God’s day of vengeance and redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,
    from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?
Who is this, robed in splendour,
    striding forward in the greatness of his strength?

‘It is I, proclaiming victory,
    mighty to save.’

² Why are your garments red,
    like those of one treading the winepress?

³ ‘I have trodden the winepress alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;
their blood spattered my garments,
    and I stained all my clothing.
⁴ It was for me the day of vengeance;
    the year for me to redeem had come.
⁵ I looked, but there was no one to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.
⁶ I trampled the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk
    and poured their blood on the ground.’

Praise and prayer

⁷ I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord,
    the deeds for which he is to be praised,
    according to all the Lord has done for us –
yes, the many good things
    he has done for Israel,
    according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
⁸ He said, ‘Surely they are my people,
    children who will be true to me’;
    and so he became their Saviour.
⁹ In all their distress he too was distressed,
    and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them
    all the days of old.
¹⁰ Yet they rebelled
    and grieved his Holy Spirit.
So he turned and became their enemy
    and he himself fought against them.

¹¹ Then his people recalled the days of old,
    the days of Moses and his people –
where is he who brought them through the sea,
    with the shepherd of his flock?
Where is he who set
    his Holy Spirit among them,
¹² who sent his glorious arm of power
    to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters before them,
    to gain for himself everlasting renown,
¹³ who led them through the depths?
Like a horse in open country,
    they did not stumble;
¹⁴ like cattle that go down to the plain,
    they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
    to make for yourself a glorious name.