Isaiah 51:1–11

Everlasting Salvation for Zion

51“Listen^f to me, you who pursue righteousness^g

and who seek^h the Lord:

Look to the rockⁱ from which you were cut

and to the quarry from which you were hewn;

²look to Abraham,^j your father,

and to Sarah, who gave you birth.

When I called him he was only one man,

and I blessed him and made him many.^k

³The Lord will surely comfort^l Zion^m

and will look with compassion on all her ruins;ⁿ

he will make her deserts like Eden,^o

her wastelands^p like the garden of the Lord.

Joy and gladness^q will be found in her,

thanksgiving^r and the sound of singing.

⁴“Listen to me, my people;^s

hear me,^t my nation:

Instruction^u will go out from me;

my justice^v will become a light to the nations.^w

⁵My righteousness draws near speedily,

my salvation^x is on the way,^y

and my arm^z will bring justice to the nations.

The islands^a will look to me

and wait in hope^b for my arm.

⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens,

look at the earth beneath;

the heavens will vanish like smoke,^c

the earth will wear out like a garment^d

and its inhabitants die like flies.

But my salvation^e will last forever,^f

my righteousness will never fail.^g

⁷“Hear me, you who know what is right,^h

you people who have taken my instruction to heart:ⁱ

Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals

or be terrified by their insults.^j

⁸For the moth will eat them up like a garment;^k

the worm^l will devour them like wool.

But my righteousness will last forever,^m

my salvation through all generations.”

⁹Awake, awake,ⁿ arm^o of the Lord,

clothe yourself with strength!^p

Awake, as in days gone by,

as in generations of old.^q

Was it not you who cut Rahab^r to pieces,

who pierced that monster^s through?

¹⁰Was it not you who dried up the sea,^t

the waters of the great deep,^u

who made a road in the depths of the sea^v

so that the redeemed^w might cross over?

¹¹Those the Lord has rescued^x will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;^y

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy^z will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.^a