Isaiah 63

1Who is this arriving from Edom, coming from Bozrah with clothing dyed red, so majestic in his robes, pressing on in his immense strength? It is I, who speak in righteousness, with great power to save. 2Why are your robes so red? Why do your clothes look like those of a man stamping grapes in a winepress? 3Alone I have trampled the grapes in the press; from the peoples no one joined me. In my anger I stamped on them; in my fury I crushed them underfoot. Their juice splashed across my garments, and every piece of my clothing is stained. 4For I had set my heart on a day of vengeance, and the year for redeeming my own had come. 5I looked around, and there was no one to help; I stared, dismayed, and no one came to support. So my own arm brought me victory, and my fury kept me going. 6I crushed peoples underfoot in my anger; I made them drunk on my fury, and I let their lifeblood run down to the earth.

7I will bring to mind the acts of loyal love the LORD has shown, the deeds that make the LORD worthy of praise, for all that the LORD has done for us: the great goodness he has shown to the house of Israel, out of his tender mercy and his abundant loyal love. 8He said, “Without doubt they are my people, children who will not be false to me.” So he became the one who saved them. 9Whenever they were in trouble, it troubled him, and the angel of his presence rescued them. In his love and his pity he redeemed them; he picked them up and carried them throughout the ages long past. 10But they rebelled and caused his Holy Spirit grief, so he changed into their enemy and went to war against them himself. 11Then his people thought back to ancient times, to the days of Moses: “Where is the one who brought them, with the shepherds of his flock, up out of the sea? Where is the one who put his Holy Spirit in their midst, 12who made his glorious arm march at Moses’ right side, who split the waters in front of them to win himself a name that lasts forever, 13who guided them through the depths, so that they did not stumble, sure-footed as a horse on the open plain?” 14As cattle make their way down into a valley, the Spirit of the LORD brought them to rest. In this way you guided your people, to make for yourself a name full of splendor. 15Look down from the heavens; see from your exalted dwelling, holy and splendid! What has become of your zeal and your mighty acts? Your tender feeling and your compassion hold themselves back from me. 16Surely you are our Father, even if Abraham has never heard of us and Israel would not claim us as his own. You, LORD, are our Father; from ages past your name has been Our Redeemer. 17LORD, why do you send us straying from your paths, and make our hearts so hard that we no longer fear you? Turn back to us for the sake of your servants, the tribes that belong to you. 18Your holy people held the land only a short time; now our enemies have trampled your sanctuary. 19For a long time now we have been like a people never under your rule, a people that never bore your name. If only you would split the heavens apart and come down, and the mountains would shake as you came near!