12 I, I am he who comforts you;

why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,

a human being who fades like grass?

13 You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,

who stretched out the heavens

and laid the foundations of the earth.

You fear continually all day long

because of the fury of the oppressor,

who is bent on destruction.

But where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The oppressed shall speedily be released;

they shall not die and go down to the Pit,

nor shall they lack bread.

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 have put my words in your mouth,

and hidden you in the shadow of my hand,

stretching outb the heavens

and laying the foundations of the earth,

and saying to Zion, “You are my people.”

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

among all the children she has borne;

there is no one to take her by the hand

among all the children she has brought up.

19 These two things have befallen you

—who will grieve with you?—

devastation and destruction, famine and sword—

who will comfort you?c

20 Your children 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 Therefore hear this, you who are wounded,d

who are drunk, but not with wine:

22 Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord,

your God who pleads the cause of his people:

See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;

you shall drink no more

from the bowl of my wrath.

23 And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,

who have said to you,

“Bow down, that we may walk on you”;

and you have made your back like the ground

and like the street for them to walk on.

Let Zion Rejoice

52 Awake, awake,

put on your strength, O Zion!

Put on your beautiful garments,

O Jerusalem, the holy city;

for the uncircumcised and the unclean

shall enter you no more.

2 Shake yourself from the dust, rise up,

O captivea Jerusalem;

loose the bonds from your neck,

O captive daughter Zion!

3 For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus says the Lord God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news,

who announces salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

8 Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,

together they sing for joy;

for in plain sight they see

the return of the Lord to Zion.

9 Break forth together into singing,

you ruins of Jerusalem;

for the Lord has comforted his people,

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations;

and all the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.

11 Depart, depart, go out from there!

Touch no unclean thing;

go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves,

you who carry the vessels of the Lord.

12 For you shall not go out in haste,

and you shall not go in flight;

for the Lord will go before you,

and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.