Isaiah 51:17–23

Wake yourself, wake yourself,

stand up, O Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord

the cup of his wrath,

who have drunk to the dregs

the bowl, the cup of staggering.

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.

These two things have happened to you—

who will console you?—

devastation and destruction, famine and sword;

who will comfort you?

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.

Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,

who are drunk, but not with wine:

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;

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.”

Awake, awake!

Rise up, Jerusalem,

you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord

the cup of his wrath,

you who have drained to its dregs

the goblet that makes people stagger.

Among all the children she bore

there was none to guide her;

among all the children she reared

there was none to take her by the hand.

These double calamities have come upon you—

who can comfort you?—

ruin and destruction, famine and sword—

who can console you?

Your children have fainted;

they lie at every street corner,

like antelope caught in a net.

They are filled with the wrath of the Lord,

with the rebuke of your God.

Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,

made drunk, but not with wine.

This is what your Sovereign Lord says,

your God, who defends his people:

“See, I have taken out of your hand

the cup that made you stagger;

from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,

you will never drink again.

I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,

who said to you,

‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’

And you made your back like the ground,

like a street to be walked on.”

Wake yourself, wake yourself up!

Stand up, Jerusalem,

you who have drunk the cup of his fury

from the Lord’s hand;

you who have drunk the goblet to the dregs—

the cup that causes people to stagger.

There is no one to guide her

among all the children she has raised;

there is no one to take hold of her hand

among all the offspring she has brought up.

These two things have happened to you:

devastation and destruction,

famine and sword.

Who will grieve for you?

How can I comfort you?

Your children have fainted;

they lie at the head of every street

like an antelope in a net.

They are full of the Lord’s fury,

the rebuke of your God.

So listen to this, suffering

and drunken one—but not with wine.

This is what your Lord says—

the Lord, even your God,

who defends his people—

“Look, I have removed from your hand

the cup that causes staggering;

that goblet, the cup of my fury.

You will never drink it again.

I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,

who said to you,

‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’

You made your back like the ground,

and like a street for those who walk on it.

Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself!

Stand up, Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of his wrath;

you have drunk the goblet, the cup of staggering;

you have drained it out.

There is no one who guides her among all the children she has borne,

and there is no one who grasps her by the hand among all the children she raised.

Two things here have happened to you—who will show sympathy for you?—

devastation and destruction, famine and sword—who will comfort you?

Your children have fainted;

they lie at the head of all the streets, like an antelope in a snare,

those who are full of the wrath of Yahweh,

the rebuke of your God.

Therefore hear now this afflicted one

and drunken one but not from wine.

Thus says your Lord, Yahweh,

and your God pleads the cause of his people:

“Look! I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering.

You shall not continue to drink the goblet, the cup of my wrath, any longer.

And I will put it in the hand of your tormenters,

who have said to you, ‘Bow down that we may pass over you!’

And you have made your back like the ground,

and like the street for those who pass over you.”

Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem,

Which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury;

Thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth;

Neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee?

Desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword:

By whom shall I comfort thee?

Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net:

They are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.

Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted,

And drunken, but not with wine:

Thus saith thy Lord the Lord,

And thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people,

Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling,

Even the dregs of the cup of my fury;

Thou shalt no more drink it again:

But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee;

Which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over:

And thou hast laid thy body as the ground,

And as the street, to them that went over.