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Blessings in Store for God’s People

51 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.(A)
Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah, who bore you,
for he was but one when I called him,
    but I blessed him and made him many.(B)
For the Lord will comfort Zion;
    he will comfort all her waste places
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.(C)

Listen to me, my people,
    and give heed to me, my nation,
for a teaching will go out from me
    and my justice for a light to the peoples.(D)
I will bring near my deliverance swiftly;
    my salvation has gone out,
    and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
    and for my arm they hope.(E)
Lift up your eyes to the heavens
    and look at the earth beneath,
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
    the earth will wear out like a garment,
    and those who live on it will die like gnats,[a]
but my salvation will be forever,
    and my deliverance will never be ended.(F)

Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
    you people who have my teaching in your hearts;
do not fear the reproach of others,
    and do not be dismayed when they revile you.(G)
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
    and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my deliverance will be forever
    and my salvation to all generations.(H)

Awake, awake, put on strength,
    O arm of the Lord!
Awake, as in days of old,
    the generations of long ago!
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
    who pierced the dragon?(I)
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
    the waters of the great deep;
who made the depths of the sea a way
    for the redeemed to cross over?(J)
11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with rejoicing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain joy and gladness,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.(K)

12 I, I am he who comforts you;
    why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,
    a human being who fades like grass?(L)
13 You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
    who stretched out the heavens
    and laid the foundations of the earth.
You fear continually all day long
    because of the fury of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction.
    But where is the fury of the oppressor?(M)
14 The oppressed shall speedily be released;
    they shall not die and go down to the Pit,
    nor shall they lack bread.(N)
15 For I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord of hosts is his name.(O)
16 I have put my words in your mouth
    and hidden you in the shadow of my hand,
stretching out[b] the heavens
    and laying the foundations of the earth
    and saying to Zion, “You are my people.”(P)

17 Rouse yourself, rouse yourself!
    Stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord
    the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
    the cup of staggering.(Q)
18 There is no one to guide her
    among all the children she has borne;
there is no one to take her by the hand
    among all the children she has brought up.(R)
19 These two things have befallen you
    —who will grieve with you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword.
    Who will comfort you?[c](S)
20 Your children have fainted;
    they lie at the head of every street
    like an antelope in a net;
they are full of the wrath of the Lord,
    the rebuke of your God.(T)

21 Therefore hear this, you who are wounded,[d]
    who are drunk but not with wine:(U)
22 Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord,
    your God who pleads the cause of his people:
See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
you shall drink no more
    from the cup of my wrath.(V)
23 And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
    who have said to you,
    “Bow down, that we may walk on you,”
and you have made your back like the ground
    and like the street for them to walk on.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 51.6 Or in like manner
  2. 51.16 Syr: Heb planting
  3. 51.19 Q ms Gk Syr Vg: MT how may I comfort you?
  4. 51.21 Or humbled

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