Isaiah 51

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Listen to me, you who pursue saving justice, you who seek Yahweh. Consider the rock from which youwere hewn, the quarry from which you were dug.	1 Listen to me, you who pursue justice, who seek the LORD; Look to the rock from which you were hewn, to the pit from which you were quarried;
2 Consider Abraham your father and Sarah who gave you birth. When I cal ed him he was the only onebut I blessed him and made him numerous.	2 Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth; When he was but one I called him, I blessed him and made him many.
3 Yes, Yahweh has pity on Zion, has pity on al her ruins; he wil turn her desert into an Eden and herwastelands into the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness wil be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound ofmusic.	3 Yes, the LORD shall comfort Zion and have pity on all her ruins; Her deserts he shall make like Eden, her wasteland like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness shall be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of song.
4 Pay attention to me, my people, listen to me, my nation, for a law will come from me, and I shall makemy saving justice the light of peoples.	4 Be attentive to me, my people; my folk, give ear to me. For law shall go forth from my presence, and my judgment, as the light of the peoples.
5 My justice is suddenly approaching, my salvation appears, my arm is about to judge the peoples. Thecoasts and islands wil put their hope in me and put their trust in my arm.	5 I will make my justice come speedily; my salvation shall go forth (and my arm shall judge the nations); In me shall the coastlands hope, and my arm they shall await.
6 Raise your eyes to the heavens, look down at the earth; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, theearth wear out like clothing and its inhabitants die like vermin, but my salvation wil last for ever and my savingjustice remain inviolable.	6 Raise your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; Though the heavens grow thin like smoke, the earth wears out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies, My salvation shall remain forever and my justice shall never be dismayed.
7 Listen to me, you who know what saving justice means, a people who take my laws to heart: do notfear people's taunts, do not be alarmed by their insults,	7 Hear me, you who know justice, you people who have my teaching at heart: Fear not the reproach of men, be not dismayed at their revilings.
8 for the moth wil eat them like clothing, the grub wil devour them like wool, but my saving justice willast for ever and my salvation for al generations.	8 They shall be like a garment eaten by moths, like wool consumed by grubs; But my justice shall remain forever and my salvation, for all generations.
9 Awake, awake! Clothe yourself in strength, arm of Yahweh. Awake, as in the olden days, generationslong 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 the days of old, in ages long ago! Was it not you who crushed Rahab, you who pierced 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 roadfor the redeemed to go across?	10 Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, Who made the depths of the sea into a way for the redeemed to pass over?
11 This is why those whom Yahweh has ransomed wil return, they wil enter Zion shouting for joy, theirheads crowned with a joy unending; joy and gladness wil escort them and sorrow and sighing wil take flight.	11 Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; They will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.
12 I, I am your consoler. Why then should you be afraid of mortal human beings, of a child of man, whosefate is that of the grass?	12 I, it is I who comfort you. Can you then fear mortal man, who is human only, to be looked upon as grass,
13 You forget about Yahweh your Creator who spread out the heavens and laid the earth's foundations;you have never stopped trembling al day long before the fury of the oppressor when he was bent on destruction.Where is the oppressor's fury now?	13 And forget the LORD, your maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth? All the day you are in constant dread of the fury of the oppressor; But when he sets himself to destroy, what is there of the oppressor's fury?
14 The despairing captive is soon to be set free; he will not die in the dungeon, nor wil his food run out.	14 The oppressed shall soon be released; they shall not die and go down into the pit, nor shall they want for bread.
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 by name.
16 I put my words into your mouth, I hid you in the shadow of my hand, to spread out the heavens andlay the earth's foundations and say to Zion, 'You are my people.'	16 I have put my words into your mouth and shielded you in the shadow of my hand, I, who stretched out the heavens, who laid the foundations of the earth, who say to Zion: You are my people.
17 Awake, awake! To your feet, Jerusalem! You who from Yahweh's hand have drunk the cup of hiswrath. The chalice, the stupefying cup, you have drained to the dregs.	17 Awake, awake! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who drank at the LORD'S hand the cup of his wrath; Who drained to the dregs the bowl of staggering!
18 There is no one to guide her of al the children she has borne, no one to grasp her hand of al thechildren she has reared.	18 She has no one to guide her of all the sons she bore; She has no one to grasp her by the hand, of all the sons she reared!--
19 Double disaster has befal en you -- who is there to sympathise? Pillage and ruin, famine and sword --who is there to console you?	19 Your misfortunes are double; who is there to condole with you? Desolation and destruction, famine and sword! Who is there to comfort you?
20 Your children are lying helpless at the end of every street like an antelope trapped in a net; they arefilled to the brim with Yahweh's wrath, with the rebuke of your God.	20 Your sons lie helpless at every street corner like antelopes in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.
21 So listen to this, afflicted one, drunk, though not with wine.	21 But now, hear this, O afflicted one, drunk, but not with wine,
22 Thus says your Lord Yahweh, your God, defender of your people: Look, I am taking the stupefyingcup from your hand, the chalice, the cup of my wrath, you wil not have to drink again.	22 Thus says the LORD, your Master, your God, who defends his people: See, I am taking from your hand the cup of staggering; The bowl of my wrath you shall no longer drink.
23 I shal hand it to your tormentors who used to say to you, 'On the ground! So that we can walk overyou!' And you would flatten your back like the ground, like a street for them to walk on.	23 I will put it into the hands of your tormentors, those who ordered you to bow down, that they might walk over you, While you offered your back like the ground, like the street for them to walk on.