2  ^{1 w}The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

3  ^xYou have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

4  For the ^yyoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken ^zas on the day of Midian.

5  For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6  For ^ato us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon² his shoulder,

and his name shall be called³

^bWonderful Counselor, ^cMighty God,

Everlasting ^dFather, Prince of ^ePeace.

7  Of the increase of his government and of peace

^fthere will be no end,

on the ^gthrone of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with ^hjustice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

ⁱThe zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

1  ^fComfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that her warfare¹ is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she has received from the Lord’s hand

double for all her sins.

3  ^gA voice cries:²

“In the wilderness ^hprepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4  Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

5  And the glory of the Lord shall be ⁱrevealed,

and ^jall flesh shall see it together,

^kfor the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6  A voice says, “Cry!”

And I said,³ “What shall I cry?”

^lAll flesh is grass,

and all its beauty⁴ is like the flower of the field.

7  The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

8  The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

9  Go on up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good news;⁵

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of ^mgood news;⁶

lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!”

10  Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, ⁿhis reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

11  He will tend his flock like a ^oshepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

7  ⁿHow beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of him who ^obrings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

who publishes salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

8  The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

the return of the Lord to Zion.

9  Break forth together into singing,

you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people;

he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10  The Lord has bared his holy arm

before the eyes of all the nations,

and ^pall the ends of the earth shall see

the salvation of our God.