The Lord's Comfort for Zion
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1"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.
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Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for 2he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.
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For the LORD 3comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like 4Eden, her desert like 5the garden of the LORD; 6joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
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7"Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; 8for a lawa will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
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9My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; 10the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait.
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11Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; 12for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;b 13but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
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14"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people 15in whose heart is my law; 16fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings.
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17For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; 18but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations."
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19Awake, awake, 20put on strength, O 21arm of the LORD; awake, 22as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut 23Rahab in pieces, who pierced 24the dragon?
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25Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
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26And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
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"I, I am he 27who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of 28man who dies, of the son of man who is made 29like grass,
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and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, 30who stretched out the heavens and 31laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of 32the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of 33the oppressor?
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34He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down 35to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking.
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I am the LORD your God, 36who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD of hosts is his name.
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37And I have put my words in your mouth 38and covered you in the shadow of my hand, 39establishingc the heavens and 40laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'"
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41Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, 42you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, 43the cup of staggering.
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44There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand among all the sons she has brought up.
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45These two things have happened to you-- who will console you?-- devastation and destruction, famine and sword; who will comfort you?d
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46Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an 47antelope 48in a net; they are full of the wrath of the LORD, the rebuke of your God.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)