¶ Hearken¹ to me, ye that follow² after righteousness, ye that seek³ the LORD: look⁴ unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

Look unto Abraham⁵ your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for⁶ I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

For the LORD⁷ shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all⁸ her waste places; and he will make⁹ her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the¹⁰ garden of the LORD; joy¹¹ and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

¶ Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my¹² nation: for a law¹³ shall proceed from me, and I will make¹⁴ my judgment to rest for a light of the people.

My righteousness¹⁵ is near; my salvation¹⁶ is gone forth, and mine¹⁷ arms shall judge the people; the isles¹⁸ shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

Lift up¹⁹ your eyes to the heavens²⁰, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation²¹ shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Hearken²² unto me, ye that²³ know righteousness, the people in whose²⁴ heart is my law; fear²⁵ ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

For the moth²⁶ shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness²⁷ shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation.

¶ Awake²⁸, awake, put²⁹ on strength, O arm³⁰ of the LORD; awake, as in³¹ the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou³² not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon³³?

¶ Art thou not it which hath dried³⁴ the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

Therefore the redeemed³⁵ of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting³⁶ joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow³⁷ and mourning shall flee away.

I, even I, am he³⁸ that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou³⁹ shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which⁴⁰ shall be made as grass;

And forgettest⁴¹ the LORD thy maker, that hath⁴² stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared⁴³ continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready⁴⁴ to destroy? and where is⁴⁵ the fury of the oppressor?

The captive⁴⁶ exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die⁴⁷ in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

But I am the LORD thy God, that divided⁴⁸ the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD⁴⁹ of hosts is his name.

And I have put⁵⁰ my words in thy mouth, and I have covered⁵¹ thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant⁵² the heavens, and lay⁵³ the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art⁵⁴ my people.

¶ Awake⁵⁵, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast⁵⁶ drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

There is none⁵⁷ to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh⁵⁸ her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

These two things⁵⁹ are come⁶⁰ unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction⁶¹, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee?

¶ Thy sons⁶² have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild⁶³ bull in a net: they are full⁶⁴ of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

Therefore hear⁶⁶ now this, thou afflicted⁶⁷, and drunken⁶⁸, but⁶⁹ not with wine:

Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth⁷⁰ the cause of his people, Behold, I have⁷¹ taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:

But I will⁷² put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow⁷³ down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.