Isaiah 51
Expanded Bible
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
51 The Lord says, “Listen to me,
those of you who ·try to live right [L pursue righteousness] and ·follow [seek] the Lord.
Look ·at [or to] the rock from which you were cut;
look ·at [or to] the stone quarry from which you were dug [C referring to their ancestors Abraham and Sarah; see v. 2].
2 Look at Abraham, your ·ancestor [father],
and Sarah, who gave birth to ·your ancestors [L you].
Abraham ·had no children [was just one person; L was one] when I called him [Gen. 12:1–3],
but I blessed him and ·gave him many descendants [L made him many].
3 So the Lord will comfort ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple];
he will ·show mercy to [comfort] ·those who live in [L all] her ruins.
He will change her ·deserts [wilderness] into ·a garden like Eden [L Eden];
he will make her ·empty lands [desert; arid plains] like the garden of the Lord.
·People there will be very happy [L Joy and gladness will be found in her];
·they will give thanks and sing songs [L thanksgiving and the voice of song].
4 “My people, listen to me;
my nation, pay attention to me.
·I will give the people my teachings [L Law/Instruction/Torah will go out from me],
and my ·decisions [justice] will be like a light to the ·people [nations].
5 ·I will soon show that I do what is right [L My righteousness/justice draws near].
·I will soon save you [L My salvation goes out].
·I will use my power and [L My arms will] judge the nations.
The ·faraway places [or islands; or coastlands] are ·waiting for [looking to; hoping in] me;
they wait for my ·power to help them [L arm].
6 ·Look up [L Lift your eyes] to the heavens [40:26].
Look at the earth below.
The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke.
The earth will ·become useless [wear out] like old clothes [Ps. 102:26],
and its people will die like flies.
But my salvation will continue forever,
and my ·goodness [righteousness] will never end.
7 “You people who know ·what is right [righteousness] should listen to me;
you people who ·follow my teachings [have my law/L Torah in your heart] should hear what I say.
Don’t be afraid of the ·evil things people say [L reproach/scorn of people],
and don’t be ·upset [discouraged; dismayed] by their insults.
8 Moths will eat those people as if they were clothes,
and worms will eat them as if they were wool.
But my goodness will continue forever,
and my salvation ·will continue from now on [L from generation to generation].”
9 Wake up, wake up, and ·use your [clothe yourself with] strength,
·powerful [L arm of the] Lord.
Wake up as you did in the ·old times [ancient days],
as you did ·a long time ago [L in generations everlasting].
·With your own power, you [L Were you not the one who…?] cut Rahab [C a mythical sea monster symbolizing chaos; 30:7; Ps. 89:10] into pieces
and ·killed [pierced] that ·sea monster [serpent; dragon; 27:1; Ps. 74:13–14].
10 ·You dried [L Did you not dry…?] up the sea
and the waters of the deep ocean.
You made a road through the deepest parts of the sea
for your ·people to cross over and be saved [or redeemed people to cross over; 43:16; Ex. 14:21; Ps. 106:9].
11 The people the Lord has ·freed [rescued; ransomed] will return
and enter ·Jerusalem [L Zion; v. 3] with ·joy [singing].
·Their happiness will last forever [L Everlasting joy will crown them/be on their head].
They will ·have [be overwhelmed/overtaken with] joy and gladness,
and all sadness and sorrow will ·be gone far [flee] away [35:10].
12 The Lord says, “·I [L I, even I] am the one who ·comforts you [40:1].
So why should you be afraid of people, who die?
·Why should you fear people [L …or the son of man; C human beings] who ·die [L is given up] like the grass [40:6]?
13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you,
who stretched out the ·skies [heavens]
and ·made [L laid the foundations of] the earth [48:13]?
Why are you always afraid
of ·those angry people who trouble you [the anger/wrath of the oppressor]
and who ·want [seek; plan] to destroy?
But where ·are those angry people [is the anger/wrath of the oppressor] now?
14 ·People in prison [L Those who are burdened/stooped over] will soon be set free;
they will not die in prison,
and they will ·have enough food [not lack bread].
15 I am the Lord your God,
who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar.
My name is the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
16 I will ·give you the words I want you to say [L put my words in your mouth].
I will cover you with ·my hands and protect you [L the shadow of my hand].
I ·made [established] the heavens and [L laid the foundation of] the earth,
and I say to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; v. 3], ‘You are my people.’”
God Punished Israel
17 Awake! Awake!
Get up, Jerusalem.
·The Lord was very angry with you;
your punishment was like wine in a cup.
The Lord made you drink that wine [L You have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath];
you ·drank the whole cup [L drained the goblet to its dregs] until you stumbled.
18 ·Though Jerusalem had many people [L Among all the children she bore],
there was not one to lead her.
Of all the people ·who grew up there [she raised],
no one was there to ·guide her [L take her by the hand].
19 ·Troubles [Calamities] came to you two by two,
but no one will ·feel sorry for [or console] you.
There was ruin and ·disaster [destruction], ·great hunger [famine] and ·fighting [L sword].
·No one [L But who…?] can comfort you.
20 Your ·people [L children; sons] have ·become weak [fainted].
They fall down and lie ·on every street corner [L at the head of every street],
like ·animals [L antelope] caught in a net.
They ·have felt the full anger [or are filled with the wrath] of the Lord
and have heard God’s ·angry shout [rebuke].
21 So listen to me, ·poor Jerusalem [L oppressed/afflicted one],
you who are drunk but not from wine.
22 Your God will ·defend [plead the case of] his people.
This is what the Lord your God says:
“·The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine.
You drank it and could not walk straight.
But I am taking that cup of my anger away from you, [L Look/T Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering,
the dregs of the cup of my wrath]
and you will never ·be punished by my anger [L drink from it] again.
23 I will now give that cup of punishment to ·those who gave you pain [your tormentors; Jer. 25:17, 26, 28],
who told you,
‘Bow down so we can walk over you.’
·They [L You] made your back like dirt for them to walk on;
you were like a street for them to travel on.”
Isaiah 51
New Century Version
Jerusalem Will Be Saved
51 The Lord says, “Listen to me,
those of you who try to live right and follow the Lord.
Look at the rock from which you were cut;
look at the stone quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look at Abraham, your ancestor,
and Sarah, who gave birth to your ancestors.
Abraham had no children when I called him,
but I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
3 So the Lord will comfort Jerusalem;
he will show mercy to those who live in her ruins.
He will change her deserts into a garden like Eden;
he will make her empty lands like the garden of the Lord.
People there will be very happy;
they will give thanks and sing songs.
4 “My people, listen to me;
my nation, pay attention to me.
I will give the people my teachings,
and my decisions will be like a light to all people.
5 I will soon show that I do what is right.
I will soon save you.
I will use my power and judge all nations.
All the faraway places are waiting for me;
they wait for my power to help them.
6 Look up to the heavens.
Look around you at the earth below.
The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke.
The earth will become useless like old clothes,
and its people will die like flies.
But my salvation will continue forever,
and my goodness will never end.
7 “You people who know what is right should listen to me;
you people who follow my teachings should hear what I say.
Don’t be afraid of the evil things people say,
and don’t be upset by their insults.
8 Moths will eat those people as if they were clothes,
and worms will eat them as if they were wool.
But my goodness will continue forever,
and my salvation will continue from now on.”
9 Wake up, wake up, and use your strength,
powerful Lord.
Wake up as you did in the old times,
as you did a long time ago.
With your own power, you cut Rahab into pieces
and killed that sea monster.
10 You dried up the sea
and the waters of the deep ocean.
You made the deepest parts of the sea into a road
for your people to cross over and be saved.
11 The people the Lord has freed will return
and enter Jerusalem with joy.
Their happiness will last forever.
They will have joy and gladness,
and all sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.
12 The Lord says, “I am the one who comforts you.
So why should you be afraid of people, who die?
Why should you fear people who die like the grass?
13 Have you forgotten the Lord who made you,
who stretched out the skies
and made the earth?
Why are you always afraid
of those angry people who trouble you
and who want to destroy?
But where are those angry people now?
14 People in prison will soon be set free;
they will not die in prison,
and they will have enough food.
15 I am the Lord your God,
who stirs the sea and makes the waves roar.
My name is the Lord All-Powerful.
16 I will give you the words I want you to say.
I will cover you with my hands and protect you.
I made the heavens and the earth,
and I say to Jerusalem, ‘You are my people.’”
God Punished Israel
17 Awake! Awake!
Get up, Jerusalem.
The Lord was very angry with you;
your punishment was like wine in a cup.
The Lord made you drink that wine;
you drank the whole cup until you stumbled.
18 Jerusalem had many people,
but there was not one to lead her.
Of all the people who grew up there,
no one was there to guide her.
19 Troubles came to you two by two,
but no one will feel sorry for you.
There was ruin and disaster, great hunger and fighting.
No one can comfort you.
20 Your people have become weak.
They fall down and lie on every street corner,
like animals caught in a net.
They have felt the full anger of the Lord
and have heard God’s angry shout.
21 So listen to me, poor Jerusalem,
you who are drunk but not from wine.
22 Your God will defend his people.
This is what the Lord your God says:
“The punishment I gave you is like a cup of wine.
You drank it and could not walk straight.
But I am taking that cup of my anger away from you,
and you will never be punished by my anger again.
23 I will now give that cup of punishment to those who gave you pain,
who told you,
‘Bow down so we can walk over you.’
They made your back like dirt for them to walk on;
you were like a street for them to travel on.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
