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Blessings in Store for God’s People

51 “Hearken to me, you who pursue deliverance,
    you who seek the Lord;
look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were digged.
Look to Abraham your father
    and to Sarah who bore you;
for when he was but one I called him,
    and I blessed him and made him many.
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.

“Listen to me, my people,
    and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go forth from me,
    and my justice for a light to the peoples.
My deliverance draws near speedily,
    my salvation has gone forth,
    and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
    and for my arm they hope.
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 they who dwell in it will die like gnats;[a]
but my salvation will be for ever,
    and my deliverance will never be ended.

“Hearken to me, you who know righteousness,
    the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of men,
    and be not dismayed at their revilings.
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
    and the worm will eat them like wool;
but my deliverance will be for ever,
    and my salvation to all generations.”

Awake, awake, put on strength,
    O arm of the Lord;
awake, as in days of old,
    the generations of long ago.
Was it not thou that didst cut Rahab in pieces,
    that didst pierce the dragon?
10 Was it not thou that didst dry up the sea,
    the waters of the great deep;
that didst make the depths of the sea a way
    for the redeemed to pass over?
11 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain joy and gladness,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

12 “I, I am he that comforts you;
    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
    of the son of man who is made like grass,
13 and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
    who stretched out the heavens
    and laid the foundations of the earth,
and fear continually all the day
    because of the fury of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
    And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
    he shall not die and go down to the Pit,
    neither shall his bread fail.
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.
16 And I have put my words in your mouth,
    and hid 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.’”

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 bowl of staggering.
18 There is none to guide her
    among all the sons she has borne;
there is none to take her by the hand
    among all the sons she has brought up.
19 These two things have befallen you—
    who will condole with you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword;
    who will comfort you?[c]
20 Your sons 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.

21 Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,
    who are drunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord,
    your God who pleads the cause of his people:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand
    the cup of staggering;
the bowl of my wrath
    you shall drink no more;
23 and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
    who have said to you,
    ‘Bow down, that we may pass over’;
and you have made your back like the ground
    and like the street for them to pass over.”

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:6 Or in like manner
  2. Isaiah 51:16 Syr: Heb plant
  3. Isaiah 51:19 One ancient Ms Gk Syr Vg: Heb how may I comfort you

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.
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)

“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)
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.”

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)

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 51:19 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text / how can I