will go ahead of you all,

≈ and Yisrael’s god will bring up the rear.