Tell the righteous that it will go well [for them], for they will eat the fruit of their deeds.

Strengthen the weak hands, steady the shaking knees!

Say to the faint-hearted: "Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God's retribution is coming; He will save you."

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

You will look for those who contend with you, but you will not find them. Those who war against you will become absolutely nothing.

Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel: I will help you-- the LORD's declaration. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains break into joyful shouts! For the LORD has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you.

Who among you fears the LORD, listening to the voice of His servant? Who [among you] walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.

For the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and melodious song.

I-- I am the One who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear man who dies, or a son of man who is given up like grass?

For the High and Exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy says this: "I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.

Because of his sinful greed I was angry, so I struck him; I was angry and hid; but he went on turning back to the desires of his heart.

creating words of praise." The LORD says, "Peace, peace to the one who is far or near, and I will heal him.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you.

Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your radiance.

Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will tremble and rejoice, because the riches of the sea will become yours, and the wealth of the nations will come to you.

All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar as an acceptable [sacrifice]. I will glorify My beautiful house.

Yes, the islands will wait for Me with the ships of Tarshish in the lead, to bring your children from far away, their silver and gold with them, for the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Your gates will always be open; they will never be shut day or night so that the wealth of the nations may be brought into you, with their kings being led [in procession].

The glory of Lebanon will come to you-- [its] pine, fir, and cypress together-- to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will glorify My dwelling place.

Instead of your being deserted and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you an object of eternal pride, a joy from age to age.

I will bring gold instead of bronze; I will bring silver instead of iron, bronze instead of wood, and iron instead of stones. I will appoint peace as your guard and righteousness as your ruler.

The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.

Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch I planted, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners;

to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD, to glorify Him.

Look, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth, "Say to Daughter Zion: Look, your salvation is coming, His reward is with Him, and His recompense is before Him."

And they will be called the Holy People, the LORD's Redeemed; and you will be called Cared For, A City Not Deserted.

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: My servants will eat, but you will be hungry; My servants will drink, but you will be thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

My servants will shout for joy from a glad heart, but you will cry out from an anguished heart, and you will lament out of a broken spirit.

Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her--

For this is what the LORD says: I will make peace flow to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flood; you will nurse and be carried on [her] hip, and bounced on [her] lap.

You will see, you will rejoice, and you will flourish like grass; then the LORD's power will be revealed to His servants, but He will show His wrath against His enemies.

Then he said to them, "Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because your strength [comes from] rejoicing in the LORD."

I will listen to what God will say; surely the LORD will declare peace to His people, His godly ones, and not let them go back to foolish ways.

Nations, hear the word of the LORD, and tell it among the far off coastlands! Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather him. He will watch over him as a shepherd [guards] his flock,

They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant with joy because of the LORD's goodness, because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil, and because of the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like an irrigated garden, and they will no longer grow weak [from hunger].

I will give the priests their fill with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness. [This is] the LORD's declaration.

Sing for joy, Daughter Zion; shout loudly, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all [your] heart, Daughter Jerusalem!

On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.

The LORD replied with kind and comforting words to the angel who was speaking with me.

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath,

so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.