Yahweh will bless the descendants of Abraham

51 Yahweh says, “You people who desire to act righteously/justly,

who want to do what I want you to do,

listen to me!

Think about Abraham!

It is as though [MET] he was a huge rock cliff;

and when you people of Israel became a nation,

it was as though [MET] you were cut from that rock [DOU].

2 Think about your ancestor Abraham and his wife Sarah, of whom all of you are descendants.

When I first spoke to Abraham,

he had no children.

But after I blessed him, he had a huge number of descendants.

3 Some day I, Yahweh, will encourage his descendants again,

and I will comfort all the people who live in the ruins of Jerusalem.

The desert in that area will become like Eden,

like the garden that I, Yahweh, made/planted.

All the people there will be joyful and happy;

they will thank me and sing.

4 My people of Judah, listen carefully [DOU] to me,

because I want you to proclaim my laws;

the just/right things that I do will be like [MET] a light for the people of the nations.

5 I will soon/quickly rescue you [DOU];

by my power [MTY] I will bring you back from being exiled in Babylonia [DOU].

The people who live on islands in the ocean will wait for me to help them,

confidently expecting for me to use my power [MTY].

6 Look up at the sky,

and look at the earth,

and see what they are like now,

because some day the sky will disappear like [SIM] smoke,

and the earth will wear out like [SIM] old clothes wear out,

and people on the earth will die like gnats/flies.

But I will rescue/save you, and you will remain free forever,

and I will rule you righteously/fairly forever.

7 You people who know what things are right to do,

and who know in your inner beings what is written in my laws,

listen to me!

Do not be afraid of people who taunt/insult you;

do not be disturbed/upset when people revile you,

8 because some day they will be destroyed

like [MET] clothing that is eaten by ◄larvae of moths/cockroaches►,

like wool garments that have been eaten by worms.

I will save you people, and you will be saved forever.”