Israel Exhorted

51 (A)Listen to Me, you who (B)pursue righteousness,
Who seek the Lord:
Look to the (C)rock from which you were cut,
And to the [a]quarry from which you were dug.
Look to (D)Abraham your father
And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;
When he (E)was only one I called him,
Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”
Indeed, (F)the Lord will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her (G)ruins.
And He will make her (H)wilderness like (I)Eden,
And her desert like the (J)garden of the Lord.
(K)Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and the sound of a melody.

(L)Pay attention to Me, My people,
And listen to Me, My [b]nation;
For a (M)law will go out from Me,
And I will bring My (N)justice as a (O)light of the peoples.
My (P)righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My (Q)arms will judge the peoples;
The (R)coastlands will wait for Me,
And they will wait expectantly for My (S)arm.
(T)Raise your eyes to the sky,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the (U)sky will vanish like smoke,
And the (V)earth will wear out like a garment
And its inhabitants will die [c]in the same way.
But My (W)salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not fail.
(X)Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose (Y)heart is My Law;
Do not fear the (Z)taunting of [d]people,
Nor be terrified of their abuses.
For the (AA)moth will eat them like a garment;
Yes, the (AB)moth will eat them like wool.
But My (AC)righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”

(AD)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord;
Awake as in the (AE)days of old, the generations of long ago.
(AF)Was it not You who cut [e]Rahab in pieces,
Who pierced the (AG)dragon?
10 Was it not You who (AH)dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep;
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the (AI)redeemed to cross over?
11 And the (AJ)redeemed of the Lord will return
And come to Zion with joyful shouting,
And (AK)everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And (AL)sorrow and sighing will flee away.

12 “I, I Myself, am He who (AM)comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of [f](AN)mortal man,
And of a son of man who is made like (AO)grass,
13 That you have (AP)forgotten the Lord your Maker,
Who (AQ)stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you (AR)fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,
As he makes ready to destroy?
And where is the rage of the (AS)oppressor?

14 The [g](AT)exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the [h]dungeon, (AU)nor will his bread be lacking. 15 For I am the Lord your God, who (AV)stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). 16 And I have (AW)put My words in your mouth and have (AX)covered you with the shadow of My hand, to [i](AY)establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

17 (AZ)Pull yourself up! Pull yourself up! Arise, Jerusalem!
You who have (BA)drunk from the Lords hand the cup of His anger;
The [j]chalice of staggering you have drunk to the dregs.
18 There is (BB)no one to guide her among all the sons to whom she has given birth,
Nor is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons she has raised.
19 These two things have happened to you;
Who will mourn for you?
The (BC)devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
How shall I comfort you?
20 Your sons have fainted,
They (BD)lie helpless at the head of every street,
Like an (BE)antelope in a net,
Full of the wrath of the Lord,
The (BF)rebuke of your God.

21 Therefore, listen to this, you (BG)afflicted,
Who are (BH)drunk, but not with wine:
22 This is what your Lord, the Lord, your God
Who (BI)contends for His people says:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand the (BJ)cup of staggering,
The [k]chalice of My anger;
You will never drink it again.
23 I will (BK)put it into the hand of your tormentors,
Who have said to [l]you, ‘(BL)Lie down so that we may walk over you.’
You have also made your back like the ground,
And like the street for those who walk over it.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:1 Lit excavation of a pit
  2. Isaiah 51:4 Or people
  3. Isaiah 51:6 Another reading is like gnats
  4. Isaiah 51:7 Or mankind
  5. Isaiah 51:9 I.e., a sea monster, not to be confused with Rahab in Joshua 2
  6. Isaiah 51:12 Lit man who dies
  7. Isaiah 51:14 Lit one in chains
  8. Isaiah 51:14 Lit pit
  9. Isaiah 51:16 Lit plant
  10. Isaiah 51:17 Lit bowl of the cup of reeling
  11. Isaiah 51:22 Lit bowl of the cup of
  12. Isaiah 51:23 Lit your soul

