Zion’s Time to Celebrate

16 I commission you as my spokesman;

I cover you with the palm of my hand,

to establish the sky and to found the earth,

to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

17 Wake up! Wake up!

Get up, O Jerusalem!

You drank from the cup the Lord passed to you,

which was full of his anger!

You drained dry

the goblet full of intoxicating wine.

18 There was no one to lead her

among all the children she bore;

there was no one to take her by the hand

among all the children she raised.

19 These double disasters confronted you.

But who feels sorry for you?

Destruction and devastation,

famine and sword.

But who consoles you?

20 Your children faint;

they lie at the head of every street

like an antelope in a snare.

They are left in a stupor by the Lord’s anger,

by the battle cry of your God.

21 So listen to this, oppressed one,

who is drunk, but not from wine!

22 This is what your sovereign master, the Lord your God, says:

“Look, I have removed from your hand

the cup of intoxicating wine,

the goblet full of my anger.

You will no longer have to drink it.

23 I will put it into the hand of your tormentors

who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’

You made your back like the ground,

and like the street for those who walked over you.”

52 Wake up! Wake up!

Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion!

Put on your beautiful clothes,

O Jerusalem, holy city!

For uncircumcised and unclean pagans

will no longer invade you.

2 Shake off the dirt!

Get up, captive Jerusalem!

Take off the iron chains around your neck,

O captive daughter Zion!

3 For this is what the Lord says:

“You were sold for nothing,

and you will not be redeemed for money.”

4 For this is what the sovereign Lord says:

“In the beginning my people went to live temporarily in Egypt;

Assyria oppressed them for no good reason.

5 And now, what do we have here?” says the Lord.

“Indeed my people have been carried away for nothing,

those who rule over them taunt,” says the Lord,

“and my name is constantly slandered all day long.

6 For this reason my people will know my name,

for this reason they will know at that time that I am the one who says,

‘Here I am.’”

7 How delightful it is to see approaching over the mountains

the feet of a messenger who announces peace,

a messenger who brings good news, who announces deliverance,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

8 Listen, your watchmen shout;

in unison they shout for joy,

for they see with their very own eyes

the Lord’s return to Zion.

9 In unison give a joyful shout,

O ruins of Jerusalem!

For the Lord consoles his people;

he protects Jerusalem.

10 The Lord reveals his royal power

in the sight of all the nations;

the entire earth sees

our God deliver.

11 Leave! Leave! Get out of there!

Don’t touch anything unclean!

Get out of it!

Stay pure, you who carry the Lord’s holy items!

12 Yet do not depart quickly

or leave in a panic.

For the Lord goes before you;

the God of Israel is your rear guard.