“Come. Let us settle this matter,” says the Lord. “Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool.
In days to come, the people of Israel will sing, “Lord, we will praise you. You were angry with us. But now your anger has turned away from us. And you have brought us comfort.
But the Lord wants to have mercy on you. So he will rise up to give you his tender love. The Lord is a God who is always fair. Blessed are all those who wait for him to act!
The moon will shine like the sun. And the sunlight will be seven times brighter than usual. It will be like the light of seven full days. That will happen when the Lord bandages and heals the wounds and bruises he has brought on his people.
They will not get hungry or thirsty. The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them. The God who has tender love for them will guide them. Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.
But this time you won’t have to leave in a hurry. You won’t have to rush away. The Lord will go ahead of you and lead you. The God of Israel will follow behind you and guard you.
But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us.
The God who is highly honored lives forever. His name is holy. He says, “I live in a high and holy place. But I also live with anyone who turns away from their sins. I live with anyone who is not proud. I give new life to them. I give it to anyone who turns away from their sins.
I will always guide you. I will satisfy your needs in a land baked by the sun. I will make you stronger. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water. You will be like a spring whose water never runs dry.
If you don’t listen, I will weep in secret. Because you are so proud, I will weep bitterly. Tears will flow from my eyes. The Lord’s flock will be taken away as prisoners.
“You have not been faithful,” says the Lord. “Return to me. I will heal you. Then you will not turn away from me anymore.” “Yes,” the people say. “We will come to you. You are the Lord our God.
But I will make you healthy again. I will heal your wounds,” announces the Lord. “That’s because you have been thrown out. You are called Zion, the one no one cares about.”
The Lord appeared to us in the past. He said, “I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. I have kept on loving you with a kindness that never fails.
So he got up and went to his father. “While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him.
The Lamb, who is at the center of the area around the throne, will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ (Isaiah 49:10) ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ” (Isaiah 25:8)