"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."
— Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
Isaiah 54:10 is the "my unfailing love for you will not be shaken" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Isaiah 54, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about unconditional love, Bible verses about steadfast love, and Bible verses about peace.
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The verse
The King James reads: "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."
"Unfailing love" (KJV "kindness") is chesed (H2617), God's loyal, covenant love. "Depart" is mush (H4185), the same word used for the mountains and for God's love: the mountains can move, his love cannot. "Covenant" is berit (H1285), "peace" is shalom (H7965), and "has compassion" is racham (H7355).
Where it sits in Isaiah 54
Isaiah 54 comes right after the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 (see Isaiah 53:5). God speaks to his people as to a wife who has been left alone, and promises to bring her back: "In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you" (Isaiah 54:8).
Verse 9 compares this promise to the flood: "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again." Verse 10 is the promise that follows.
What the verse is saying
Mountains are the most solid thing a person can point to. God says that even if they shake and move, his love for his people will not. The promise rests on his character, "the Lord, who has compassion on you," not on how faithful the people have been.
The "covenant of peace" is a sworn commitment, like the promise to Noah. The same steady love shows up in Lamentations 3:22-23 ("his compassions never fail") and in Romans 8:38-39, where nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God."
Questions people ask
What does Isaiah 54:10 say?
In the NIV it says, "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."
What is the covenant of peace in Isaiah 54:10?
It is God's sworn promise to his people. Isaiah 54:9 compares it to the oath God made after the flood, that the waters would never again cover the earth.
What is the Hebrew word for "unfailing love" in Isaiah 54:10?
It is chesed, a word for loyal, covenant love. The King James translates it "kindness."
Who is Isaiah 54:10 written to?
It is first written to Israel, pictured as a wife God is bringing back after a time of exile. Christians also read it as a picture of God's lasting love for his people.
What other verses talk about God's unfailing love?
Lamentations 3:22-23 (his compassions never fail), Psalm 136 (his love endures forever), and Romans 8:38-39 (nothing can separate us from the love of God) are close companions.
