Isaiah, 51

1. Listen to me, you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock from which you were hewn, the quarry from which you were dug.

1. "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.

2. Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth. When I called him he was the only one but I blessed him and made him numerous.

2. 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.

3. Yes, Yahweh has pity on Zion, has pity on all her ruins; he will turn her desert into an Eden and her wastelands into the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of music.

3. 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.

4. Pay attention to me, my people, listen to me, my nation, for a law will come from me, and I shall make my saving justice the light of peoples.

4. "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.

5. My justice is suddenly approaching, my salvation appears, my arm is about to judge the peoples. The coasts and islands will put their hope in me and put their trust in my arm.

5. 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.

6. Raise your eyes to the heavens, look down at the earth; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth wear out like clothing and its inhabitants die like vermin, but my salvation will last for ever and my saving justice remain inviolable.

6. 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; but my salvation will be for ever, and my deliverance will never be ended.

7. Listen to me, you who know what saving justice means, a people who take my laws to heart: do not fear people's taunts, do not be alarmed by their insults,

7. "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.

8. for the moth will eat them like clothing, the grub will devour them like wool, but my saving justice will last for ever and my salvation for all generations.

8. 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."

9. Awake, awake! Clothe yourself in strength, arm of Yahweh. Awake, as in the olden days, generations long ago! Was it not you who split Rahab in half, who pierced the Dragon through?

9. 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 you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great Abyss; who made the sea-bed into a road for the redeemed to go across?

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. This is why those whom Yahweh has ransomed will return, they will enter Zion shouting for joy, their heads crowned with a joy unending; joy and gladness will escort them and sorrow and sighing will take flight.

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 your consoler. Why then should you be afraid of mortal human beings, of a child of man, whose fate is that of the grass?

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. You forget about Yahweh your Creator who spread out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations; you have never stopped trembling all day long before the fury of the oppressor when he was bent on destruction. Where is the oppressor's fury now?

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. The despairing captive is soon to be set free; he will not die in the dungeon, nor will his food run out.

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. I am Yahweh your God who stirs up the sea, making its waves roar -- Yahweh Sabaoth is my name.

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. I put my words into your mouth, I hid you in the shadow of my hand, to spread out the heavens and lay the earth's foundations and say to Zion, 'You are my people.'

16. And I have put my words in your mouth, and hid you in the shadow of my hand, stretching out the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, `You are my people.'"

17. Awake, awake! To your feet, Jerusalem! You who from Yahweh's hand have drunk the cup of his wrath. The chalice, the stupefying cup, you have drained to the dregs.

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 no one to guide her of all the children she has borne, no one to grasp her hand of all the children she has reared.

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. Double disaster has befallen you -- who is there to sympathise? Pillage and ruin, famine and sword -- who is there to console you?

19. These two things have befallen you -- who will condole with you? -- devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you?

20. Your children are lying helpless at the end of every street like an antelope trapped in a net; they are filled to the brim with Yahweh's wrath, with the rebuke of your God.

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. So listen to this, afflicted one, drunk, though not with wine.

21. Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine:

22. Thus says your Lord Yahweh, your God, defender of your people: Look, I am taking the stupefying cup from your hand, the chalice, the cup of my wrath, you will not have to drink again.

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. I shall hand it to your tormentors who used to say to you, 'On the ground! So that we can walk over you!' And you would flatten your back like the ground, like a street for them to walk on.

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."