The Lord's Comfort for Zion

51 (A)“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
    you who seek the Lord:
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah who bore you;
for (B)he was but one when I called him,
    that I might bless him and multiply him.
For the Lord (C)comforts Zion;
    he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like (D)Eden,
    her desert like (E)the garden of the Lord;
(F)joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.

(G)“Give attention to me, my people,
    and give ear to me, my nation;
(H)for a law[a] will go out from me,
    and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
(I)My righteousness draws near,
    my salvation has gone out,
    and my arms will judge the peoples;
(J)the coastlands hope for me,
    and for my arm they wait.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:4 Or for teaching; also verse 7

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

51 “Listen(A) to me, you who pursue righteousness(B)
    and who seek(C) the Lord:
Look to the rock(D) from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham,(E) your father,
    and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was only one man,
    and I blessed him and made him many.(F)
The Lord will surely comfort(G) Zion(H)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(I)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(J)
    her wastelands(K) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(L) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving(M) and the sound of singing.

“Listen to me, my people;(N)
    hear me,(O) my nation:
Instruction(P) will go out from me;
    my justice(Q) will become a light to the nations.(R)
My righteousness draws near speedily,
    my salvation(S) is on the way,(T)
    and my arm(U) will bring justice to the nations.
The islands(V) will look to me
    and wait in hope(W) for my arm.

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