Isaiah 51

Israel Exhorted

1“1Listen to Me, you who 2pursue righteousness, Who seek the Lord: Look to the 3rock from which you were cut, And to the 4quarry from which you were dug.2Look to 5Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he 6was only one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”3Indeed, 7the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her 8ruins. And He will make her 9wilderness like 10Eden, And her desert like the 11garden of the Lord. 12Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and the sound of a melody.

4“13Pay attention to Me, My people, And listen to Me, My 14nation; For a 15law will go out from Me, And I will bring My 16justice as a 17light of the peoples.5My 18righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My 19arms will judge the peoples; The 20coastlands will wait for Me, And they will wait expectantly for My 21arm.622Raise your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the 23sky will vanish like smoke, And the 24earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die 25in the same way. But My 26salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not fail.727Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose 28heart is My Law; Do not fear the 29taunting of 30people, Nor be terrified of their abuses.8For the 31moth will eat them like a garment; Yes, the 32moth will eat them like wool. But My 33righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations.”

934Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; Awake as in the 35days of old, the generations of long ago. 36Was it not You who cut 37Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the 38dragon?10Was it not You who 39dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the 40redeemed to cross over?11And the 41redeemed of the Lord will return And come to Zion with joyful shouting, And 42everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And 43sorrow and sighing will flee away.

12“I, I Myself, am He who 44comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of 4546mortal man, And of a son of man who is made like 47grass,13That you have 48forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who 49stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you 50fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? And where is the rage of the 51oppressor? 14The 5253exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the 54dungeon, 55nor will his bread be lacking. 15For I am the Lord your God, who 56stirs up the sea so that its waves roar (the Lord of armies is His name). 16And I have 57put My words in your mouth and have 58covered you with the shadow of My hand, to 5960establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

1761Pull yourself up! Pull yourself up! Arise, Jerusalem! You who have 62drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger; The 63chalice of staggering you have drunk to the dregs.18There is 64no 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.19These two things have happened to you; Who will mourn for you? The 65devastation and destruction, famine and sword; How shall I comfort you?20Your sons have fainted, They 66lie helpless at the head of every street, Like an 67antelope in a net, Full of the wrath of the Lord, The 68rebuke of your God.

21Therefore, listen to this, you 69afflicted, Who are 70drunk, but not with wine:22This is what your Lord, the Lord, your God Who 71contends for His people says: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the 72cup of staggering, The 73chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again.23I will 74put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to 75you, ‘76Lie 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.”