主對錫安的安慰

51 耶和華說:「追求公義、
尋求我的人啊,聽我說。
你們要追想那磐石,
你們是從那裡被鑿出來的;
你們要追想那岩穴,
你們是從那裡被挖出來的。
你們要追想你們的祖先亞伯拉罕和生你們的撒拉。
我呼召亞伯拉罕的時候,
他是孤身一人,
但我賜福給他,
使他子孫眾多。
我必安慰錫安和錫安所有的荒場,
使曠野像伊甸園,
使沙漠變成我的園囿,
裡面有歡喜、快樂、感謝和歌頌的聲音。

「我的子民啊,要留心聽我的話;
我的國民啊,要側耳聽我說。
因為我必賜下訓誨,
我的公正必成為萬民的光。
我的公義臨近,
我的拯救已經開始,
我的臂膀要審判萬民。
眾海島都在等候我,
仰賴我的臂膀。
你們舉目仰望穹蒼,
俯首觀看大地吧。
穹蒼必像煙雲消散,
大地必像衣服一樣漸漸破舊,
地上的居民必像蚊蠅一樣死亡。
但我的救恩永遠長存,
我的公義永不廢除。
認識公義、銘記我訓誨的人啊,
聽我說。
你們不要害怕人的辱罵,
也不要畏懼他們的譭謗。
因為蛀蟲必吃掉他們,
像吃衣服;
蟲子必蠶食他們,如食羊毛。
但我的公義永遠長存,
我的救恩延及萬代。」

耶和華啊,伸出臂膀,
施展能力吧,
像在從前的世代一樣施展你的能力吧!
難道不是你砍碎了拉哈伯,
刺死了海怪嗎?
10 難道不是你使海洋和深淵乾涸,
在海中開出道路讓蒙救贖的人穿過的嗎?
11 耶和華所救贖的人必回來,
必歡唱著回到錫安,
得到永遠的福樂。
他們將歡喜快樂,
再沒有憂愁和歎息。

12 耶和華說:「安慰你們的是我,是我。
你為什麼要害怕難逃一死、
生命如草芥的世人呢?
13 難道你忘記了創造你、
鋪展穹蒼、
奠立大地根基的耶和華嗎?
難道因為試圖毀滅你的欺壓者大發怒氣,
你就整天驚恐不安嗎?
他們的怒氣如今在哪裡呢?
14 被囚的人快得釋放了,
他們不會死在牢中,
也不會缺乏食物。
15 我是你的上帝耶和華,
我翻動大海、捲起波濤,
萬軍之耶和華是我的名。
16 我把我的話傳給你,
用我的手庇護你。
我鋪展穹蒼,奠立大地的根基,
對錫安說,『你是我的子民。』」

17 耶路撒冷啊,醒來,醒來,站起來吧!你從耶和華手中的杯裡喝了祂的憤怒,喝乾了那杯使人東倒西歪的酒。

18 你生育的兒子沒有一個來引導你,
你撫養成人的眾子沒有一個來攙扶你。
19 荒涼、毀滅、饑荒、
戰禍已臨到你身上,
誰會為你哀哭呢?
誰能安慰你呢[a]
20 你的兒子們昏倒在街頭,
好像羚羊掉進網羅,
你的上帝耶和華把祂的憤怒和責備重重地降在他們身上。
21 你這身受痛苦、並非因酒而醉的人啊,
要聽我的話。
22 你的主耶和華是為祂子民申辯的上帝,祂說:
「看啊,我已從你手中拿走那使人東倒西歪的杯和盛滿我憤怒的碗,
你必不再喝。
23 我必把這杯給苦待你的人,
他們曾對你說,『趴下,
我們好從你身上走過。』
你曾把你的背當作地面,
當作街道任人踐踏。」

Footnotes

  1. 51·19 誰能安慰你呢」有古卷作「我該怎樣安慰你呢」。

51 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

15 But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name.

16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:

22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:

23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.