^3 (A)The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^(B)“Prepare the way of the Lord;
^(C)Make straight ^[a]in the desert
A highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
^(D)The crooked places shall be made ^[b]straight
And the rough places smooth;
⁵ The ^(E)glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶ The voice said, “Cry out!”
And ^[c]he said, “What shall I cry?”

^(F)“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades,
But ^(G)the word of our God stands forever.”

⁸ “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have ^(A)chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My ^(B)friend.
⁹ You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
^10 (C)Fear not, ^(D)for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

¹¹ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be ^(E)ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
¹² You shall seek them and not find them—
^[a]Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
¹³ For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’