Isaiah 57:14-21

EasyEnglish Bible

‘Build a road! Make it ready for my people to travel on!
Remove everything that would cause them to fall.’

‘I live in a high and holy place.
But I am also with anyone who is humble
    and who is sorry when he does wrong things.
I will comfort people who are like that,
    and I will give them hope.
¹⁶ I will not always speak against my people.
    I will not be angry with them for ever.
I do not want them to lose hope completely.
    I myself gave life to them.
¹⁷ I was angry with them because they were greedy,
    which was a sin.
So I punished them.
    I was angry and I turned away from them.
But they still refused to obey me.
    They continued to do what they wanted to do.
¹⁸ I have seen what they are doing.
    But I will make them well again.
I will be a guide for them,
    and I will comfort them again.
Then people who are sad and they are weeping
¹⁹     will sing songs to praise me!
    I will give them a reason to do that.
I will bring peace to all my people,
    those who are far away,
    and those who are near.
Yes, I will make them completely well again.’
That is what the Lord says.
²⁰ ‘But wicked people are like a rough sea
    with dangerous waves.
It cannot stay still.
    Its waves throw up mud and dirt.
²¹ There will never be peace for wicked people.’
    That is what my God says.