he will destroy death forever. The Lord God will wipe away every tear from every face. He will take away the shame of his people from the earth. The Lord has spoken.
Your people have died, but they will live again; their bodies will rise from death. You who lie in the ground, wake up and be happy! The dew covering you is like the dew of a new day; the ground will give birth to the dead.
You people who live on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will not cry anymore. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will comfort you. When he hears you, he will help you.
At that time the light from the moon will be bright like the sun, and the light from the sun will be seven times brighter than now, like the light of seven days. These things will happen when the Lord bandages his broken people and heals the hurts he gave them.
the people the Lord has freed will return there. They will enter Jerusalem with joy, and their happiness will last forever. Their gladness and joy will fill them completely, and sorrow and sadness will go far away.
They told Isaiah, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it.
The people the Lord has freed will return and enter Jerusalem with joy. Their happiness will last forever. They will have joy and gladness, and all sadness and sorrow will be gone far away.
“You people who know what is right should listen to me; you people who follow my teachings should hear what I say. Don’t be afraid of the evil things people say, and don’t be upset by their insults.
“Don’t be afraid, because you will not be ashamed. Don’t be embarrassed, because you will not be disgraced. You will forget the shame you felt earlier; you will not remember the shame you felt when you lost your husband.
“You have been hated and left empty with no one passing through. But I will make you great from now on; you will be a place of happiness forever and ever.
Instead of being ashamed, my people will receive twice as much wealth. Instead of being disgraced, they will be happy because of what they receive. They will receive a double share of the land, so their happiness will continue forever.
You people who obey the words of the Lord, listen to what he says: “Your brothers hated you and turned against you because you followed me. Your brothers said, ‘Let the Lord be honored so we may see you rejoice,’ but they will be punished.
But this is what the Lord says: “Stop crying; don’t let your eyes fill with tears. You will be rewarded for your work!” says the Lord. “The people will return from their enemy’s land.
Will I save them from the place of the dead? Will I rescue them from death? Where is your sickness, death? Where is your pain, place of death? I will show them no mercy.
So this body that can be destroyed will clothe itself with that which can never be destroyed, and this body that dies will clothe itself with that which can never die. When this happens, this Scripture will be made true: “Death is destroyed forever in victory.”
but it is now shown to us by the coming of our Savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death, and through the Good News he showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed.
because the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”