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Isaiah 51-53
Contemporary English Version
Isaiah 51-53
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Will Bring Comfort
51 (A) If you want to do right
and obey the Lord,
follow Abraham's example.
He was the rock from which
you were chipped.
2 God chose Abraham and Sarah
to be your ancestors.
The Lord blessed Abraham,
and from that one man
came many descendants.
3 Though Zion is in ruins,
the Lord will bring comfort,
and the city will be as lovely
as the garden of Eden
that he provided.
Then Zion will celebrate;
it will be thankful
and sing joyful songs.
The Lord's Victory Will Last
4 The Lord says:
You are my people and nation!
So pay attention to me.
My teaching will cause justice
to shine like a light
for every nation.
5 Those who live across the sea
are eagerly waiting
for me to rescue them.
I am strong and ready;
soon I will come to save
and to rule all nations.
6 Look closely at the sky!
Stare at the earth.
The sky will vanish like smoke;
the earth will wear out
like clothes.
Everyone on this earth
will die like flies.
But my victory will last;
my saving power never ends.
7 If you want to do right
and obey my teaching
with all your heart,
then pay close attention.
Don't be discouraged
when others insult you
and say hurtful things.
8 They will be eaten away
like a moth-eaten coat.
But my victory will last;
my saving power
will never end.
A Prayer for the Lord's Help
9 Wake up! Do something, Lord.
Be strong and ready.
Wake up! Do what you did
for our people long ago.
Didn't you chop up
Rahab[a] the monster?
10 Didn't you dry up the deep sea
and make a road for your people
to follow safely across?
11 Now those you have rescued
will return to Jerusalem,
singing on their way.
They will be crowned
with great happiness,
never again to be burdened
with sadness and sorrow.
The Lord Gives Hope
12 I am the Lord, the one
who encourages you.
Why are you afraid
of mere humans?
They dry up and die like grass.
13 I spread out the heavens
and laid foundations
for the earth.
But you have forgotten me,
your Lord and Creator.
All day long you were afraid
of those who were angry
and hoped to oppress you.
Where are they now?
14 Everyone crying out in pain
will be quickly set free;
they will be rescued
from the power of death
and never go hungry.
15 I will help them
because I am your God,
the Lord All-Powerful,
who makes the ocean roar.
16 I have told you what to say,
and I will keep you safe
in the palm of my hand.
I spread out the heavens
and laid foundations
for the earth.
Now I say, “Jerusalem,
your people are mine.”
A Warning to Jerusalem
17 (B) Jerusalem, wake up! Stand up!
You've drunk too much
from the cup filled
with the Lord's anger.
You have swallowed every drop,
and you can't walk straight.
18 Not one of your many children
is there to guide you
or to offer a helping hand.
19 You have been destroyed
by war and by famine;
I cannot comfort you.[b]
20 The Lord your God is angry,
and on every street corner
your children lie helpless,
like deer trapped in nets.
21 You are in trouble and drunk,
but not from wine.
So pay close attention
22 to the Lord your God,
who defends you and says,
“I have taken from your hands
the cup filled with my anger
that made you drunk.
You will never be forced
to drink it again.
23 Instead I will give it
to your brutal enemies,
who treated you like dirt
and walked all over you.”
Jerusalem Can Celebrate
52 (C) Jerusalem, wake up!
Stand up and be strong.
Holy city of Zion,
dress in your best clothes.
Those foreigners who ruined
your sacred city
won't bother you again.
2 Zion, rise from the dirt!
Free yourself from the rope
around your neck.
Suffering Will End
3 The Lord says:
My people, you were sold,
but not for money;
now you will be set free,
but not for a payment.
4 Long ago you went to Egypt
where you lived
as foreigners.
Then Assyria was cruel to you,
5 (D) and now another nation[c]
has taken you prisoner
for no reason at all.
Your leaders groan with pain,[d]
and day after day
my own name is cursed.
6 My people, you will learn
who I am and who is speaking
because I am here.
A Message of Hope for Jerusalem
7 (E) What a beautiful sight!
On the mountains a messenger
announces to Jerusalem,
“Good news! You're saved.
There will be peace.
Your God is now King.”
8 Everyone on guard duty,
sing and celebrate!
Look! You can see the Lord
returning to Zion.
9 Jerusalem, rise from the ruins!
Join in the singing.
The Lord has given comfort
to his people;
he comes to your rescue.
10 The Lord has shown all nations
his mighty strength;
now everyone will see
the saving power of our God.
A Command To Leave Babylon
11 (F) Leave the city of Babylon!
Don't touch anything filthy.
Wash yourselves. Be ready
to carry back everything sacred
that belongs to the Lord.
12 You won't need to run.
No one is chasing you.
The Lord God of Israel
will lead and protect you
from enemy attacks.
The Suffering Servant
13 The Lord says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.
14 Many were horrified
at what happened to him.[e]
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.[f]
15 (G) My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;[g]
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.[h]
They will see and think about
things they have never seen
or thought about before.
What God's Servant Did for Us
53 (H) Has anyone believed us
or seen the mighty power
of the Lord in action?
2 Like a young plant or a root
that sprouts in dry ground,
the servant grew up
obeying the Lord.
He wasn't some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked
made him attractive to us.
3 He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
“He is a nobody!”
4 He suffered and endured
great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
was punishment from God.
5 (I)(J) He was wounded and crushed
because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
he made us completely well.
6 (K) All of us were like sheep
that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the Lord gave him
the punishment we deserved.
7 (L)(M) (N) He was painfully abused,
but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
having its wool cut off.
8 He was condemned to death
without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined
what would happen to him?
His life was taken away
because of the sinful things
my people[i] had done.
9 (O) He wasn't dishonest or violent,
but he was buried in a tomb
among cruel, rich people.[j]
10 The Lord decided his servant
would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin
and guilt of others.
Now the servant will live
to see his own descendants.[k]
He did everything
the Lord had planned.
11 By suffering, the servant
will learn the true meaning
of obeying the Lord.
Although he is innocent,
he will take the punishment
for the sins of others,
so that many of them
will no longer be guilty.
12 (P) The Lord will reward him
with honor and power
for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner,
but he suffered for our sins
and asked God to forgive us.
Footnotes
- 51.9 Rahab: This may refer to Egypt at the time of the exodus.
- 51.19 I … you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 52.5 another nation: Babylonia.
- 52.5 groan with pain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 52.14 him: One ancient translation; Hebrew “you.”
- 52.14 human: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 14.
- 52.15 My … me: Hebrew; one ancient translation “The nations will be amazed at him.”
- 52.15 kings … wonder: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 53.8 my people: Or “his people.”
- 53.9 but he … people: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 53.10 The Lord … descendants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Isaiah 51-53
New International Version
Isaiah 51-53
New International Version
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;
2 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)
3 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.
4 “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)
5 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.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,(X)
the earth will wear out like a garment(Y)
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation(Z) will last forever,(AA)
my righteousness will never fail.(AB)
7 “Hear me, you who know what is right,(AC)
you people who have taken my instruction to heart:(AD)
Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals
or be terrified by their insults.(AE)
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;(AF)
the worm(AG) will devour them like wool.
But my righteousness will last forever,(AH)
my salvation through all generations.”
9 Awake, awake,(AI) arm(AJ) of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!(AK)
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.(AL)
Was it not you who cut Rahab(AM) to pieces,
who pierced that monster(AN) through?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,(AO)
the waters of the great deep,(AP)
who made a road in the depths of the sea(AQ)
so that the redeemed(AR) might cross over?
11 Those the Lord has rescued(AS) will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;(AT)
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy(AU) will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.(AV)
12 “I, even I, am he who comforts(AW) you.
Who are you that you fear(AX) mere mortals,(AY)
human beings who are but grass,(AZ)
13 that you forget(BA) the Lord your Maker,(BB)
who stretches out the heavens(BC)
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror(BD) every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?(BE)
14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;(BF)
they will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.(BG)
15 For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea(BH) so that its waves roar(BI)—
the Lord Almighty(BJ) is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth(BK)
and covered you with the shadow of my hand(BL)—
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,(BM)
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.(BN)’”
The Cup of the Lord’s Wrath
17 Awake, awake!(BO)
Rise up, Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord
the cup(BP) of his wrath,(BQ)
you who have drained to its dregs(BR)
the goblet that makes people stagger.(BS)
18 Among all the children(BT) she bore
there was none to guide her;(BU)
among all the children she reared
there was none to take her by the hand.(BV)
19 These double calamities(BW) have come upon you—
who can comfort you?(BX)—
ruin and destruction,(BY) famine(BZ) and sword(CA)—
who can[a] console you?
20 Your children have fainted;
they lie at every street corner,(CB)
like antelope caught in a net.(CC)
They are filled with the wrath(CD) of the Lord,
with the rebuke(CE) of your God.
21 Therefore hear this, you afflicted(CF) one,
made drunk,(CG) but not with wine.
