12 “I, even I, am He who acomforts you.

Who are you that you are afraid of bman who dies

And of the son of man who is made clike grass,

13 That you have aforgotten the Lord your Maker,

Who bstretched out the heavens

And laid the foundations of the earth,

That you cfear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,

As he makes ready to destroy?

But where is the fury of the doppressor?

14 “The 1aexile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, bnor will his bread be lacking.

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

16 “I have aput My words in your mouth and have bcovered you with the shadow of My hand, to 1cestablish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ”

17 aRouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,

You who have bdrunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger;

The 1chalice of reeling you have 2drained to the dregs.

18 There is anone 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 These two things have befallen you;

Who will mourn for you?

The adevastation and destruction, famine and sword;

How shall I comfort you?

20 Your sons have fainted,

They alie helpless at the head of every street,

Like an bantelope in a net,

Full of the wrath of the Lord,

The crebuke of your God.

21 Therefore, please hear this, you aafflicted,

Who are bdrunk, but not with wine:

22 Thus says your Lord, the Lord, even your God

Who acontends for His people,

“Behold, I have taken out of your hand the bcup of reeling,

The 1chalice of My anger;

You will never drink it again.

23 “I will aput it into the hand of your tormentors,

Who have said to 1you, ‘bLie 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.”

Chapter 52

Cheer for Prostrate Zion

1 aAwake, awake,

Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion;

Clothe yourself in your bbeautiful garments,

O Jerusalem, the choly city;

For the uncircumcised and the dunclean

Will no longer come into you.

2 Shake yourself afrom the dust, brise up,

O captive Jerusalem;

cLoose yourself from the chains around your neck,

O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus says the Lord, “You were asold for nothing and you will be bredeemed cwithout money.”

4 For thus says the Lord 1God, “My people awent down at the first into Egypt to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

5 “Now therefore, what do I have here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that My people have been taken away without cause?” Again the Lord declares, “Those who rule over them howl, and My aname is continually blasphemed all day long.

6 “Therefore My people shall aknow My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.’ ”

7 How lovely on the mountains

Are the feet of him who brings agood news,

Who announces 1peace

And brings good news of 2happiness,

Who announces salvation,

And says to Zion, “Your bGod 3reigns!”

8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their avoices,

They shout joyfully together;

For they will see 1with their own eyes

When the Lord restores Zion.

9 aBreak forth, shout joyfully together,

You bwaste places of Jerusalem;

For the Lord has comforted His people,

He has credeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord has bared His holy aarm

In the sight of all the nations,

1That ball the ends of the earth may see

The salvation of our God.

11 aDepart, depart, go out from there,

bTouch nothing unclean;

Go out of the midst of her, cpurify yourselves,

You who carry the vessels of the Lord.

12 But you will not go out in ahaste,

Nor will you go 1as fugitives;

For the bLord will go before you,

And cthe God of Israel will be your rear guard.