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God Forgives the Repentant

14 God says, “Rebuild the road!
    Clear away the rocks and stones
    so my people can return from captivity.”
15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,
    the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place
    with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble
    and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
16 For I will not fight against you forever;
    I will not always be angry.
If I were, all people would pass away—
    all the souls I have made.
17 I was angry,
    so I punished these greedy people.
I withdrew from them,
    but they kept going on their own stubborn way.
18 I have seen what they do,
    but I will heal them anyway!
    I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn,
19     bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,”
    says the Lord, who heals them.
20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea,
    which is never still
    but continually churns up mud and dirt.
21 There is no peace for the wicked,”
    says my God.

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Peace for the remorseful

14 It will be said: “Survey, survey; build a road!
    Remove barriers from my people’s road!”
15 The one who is high and lifted up,
    who lives forever, whose name is holy, says:
I live on high, in holiness,
    and also with the crushed[a] and the lowly,
    reviving the spirit of the lowly,
    reviving the heart of those who have been crushed.[b]
16 I won’t always accuse,
    nor will I be enraged forever.
    It is my own doing that their spirit is exhausted—
    I gave them breath!
17 I was enraged about their illegal profits;
    I struck them; in rage I withdrew from them.
Yet they went on wandering wherever they wanted.
18     I have seen their ways, but I will heal them.
    I will guide them,
        and reward them with comfort.
And for those who mourn,
19     I will create reason for praise:[c]
    utter prosperity to those far and near,
    and I will heal them, says the Lord.
20 But the wicked are like the churning sea that can’t keep still.
    They churn up from their waters muck and mud.
21     There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 57:15 Or contrite
  2. Isaiah 57:15 Or contrite
  3. Isaiah 57:19 Heb uncertain