<p class="poetry">&#8220;I, I am the one who consoles you.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Why are you afraid of mortal men,p> <p class="poetry">of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They intended to bury him with criminals,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but he ended up in a rich man&#8217;s tomb,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because<n id="3" /> he had committed no violent deeds,p> <p class="poetry">nor had he spoken deceitfully.p>

<p class="poetry">For I, the <sc>Lordsc>, love justicep> <p class="poetry">and hate robbery and sin.p> <p class="poetry">I will repay them because of my faithfulness;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make a permanent covenant with them.p>

<p class="poetry">For a child has been<n id="1" /> born to us,p> <p class="poetry">a son has been given to us.p> <p class="poetry">He shoulders responsibilityp> <p class="poetry">and is called:<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Extraordinary Strategist,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Mighty God,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Everlasting Father,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">Prince of Peace.<n id="6" />p>

<p class="bodytext">To you this entire prophetic revelation<n id="1" /> is like words in a sealed scroll. When they hand it to one who can read<n id="2" /> and say, &#8220;Read this,&#8221; he responds, &#8220;I can&#8217;t, because it is sealed.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">He will water the seed you plant in the ground,p> <p class="poetry">and the ground will produce crops in abundance.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">At that time<n id="2" /> your cattle will graze in wide pastures.p>

<p class="poetry">Let it richly bloom;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">let it rejoice and shout with delight!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">It is given the grandeur<n id="3" /> of Lebanon,p> <p class="poetry">the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.p> <p class="poetry">They will see the grandeur of the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">the splendor of our God.p>

&#8220;Tell King Hezekiah of Judah this: &#8216;Don&#8217;t let your God in whom you trust mislead you when he says, &#8220;Jerusalem will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.&#8221;

<p class="poetry">he says, &#8220;Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,p> <p class="poetry">to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and restore the remnant<n id="1" /> of Israel?<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will make you a light to the nations,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">so you can bring<n id="4" /> my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">so that I know how to help the weary.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">He wakes me up every morning;p> <p class="poetry">he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.<n id="3" />p>

<n id="1" /><p class="poetry">The rain and snow fall from the skyp> <p class="poetry">and do not return,p> <p class="poetry">but instead water the earthp> <p class="poetry">and make it produce and yield crops,p> <p class="poetry">and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.p>

<p class="poetry">to strengthen those who mourn in Zion,p> <p class="poetry">by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,p> <p class="poetry">oil symbolizing joy,<n id="1" /> instead of mourning,p> <p class="poetry">a garment symbolizing praise,<n id="2" /> instead of discouragement.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They will be called oaks of righteousness,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">trees planted by the <sc>Lordsc> to reveal his splendor.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> swears an oath by his right hand,p> <p class="poetry">by his strong arm:<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will never again give your grainp> <p class="poetry">to your enemies as food,p> <p class="poetry">and foreigners will not drink your wine,p> <p class="poetry">which you worked hard to produce.p>