Wake up, wake up,
put on your vigour, Tsiyyon!
Put on your majestic clothes,
Yerushalaim, sacred town!
Because the foreskinned or taboo person
will never again come into you.
Shake yourself from the earth,
get up, sit down, Yerushalaim!
They are loosening the bonds from on your neck,
captive Miss Tsiyyon.

Because Yahweh has said this:
For nothing you were sold,
without silver you will be restored.
Because the Lord Yahweh has said this:
My people went down to Misrayim
at the beginning to reside there.
But Ashshur oppressed them to no purpose,
so now what was there for me here (Yahweh’s declaration)?
Because my people was taken to no end,
while its rulers boast (Yahweh’s declaration).
And constantly, all day,
my name stands reviled.
Therefore my people will acknowledge my name,
therefore on that day [it will acknowledge]
that I’m the one who speaks – here I am.

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of one who brings news,
one who lets people hear ‘All is well’,
One who brings good news,
lets people hear of deliverance,
who says to Tsiyyon, ‘Your God has begun to reign.’
A voice! – lookouts are lifting voice,
together they resound.
Because with both eyes
they see Yahweh going back to Tsiyyon.
Break out, resound together,
wastes of Yerushalaim.
Because Yahweh is comforting his people;
he’s restoring Yerushalaim.
Yahweh is baring his sacred arm before the nations’ eyes.
All the ends of the earth
will see our God’s deliverance.

Depart, depart, get out from there,
don’t touch what is taboo.
Get out from within it, purify yourselves,
you who carry Yahweh’s things.
Because you won’t get out in haste,
you won’t go in flight.
Because Yahweh is going before you,
and Yisra’el’s God is bringing up your rear.

Goldingay, John; Goldingay, John; Wright, Tom; Wright, Tom. The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba