1
Listen to Me,
you who pursue what is right,
you who seek the LORD!
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry pit from which you were dug.
2
Look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah who bore you;
when Abraham was alone, I called him,
then I blessed him and multiplied him.
3
For the LORD comforts Zion,
He comforts all her ruins;
He makes her wilderness like Eden
and her desert like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness are found there,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.
4
Pay attention to My voice, O nations,
and give ear to Me, O peoples!
For instruction will go out from Me,
and My law as a light for the nations.
5
In a moment, My salvation will draw near,
My deliverance will come,
and with My mighty hand I will rule the nations;
the islands wait for Me,
and for My hand’s work they hope.
6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and its inhabitants will die like gnats;
but My deliverance will remain forever,
and My salvation will never end.
7
Listen to Me,
you who know what is right,
you people who keep My instruction in your heart!
Do not fear when men shame you,
and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
8
For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will consume them like wool;
but My salvation will remain forever,
and My deliverance will continue from generation to generation.
9
Awake, awake! Put on strength,
O arm of the LORD!
Awake as in days of old,
as in generations long past!
Was it not You who crushed Rahab,
who pierced the dragon through?
10
Was it not You who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep?
Who made the depths of the sea a way,
so that the redeemed might cross over?
11
So the ransomed of the LORD will return
and come to Zion with shouting,
while everlasting joy crowns them;
gladness and joy will fill them,
sorrow and sighing will flee away.
12
I, I am the One who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear
mortal man,
a son of man who is given up like grass,
13
so that you forget the LORD who made you,
who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you are in constant dread all day long
because of the fury of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
Where now is the fury of the oppressor?
14
He who is bound in chains will soon be set free;
he will not go down to death into the grave,
and he will not lack food.
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,
so that I may again stretch out the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth,
and say to Zion, You are my people!
17
Awake, awake,
rise up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD
the cup of the heat of his wrath,
you who have drunk, and drained to the dregs
the bowl that makes one stagger!
18
From all the children she has borne
there is none to guide her,
and from all the children she has brought up
there is none to take her by the hand.
19
These two things have come upon you—
who will grieve with you?
Devastation and ruin, famine and the sword—
who will comfort you?
20
Your children have fainted
at the head of every street,
like an antelope caught in a net;
they are filled with the heat of the LORD’s wrath,
and the rebuke of your God.
21
Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,
you who are drunk, but not with wine!
22
Thus says your Lord, the LORD,
your God who pleads the cause of his people:
“Behold, I have taken from your hand
the cup that makes one stagger,
and the bowl of the heat of my wrath
you shall drink no more;
23
but I will put it into the hand of those who oppress you,
who said to you,
‘Bow down, that we may pass over you!’
And you laid your back like the ground
and like a street for those who passed over it.”
🌄🕊️🗣️ Summary of Isaiah 51 – Comfort and the Promise of Restoration from God
Isaiah 51 is a call of comfort to God’s people who are weary, oppressed, and waiting for restoration. God calls them to remember the roots of their faith, look for everlasting salvation, and not fear human beings. In the midst of suffering, God strengthens his people: that judgment on the enemies will come, and Jerusalem will be raised up again. This message is full of hope that the Lord will rise as in former days and save with his mighty hand.
📌 1. Remember the Origin and God’s Promise (verses 1–3)
“Look to the rock from which you were hewn…”
- God invites the people to remember Abraham and Sarah, the beginning of the nation of Israel
- He blessed them, and will comfort Zion like the garden of Eden
- Sorrow will be replaced with joy and singing
🎯 Remembering the roots of faith helps us see God’s faithfulness in the present.
📌 2. Salvation and God’s Everlasting Law (verses 4–6)
“My salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not vanish.”
- The Lord will bring light and law for all nations
- The heavens and the earth will pass away, but the Lord’s salvation is everlasting
🎯 Do not place your hope in the passing world — true salvation comes from the Lord alone.
📌 3. Do Not Fear People (verses 7–8)
“Do not be afraid… they are like garments eaten by moths.”
- Fear of people is a spiritual trap
- The Lord reminds us that the wicked are mortal, but His word endures
🎯 Fear of the Lord brings life. Fear of people weakens faith.
📌 4. The Lord Will Rise Up as in Former Days (verses 9–11)
“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord!”
- A cry to the Lord to act as when He defeated Rahab (Egypt)
- A promise that the redeemed people will return with joy to Zion
🎯 If God acted in the past, He will act now as well — He does not change.
📌 5. The Lord Defends and Comforts (verses 12–16)
“I, even I, am He who comforts you!”
- The Lord Himself defends His people
- He who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth will protect
- He says to Zion:
“You are My people!”
🎯 Our spiritual identity is formed not by fear, but by the Lord’s declaration: “You are Mine.”
📌 6. The Cup of Wrath and the Restoration of Jerusalem (verses 17–23)
“You have drunk the cup of the heat of My wrath…”
- Jerusalem has experienced the Lord’s wrath, but now will be lifted up
- The Lord will take the cup from Jerusalem’s hand, and give it to their enemies
🎯 The Lord is not angry forever — restoration is part of His plan.
📖 Main Teaching
- Look back (to Abraham), and look ahead (to Zion’s restoration), so that our faith may be strengthened.
- The salvation and law of God endure, beyond the passing world
- Do not fear people — the Lord Himself comforts and defends us
- The Lord is able to act today as He did in former times
- Jerusalem (and we) will not suffer forever — restoration will surely come
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Fix your eyes on Jesus, who leads us in faith…”
➡️ Just as Isaiah 51:1–2 directs the people to look to the source of faith.
“Do not fear those who can kill the body…”
➡️ Isaiah 51:7–8 is echoed by Jesus — fear God, not people.
“For this light affliction is producing an eternal glory…”
➡️ In the same way as the promise in Isaiah 51 that suffering will end in joy.
“He will wipe away every tear…”
➡️ Fulfilled the promise of Isaiah 51:3 — The Lord comforts Zion like the garden of the Lord.
🎯 In Christ, we receive true comfort, and the hope that the cup of wrath has been taken by Him on the cross.
🕊️ “Look to the rock from which you were hewn.” – Isaiah 51:1
🕊️ “My salvation is forever.” – Isaiah 51:6
🕊️ “Do not fear the reproach of men.” – Isaiah 51:7
🕊️ “Awake, O arm of the Lord!” – Isaiah 51:9
🕊️ “You are My people!” – Isaiah 51:16
🕊️ “I will take that cup from your hand…” – Isaiah 51:22
