Isaiah 30:17

The bold words of the people in Judah will be worth nothing, when the powerful *Assyrian army actually arrives.

God will be kind to his people

v18 But the *Lord wants to show you kindness. He greatly desires you to know that he pities you. The *Lord is the God who makes everything right again. So those people who trust him are truly happy. v19 You inhabitants of *Jerusalem are God’s people. Do not weep any more. The *Lord will pity you when he hears your cry for help. And when he hears, he will answer. He will come to your aid. v20 You have suffered much in the past. But the *Lord is your Teacher. He will not still hide himself from you. You will see with your own eyes what he will do to save you. v21 And the *Lord is like your guide. You might begin to wander off the road to the one side or to the other side. But then you will hear his voice close behind you: ‘Here is the right road. Follow it.’ v22 You previously covered your images with silver and gold. But now you will throw them away as so much dirty rubbish. You will order them to go away, because you have no more use for them.

v23 The *Lord will also send rain for the seed that you plant in the soil. The crops that the earth produces will be rich and plentiful. At that time your animals will feed in large fields. v24 The animals that pull the plough in your fields will enjoy the very best food. That will be a reward for their hard work. v25 The day will come when the castles of your enemies fall. Their people will die. At that time permanent streams of pure water will flow from every mountain and from every hill. v26 The moon will be as bright as the sun. And the sun will shine seven times more brightly than usual. It will be like the light of seven days in one day. All this will happen when the *Lord uses bandages on the injuries of his people. He will cure them of the injuries that his punishment caused them to suffer.