4. “My people, listen to me! My decisions will be like lights showing people how to live.
5. I will soon save you and show that I am fair. I will use my power and judge all nations. All the faraway places are waiting for me. They wait for my power to help them.
6. Look up to the heavens! Look around you at the earth below! The skies will disappear like clouds of smoke. The earth will become like worthless old clothes. The people on earth will die, but my salvation will continue forever. My goodness will never end.
7. You people who understand goodness should listen to me. You people who follow my teachings should hear the things I say. Don’t be afraid of evil people. Don’t let their insults upset you.
8. They will be like old clothes eaten by moths. They will be like wool eaten by worms. But my goodness will last forever. My salvation will continue forever and ever.”
9. Wake up! Wake up! Arm of the Lord, clothe yourself with strength. Show your power the way you did long ago, as you have from ancient times. You are the one who destroyed Rahab. You defeated the Dragon.
10. You dried up the water that was in the deep sea. You made a road through the deepest parts of the sea. Your people crossed over and were saved.
11. The Lord will save his people. They will return to Zion with joy. They will be very happy. Their happiness will be like a crown on their heads forever. They will be singing with joy. All sadness will be gone far away.
12. The Lord says, “I am the one who comforts you. So why should you be afraid of people? They are only humans who live and die like the grass.
13. “I, the Lord, am the one who made you. With my power I made the earth and spread the sky over the earth. But you have forgotten me, so you are always afraid that angry men will hurt you. Those men planned to destroy you, but where are they now?
14. “People in prison will soon be made free. They will not die and rot in prison. They will have plenty of food.
15. “I am the Lord your God, the one who stirs up the sea and makes the waves roar.” The Lord All-Powerful is his name.
16. “My servant, I gave you the words I want you to say, and I covered you with my hands to protect you. I did this to make a new heaven and earth and so that you would say to Israel, ‘You are my people.’”
17. Wake up! Wake up! Jerusalem, get up! The Lord was very angry with you. So you were punished. It was like a cup of poison you had to drink, and you drank it all.
18. Jerusalem had many people, but none of them became leaders for her. None of the children she raised became guides to lead her.