22 This is what your Sovereign Lord says,
your God, who defends(CH) his people:
“See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup(CI) that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again.
23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,(CJ)
who said to you,
‘Fall prostrate(CK) that we may walk(CL) on you.’
And you made your back like the ground,
like a street to be walked on.”(CM)
52 Awake, awake,(CN) Zion,
clothe yourself with strength!(CO)
Put on your garments of splendor,(CP)
Jerusalem, the holy city.(CQ)
The uncircumcised(CR) and defiled(CS)
will not enter you again.(CT)
2 Shake off your dust;(CU)
rise up,(CV) sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,(CW)
Daughter Zion,(CX) now a captive.
3 For this is what the Lord says:
4 For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
5 “And now what do I have here?” declares the Lord.
“For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,[b]”
declares the Lord.
“And all day long
my name is constantly blasphemed.(DD)
6 Therefore my people will know(DE) my name;(DF)
therefore in that day(DG) they will know
that it is I who foretold(DH) it.
Yes, it is I.”
7 How beautiful on the mountains(DI)
are the feet of those who bring good news,(DJ)
who proclaim peace,(DK)
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”(DL)
8 Listen! Your watchmen(DM) lift up their voices;(DN)
together they shout for joy.(DO)
When the Lord returns(DP) to Zion,(DQ)
they will see it with their own eyes.
9 Burst into songs of joy(DR) together,
you ruins(DS) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(DT) his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.(DU)
10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm(DV)
in the sight of all the nations,(DW)
and all the ends of the earth(DX) will see
the salvation(DY) of our God.
11 Depart,(DZ) depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing!(EA)
Come out from it and be pure,(EB)
you who carry the articles(EC) of the Lord’s house.
12 But you will not leave in haste(ED)
or go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,(EE)
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.(EF)
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13 See, my servant(EG) will act wisely[c];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.(EH)
14 Just as there were many who were appalled(EI) at him[d]—
his appearance was so disfigured(EJ) beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness(EK)—
15 so he will sprinkle(EL) many nations,[e]
and kings(EM) will shut their mouths(EN) because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.(EO)
53 Who has believed our message(EP)
and to whom has the arm(EQ) of the Lord been revealed?(ER)
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,(ES)
and like a root(ET) out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance(EU) that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering,(EV) and familiar with pain.(EW)
Like one from whom people hide(EX) their faces
he was despised,(EY) and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,(EZ)
yet we considered him punished by God,(FA)
stricken by him, and afflicted.(FB)
5 But he was pierced(FC) for our transgressions,(FD)
he was crushed(FE) for our iniquities;
the punishment(FF) that brought us peace(FG) was on him,
and by his wounds(FH) we are healed.(FI)
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,(FJ)
each of us has turned to our own way;(FK)
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity(FL) of us all.
7 He was oppressed(FM) and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;(FN)
he was led like a lamb(FO) to the slaughter,(FP)
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[f] and judgment(FQ) he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;(FR)
for the transgression(FS) of my people he was punished.[g]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,(FT)
and with the rich(FU) in his death,
though he had done no violence,(FV)
nor was any deceit in his mouth.(FW)
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will(FX) to crush(FY) him and cause him to suffer,(FZ)
and though the Lord makes[h] his life an offering for sin,(GA)
he will see his offspring(GB) and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper(GC) in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,(GD)
he will see the light(GE) of life[i] and be satisfied[j];
by his knowledge[k] my righteous servant(GF) will justify(GG) many,
and he will bear their iniquities.(GH)
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[l](GI)
and he will divide the spoils(GJ) with the strong,[m]
because he poured out his life unto death,(GK)
and was numbered with the transgressors.(GL)
For he bore(GM) the sin of many,(GN)
and made intercession(GO) for the transgressors.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can I
- Isaiah 52:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Vulgate; Masoretic Text wail
- Isaiah 52:13 Or will prosper
- Isaiah 52:14 Hebrew you
- Isaiah 52:15 Or so will many nations be amazed at him (see also Septuagint)
- Isaiah 53:8 Or From arrest
- Isaiah 53:8 Or generation considered / that he was cut off from the land of the living, / that he was punished for the transgression of my people?
- Isaiah 53:10 Hebrew though you make
- Isaiah 53:11 Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text does not have the light of life.
- Isaiah 53:11 Or (with Masoretic Text) 11 He will see the fruit of his suffering / and will be satisfied
- Isaiah 53:11 Or by knowledge of him
- Isaiah 53:12 Or many
- Isaiah 53:12 Or numerous
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