1 H earken to Me, you who follow after rightness and justice, you who seek and inquire of the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the hole in the quarry from which you were dug;

“ Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug.

2 L ook to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him when he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many.

“Look to Abraham your father And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain; When he was but one I called him, Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”

3 F or the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song or instrument of praise.

Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.

4 L isten to Me, O My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation; for a law will go forth from Me, and I will establish My justice for a light to the peoples.

“ Pay attention to Me, O My people, And give ear to Me, O My nation; For a law will go forth from Me, And I will set My justice for a light of the peoples.

5 M y rightness and justice are near, My salvation is going forth, and My arms shall rule the peoples; the islands shall wait for and expect Me, and on My arm shall they trust and wait with hope.

“My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly.

6 L ift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall be dissolved and vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But My salvation shall be forever, and My rightness and justice shall not be abolished.

“ Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.

7 L isten to Me, you who know rightness and justice and right standing with God, the people in whose heart is My law and My instruction: fear not the reproach of men, neither be afraid nor dismayed at their revilings.

“ Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings.

8 F or the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But My rightness and justice shall be forever, and My salvation to all generations.

“For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations.”

9 A wake, awake, put on strength and might, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, as in the generations of long ago. Was it not You Who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon ?

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon?

10 W as it not You Who dried up the Red Sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Was it not You who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; Who made the depths of the sea a pathway For the redeemed to cross over?

11 A nd the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

So the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

12 I , even I, am He Who comforts you. Who are you, that you should be afraid of man, who shall die, and of a son of man, who shall be made as grass,

“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass,

13 T hat you should forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and fear continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready to destroy or even though he did so? And where is the fury of the oppressor?

That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 T he captive exile and he who is bent down by chains shall speedily be released; and he shall not die and go down to the pit of destruction, nor shall his food fail.

The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking.

15 F or I am the Lord your God, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar and Who by rebuke restrains it—the Lord of hosts is His name.

For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name).

16 A nd I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, that I may fix the heavens as a tabernacle and lay the foundations of a earth and say to Zion, You are My people.

I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

17 A rouse yourself, awake! 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.

Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.

18 T here is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; neither is there anyone to take her by the hand among all the sons whom she has brought up.

There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne, Nor is there one to take her by the hand among all the sons she has reared.

19 T wo kinds of calamities have befallen you—but who feels sorry for and commiserates you?—they are desolation and destruction, and famine and sword —how shall I comfort you or by whom?

These two things have befallen you; Who will mourn for you? The devastation and destruction, famine and sword; How shall I comfort you?

20 Y our sons have fainted; they lie at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God.

Your sons have fainted, They lie helpless at the head of every street, Like an antelope in a net, Full of the wrath of the Lord, The rebuke of your God.

21 T herefore, now hear this, you who are afflicted, and drunk, but not with wine.

Therefore, please hear this, you afflicted, Who are drunk, but not with wine:

22 T hus says your Lord, the Lord, and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering and intoxication; the cup of My wrath you shall drink no more.

Thus says your Lord, the Lord, even your God Who contends for His people, “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again.

23 A nd I will put it into the hands of your tormentors and oppressors, those who said to you, Bow down, that we may ride or tread over you; and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to pass over.

“I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, Who have said to you, ‘ Lie down that we may walk over you.’ You have even made your back like the ground And like the street for those who walk over it.”