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The Way to Peace for God’s People

14 And I say:
Build up, build up, prepare the way,
    remove every obstacle from my people’s way.[a](A)
15 [b]For thus says the high and lofty One,
    the One who dwells forever, whose name is holy:
I dwell in a high and holy place,
    but also with the contrite and lowly of spirit,
To revive the spirit of the lowly,
    to revive the heart of the crushed.
16 For I will not accuse forever,
    nor always be angry;
For without me their spirit fails,
    the life breath that I have given.(B)
17 Because of their wicked avarice I grew angry;
    I struck them, hiding myself from them in wrath.
But they turned back, following the way
    of their own heart.(C)
18 I saw their ways,
    but I will heal them.
I will lead them and restore full comfort to them
    and to those who mourn for them,(D)
19     creating words of comfort.[c]
Peace! Peace to those who are far and near,
    says the Lord; and I will heal them.
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea
    which cannot be still,
Its waters cast up mire and mud.(E)
21     There is no peace for the wicked!
    says my God.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 57:14 The way…my people’s way: the language and imagery are reminiscent of 40:1–2, but in this context, when the people have already returned, the physical road through the desert is replaced by the spiritual way that leads to redemption.
  2. 57:15 The God of Israel is presented in both a transcendent and an immanent manner. God’s holiness is the transcendent quality; the immanence is shown in the choice of dwelling among the downtrodden and humble.
  3. 57:19 Creating words of comfort: lit., “fruit of the lips,” perhaps referring to praise and thanksgiving for the divine healing; cf. Hos 14:3.