1. Our God has said:“Encourage my people!Give them comfort.
2. Speak kindly to Jerusalemand announce:Your slavery is past;your punishment is over.I, the Lord, made you paydouble for your sins.”
3. Someone is shouting:“Clear a path in the desert!Make a straight roadfor the Lord our God.
4. Fill in the valleys;flatten every hilland mountain.Level the roughand rugged ground.
5. Then the glory of the Lordwill appear for all to see.The Lord has promised this!”
6. Someone told me to shout,and I asked,“What should I shout?”We humans are merely grass,and we last no longerthan wild flowers.
7. At the Lord's command,flowers and grass disappear,and so do we.
8. Flowers and grass fade away,but what our God has saidwill never change.
9. There is good newsfor the city of Zion.Shout it as loud as you canfrom the highest mountain.Don't be afraid to shoutto the towns of Judah,“Your God is here!”
10. Look! The powerful Lord Godis coming to rulewith his mighty arm.He brings with himwhat he has taken in war,and he rewards his people.
11. The Lord cares for his nation,just as shepherds carefor their flocks.He carries the lambsin his arms,while gently leadingthe mother sheep.
12. Did any of you measurethe ocean by yourselfor stretch out the skywith your own hands?Did you put the soilof the earth in a bucketor weigh the hills and mountainson balance scales?
13. Has anyone told the Lordwhat he must door given him advice?