Isaiah 40:1–8

God Comforts His People

40“Comfort my people,” says your God.

“Comfort them.

²Speak tenderly to the people of Jerusalem.

Announce to them

that their hard service has been completed.

Tell them that their sin has been paid for.

Tell them I have punished them enough

for all of their sins.”

³A messenger is calling out,

“In the desert prepare

the way for the Lord.

Make a straight road through it

for our God.

⁴Every valley will be filled in.

Every mountain and hill will be made level.

The rough ground will be smoothed out.

The rocky places will be made flat.

⁵Then the glory of the Lord will appear.

And everyone will see it.

The Lord has spoken.”

⁶Another messenger says, “Cry out.”

And I said, “What should I cry?”

“Cry out, ‘All people are like grass.

They don’t last any longer than flowers in the field.

⁷The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.

That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them.

So people are just like grass.

⁸The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.

But what our God says will stand forever.’ ”