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For the Lord will comfort Zion;
    he will comfort all her waste places
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
    her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
    thanksgiving and the voice of song.(A)

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The Lord will surely comfort(A) Zion(B)
    and will look with compassion on all her ruins;(C)
he will make her deserts like Eden,(D)
    her wastelands(E) like the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness(F) will be found in her,
    thanksgiving(G) and the sound of singing.

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13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
    break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
    and will have compassion on his suffering ones.(A)

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13 Shout for joy,(A) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;(B)
    burst into song, you mountains!(C)
For the Lord comforts(D) his people
    and will have compassion(E) on his afflicted ones.(F)

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Break forth; shout together for joy,
    you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.(A)

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Burst into songs of joy(A) together,
    you ruins(B) of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted(C) his people,
    he has redeemed Jerusalem.(D)

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Fire devours in front of them,
    and behind them a flame burns.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
    but after them a desolate wilderness,
    and nothing escapes them.(A)

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Before them fire(A) devours,
    behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,(B)
    behind them, a desert waste(C)
    nothing escapes them.

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25 I will satisfy the weary,
    and all who are faint I will replenish.(A)

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25 I will refresh the weary(A) and satisfy the faint.”(B)

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10 Lot looked about him and saw that the plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.(A)

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10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain(A) of the Jordan toward Zoar(B) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,(C) like the land of Egypt.(D) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom(E) and Gomorrah.)(F)

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Although you have not seen[a] him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.8 Other ancient authorities read known

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him(A) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

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The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it
    nor the fir trees equal its boughs;
the plane trees were as nothing
    compared with its branches;
no tree in the garden of God
    was like it in beauty.(A)
I made it beautiful
    with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
    that were in the garden of God.

10 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because it[a] towered high and set its top among the clouds and its heart was proud of its height,(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 31.10 Syr Vg: Heb you

The cedars(A) in the garden of God
    could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
    equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees(B)
    compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
    could match its beauty.(C)
I made it beautiful
    with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden(D)
    in the garden of God.(E)

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud(F) of its height,

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11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
    for the Lord is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.(A)

12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without humans or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks.(B) 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.(C)

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11 the sounds of joy and gladness,(A) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings(B) to the house of the Lord, saying,

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
    for the Lord is good;(C)
    his love endures forever.”(D)

For I will restore the fortunes(E) of the land as they were before,(F)’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate(G) and without people or animals(H)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.(I) 13 In the towns of the hill(J) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,(K) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand(L) of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

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12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
    and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
    and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall become like a watered garden,
    and they shall never languish again.(A)
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
    and the young men and the old shall be merry.[a]
I will turn their mourning into joy;
    I will comfort them and give them gladness for sorrow.(B)
14 I will give the priests their fill of fatness,
    and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
            says the Lord.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 31.13 Cn: Heb old together

12 They will come and shout for joy(A) on the heights(B) of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty(C) of the Lord
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(D)
    the young of the flocks(E) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(F)
    and they will sorrow(G) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(H) into gladness;
    I will give them comfort(I) and joy(J) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(K) the priests(L) with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,(M)
declares the Lord.

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The Rejoicing in Heaven

19 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power to our God,(A)
    for his judgments are true and just;
he has judged the great whore[a]
    who corrupted the earth with her prostitution,
and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(B)

Once more they said,

“Hallelujah!
The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.”(C)

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,

“Amen. Hallelujah!”(D)

And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants
and[b] all who fear him,
    small and great.”(E)

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord[c] God
    the Almighty reigns.(F)
Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready;(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 19.2 Or prostitute
  2. 19.5 Other ancient authorities lack and
  3. 19.6 Other ancient authorities add our

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude(A) in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation(C) and glory and power(D) belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.(E)
He has condemned the great prostitute(F)
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(G)

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!(H)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”(I)

The twenty-four elders(J) and the four living creatures(K) fell down(L) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”(M)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,(N)
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”(O)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,(P) like the roar of rushing waters(Q) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!(R)
    For our Lord God Almighty(S) reigns.(T)
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!(U)
For the wedding of the Lamb(V) has come,
    and his bride(W) has made herself ready.

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Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation,(A) who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

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Praise to the God of All Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us(B) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

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A Song of Joy

14 Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
    shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
    O daughter Jerusalem!(A)
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
    he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you shall fear disaster no more.(B)
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear, O Zion;
    do not let your hands grow weak.(C)
17 The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
    a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will renew you[a] in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing(D)
18     as on a day of festival.”[b]
I will remove disaster from you,[c]
    so that you will not bear reproach for it.
19 I will deal with all your oppressors
    at that time.
And I will save the lame
    and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
    and renown in all the earth.(E)
20 At that time I will bring you home,
    at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
    among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
    before your eyes, says the Lord.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.17 Gk Syr: Heb he will be silent
  2. 3.18 Gk Syr: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 3.18 Cn: Heb I will remove from you; they were

14 Sing, Daughter Zion;(A)
    shout aloud,(B) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice(C) with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;(D)
    never again will you fear(E) any harm.(F)
16 On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.(G)
17 The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.(H)
He will take great delight(I) in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,(J)
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”(K)

18 “I will remove from you
    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
    which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed(L) you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.(M)
I will give them praise(N) and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring(O) you home.
I will give you honor(P) and praise(Q)
    among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[a](R)
    before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives