I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the [renewed] heavens and lay the foundations of the [renewed] earth, and to say to Zion (Jerusalem), ‘You are My people.’”

Wake yourself up! Wake yourself up! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His wrath, You who have drunk the cup of staggering and intoxication to the dregs [leaving only sediment].

Cheer for Downtrodden Zion

Awake, awake, Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you.

Shake yourself from the dust, arise, O captive Jerusalem; Rid yourself of the chains around your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.

Break forth, shout joyfully together, You ruins of Jerusalem; For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.

“For in fact, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness will cover the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you [Jerusalem] And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.

“A multitude of camels [from the eastern trading tribes] will cover you [Jerusalem], The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba [who once came to trade] will come Bringing gold and frankincense And proclaiming the praises of the Lord.

“For the nation or the kingdom which will not serve you [Jerusalem] shall perish, And the nations [that refuse to serve] shall be utterly ruined.

“Whereas you [Jerusalem] have been abandoned and hated With no one passing through, I will make you an object of pride forever, A joy from generation to generation.

Zion’s Glory and New Name

For Zion’s sake I (Isaiah) will not be silent, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, And her salvation goes forth like a burning torch.

For as a young man marries a virgin [O Jerusalem], So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed and stationed watchmen (prophets), Who will never keep silent day or night; You who profess the Lord, take no rest for yourselves,

And give Him no rest [from your prayers] until He establishes Jerusalem And makes her a praise on the earth.

Your holy cities have become a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

“But be glad and rejoice forever over what I create; Behold, I am creating Jerusalem to be a source of rejoicing And her people a joy.

“I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

Joy in Jerusalem’s Future

“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; Rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her,

For the Lord says this, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Then they shall bring all your countrymen (children of Israel) from all the nations as a grain offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels—to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord.