Isaiah 51 - The Message (MSG)

Committed to Seeking God

51 1-3 “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living
and committed to seeking God.
Ponder the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were dug.
Yes, ponder Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who bore you.
Think of it! One solitary man when I called him,
but once I blessed him, he multiplied.
Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion,
comfort all her mounds of ruins.
I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden,
her moonscape into the garden of God,
A place filled with exuberance and laughter,
thankful voices and melodic songs.

4-6 “Pay attention, my people.
Listen to me, nations.
Revelation flows from me.
My decisions light up the world.
My deliverance arrives on the run,
my salvation right on time.
I’ll bring justice to the peoples.
Even faraway islands will look to me
and take hope in my saving power.
Look up at the skies,
ponder the earth under your feet.
The skies will fade out like smoke,
the earth will wear out like work pants,
and the people will die off like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my setting-things-right will never be obsolete.

7-8 “Listen now, you who know right from wrong,
you who hold my teaching inside you:
Pay no attention to insults, and when mocked
don’t let it get you down.
Those insults and mockeries are moth-eaten,
from brains that are termite-ridden,
But my setting-things-right lasts,
my salvation goes on and on and on.”

9-11 Wake up, wake up, flex your muscles, God!
Wake up as in the old days, in the long ago.
Didn’t you once make mincemeat of Rahab,
dispatch the old chaos-dragon?
And didn’t you once dry up the sea,
the powerful waters of the deep,
And then made the bottom of the ocean a road
for the redeemed to walk across?
In the same way God’s ransomed will come back,
come back to Zion cheering, shouting,
Joy eternal wreathing their heads,
exuberant ecstasies transporting them—
and not a sign of moans or groans.

What Are You Afraid of—or Who?

12-16 “I, I’m the One comforting you.
What are you afraid of—or who?
Some man or woman who’ll soon be dead?
Some poor wretch destined for dust?
You’ve forgotten me, God, who made you,
who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth.
And here you are, quaking like an aspen
before the tantrums of a tyrant
who thinks he can kick down the world.
But what will come of the tantrums?
The victims will be released before you know it.
They’re not going to die.
They’re not even going to go hungry.
For I am God, your very own God,
who stirs up the sea and whips up the waves,
named God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
I teach you how to talk, word by word,
and personally watch over you,
Even while I’m unfurling the skies,
setting earth on solid foundations,
and greeting Zion: ‘Welcome, my people!’”

17-20 So wake up! Rub the sleep from your eyes!
Up on your feet, Jerusalem!
You’ve drunk the cup God handed you,
the strong drink of his anger.
You drank it down to the last drop,
staggered and collapsed, dead-drunk.
And nobody to help you home,
no one among your friends or children
to take you by the hand and put you in bed.
You’ve been hit with a double dose of trouble
—does anyone care?
Assault and battery, hunger and death
—will anyone comfort?
Your sons and daughters have passed out,
strewn in the streets like stunned rabbits,
Sleeping off the strong drink of God’s anger,
the rage of your God.

21-23 Therefore listen, please,
you with your splitting headaches,
You who are nursing the hangovers
that didn’t come from drinking wine.
Your Master, your God, has something to say,
your God has taken up his people’s case:
“Look, I’ve taken back the drink that sent you reeling.
No more drinking from that jug of my anger!
I’ve passed it over to your abusers to drink, those who ordered you,
‘Down on the ground so we can walk all over you!’
And you had to do it. Flat on the ground,
you were the dirt under their feet.”

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Isaiah 51 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

51 Hearken unto Me, ye pursuing righteousness, Seeking Jehovah, Look attentively unto the rock -- ye have been hewn, And unto the hole of the pit -- ye have been digged. 2 Look attentively unto Abraham your father, And unto Sarah -- she bringeth you forth, For -- one -- I have called him, And I bles...
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Isaiah 51 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

51 Hear ye me, that follow that that is just, and seek the Lord (Listen ye to me, ye who follow what is right, and seek the Lord). Take ye heed to the stone, from whence ye be hewn down, and to the cave of the pit, from which ye be cut down. 2 Take ye heed to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, that...
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Isaiah 51 - World English Bible (WEB)

51 “Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek Yahweh.Look to the rock you were cut from, and to the quarry you were dug from.2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you;for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many.3 For Yahweh has comforted...
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Isaiah 51 - The Voice (VOICE)

51 Listen closely, you who diligently work for justice and look for the Eternal One, for what is fair and true.It would be good for you to look back, look to the place from where you came, the rock out of which you were shaped and the quarry from where you were mined.2 Look to your spiritual ancesto...
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Isaiah 51 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Comfort Zion With Justice51 “Listen to Me, you who pursue justice, you who seek Adonai.Look to the rock from which you were hewn,and to the quarry from which you were dug.2 Look to Abraham your fatherand to Sarah who bore you.For when I called him, he was but one,then I blessed him and multiplied hi...
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Isaiah 51 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Blessings in Store for God’s People51 “Hearken to me, you who pursue deliverance, you who seek the Lord;look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were digged.2 Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you;for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed ...
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Isaiah 51 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Blessings in Store for God’s People51 “Hearken to me, you who pursue deliverance, you who seek the Lord;look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were digged.2 Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you;for when he was but one I called him, and I blessed ...
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Isaiah 51 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Blessings in Store for God’s People51 Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord.Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.2 Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you;for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed h...
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Isaiah 51 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Blessings in Store for God’s People51 Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord.Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug.(A)2 Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah, who bore you,for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed ...
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Isaiah 51 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Call to Trust the Lord51 “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance— all who seek the Lord!Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined.2 Yes, think about Abraham, your ancestor, and Sarah, who gave birth to your nation.Abraham was only one man when I called him...
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Isaiah 51 - New Life Version (NLV)

Comfort for Zion51 “Listen to me, you who are following what is right and good, and who are looking for the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were cut out, and to the hole from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain. When he was but one, I ...
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Isaiah 51 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Lord Comforts Zion(A)51 “Listen to Me, (B)you who [a]follow after righteousness,You who seek the Lord:Look to the rock from which you were hewn,And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.2 (C)Look to Abraham your father,And to Sarah who bore you;(D)For I called him alone,And (E)blessed h...
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Isaiah 51 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Everlasting salvation for Zion51 ‘Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord:look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;2 look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed...
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Isaiah 51 - New International Version (NIV)

Everlasting Salvation for Zion51 “Listen(A) to me, you who pursue righteousness(B) and who seek(C) the Lord:Look to the rock(D) from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;2 look to Abraham,(E) your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.When I called him he was only one man...
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Isaiah 51 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord’s Saving Power for Zion Lasts Forever51 The Lord says, “Listen to me, you who want to do what is right. Pay attention, you who look to me.Consider the rock you were cut out of. Think about the rock pit you were dug from.2 Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah....
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Isaiah 51 - New English Translation (NET)

There is Hope for the Future51 “Listen to me, you who pursue godliness,[a]who seek the Lord.Look at the rock from which you were chiseled,at the quarry[b] from which you were dug.[c]2 Look at Abraham, your father,and Sarah, who gave you birth.[d]When I summoned him, he was a lone individual,[e]but I...
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