The Lord says to his people,“ I comfort you because of who I am. Why are you afraid of mere human beings? They are like grass that dries up.

“惟有我，是安慰你们的。你是谁？竟怕那必死的人，怕那要变如草的世人，

我，惟有我是安慰你们的。你是谁，竟怕那必死的人，怕那生命如草的世人，

我，惟有我是安慰你们的。你是谁，竟怕那必死的人，怕那生命如草的世人，

耶和华说：“安慰你们的是我，是我。你为什么要害怕难逃一死、生命如草芥的世人呢？

“我，我耶和华是安慰你们的；你是谁，竟怕那会死的人，怕那被造如草的世人呢？

“我，是我安慰你们；你是谁，竟怕那必死的人，就是那被弃如草芥的世人；

惟有我，是安慰你們的。你是誰，竟怕那必死的人？怕那要變如草的世人？

我，惟有我是安慰你們的。你是誰，竟怕那必死的人，怕那生命如草的世人，

我，惟有我是安慰你們的。你是誰，竟怕那必死的人，怕那生命如草的世人，

耶和華說：「安慰你們的是我，是我。你為什麼要害怕難逃一死、生命如草芥的世人呢？

“我，我耶和華是安慰你們的；你是誰，竟怕那會死的人，怕那被造如草的世人呢？

『是我，我親自安慰你們的；你怎麼啦，你竟怕那會死的人，怕那生成如草的世人呀！

「我，是我安慰你們；你是誰，竟怕那必死的人，就是那被棄如草芥的世人；

主曰、慰藉爾者我也、爾何人斯、乃畏必死之世人、懼如草之人子、

耶和華曰、我慰藉爾、斯世之人、俱將淪亡、儗於草萊、何為畏之。

主曰、慰藉爾者惟我、惟我、爾為誰、竟懼必死之人、畏彼似草萊之世人、世人或作亞當之子

“ I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass,

“ I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,

“ I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?

I— I am the one who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear humans who die, or a son of man who is given up like grass?

“ I, I Myself, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of mortal man, And of a son of man who is made like grass,

“ I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou art afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man that shall be made as grass;

I— I am the One who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear man who dies, or a son of man who is given up like grass?

I,[ even] I,[ am] he that comforteth you: who[ art] thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man[ that] shall die, and of the son of man[ which] shall be made[ as] grass;

“ I, I am the one who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?

“ I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who will be made as grass?

The Lord is with me. I will not be afraid. What can mere human beings do to me?

It is written,“ All people are like grass. All their glory is like the flowers in the field. The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground.

I will not leave you like children who don’t have parents. I will come to you.

But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you.I leave my peace with you. I give my peace to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled. And do not be afraid.

Stop trusting in mere human beings, who can’t help you. They only live for a little while. What good are they?

As a mother comforts her child, I will comfort you. You will find comfort in Jerusalem.”

Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father who gives tender love. All comfort comes from him.He comforts us in all our troubles. Now we can comfort others when they are in trouble. We ourselves receive comfort from God.We share very much in the sufferings of Christ. So we also share very much in his comfort.

You can be sure that I will comfort Zion’s people. I will look with loving concern on all their destroyed buildings. I will make their deserts like Eden. I will make their dry and empty land like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be there. People will sing and give thanks to me.

But rich people should take pride in their low positions. That’s because they will fade away like wild flowers.The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, rich people will fade away. They fade away even as they go about their business.

When we came to Macedonia, we weren’t able to rest. We were attacked no matter where we went. We had battles on the outside and fears on the inside.But God comforts those who are sad. He comforted us when Titus came.

Yet you sweep people away, and they die. They are like new grass that grows in the morning.In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it’s all dried up.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

“ I am the one who wipes out your lawless acts. I do it because of who I am. I will not remember your sins anymore.

The life of human beings is like grass. People grow like the flowers in the field.When the wind blows on them, they are gone. No one can tell that they had ever been there.

“ My friends, listen to me. Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t do any more than that.I will show you whom you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you have been killed. Yes, I tell you, be afraid of him.

Many people want to meet a ruler. But only the Lord sees that people are treated fairly.

“ Listen to me, you who know what is right. Pay attention, you who have taken my instruction to heart. Do not be afraid when mere human beings make fun of you. Do not be terrified when they laugh at you.They will be like clothes that moths have eaten up. They will be like wool that worms have chewed up. But my saving power will last forever. I will save you for all time to come.”

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 not find fault with my people forever. I will not always be angry with them. If I were, I would cause their spirits to grow weak. The people I created would faint away.I was very angry with them. They always longed for more and more of everything. So I punished them for that sin. I turned my face away from them because I was angry. But they kept on wanting their own way.I have seen what they have done. But I will heal them. I will guide them. I will give those who mourn in Israel the comfort they had before.

Those who are evil spring up like grass. Those who do wrong succeed. But they will be destroyed forever.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him. They said,“ King Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to talk about this anymore.We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your power.But we want you to know this, Your Majesty. Even if we knew that our God wouldn’t save us, we still wouldn’t serve your gods. We wouldn’t worship the gold statue you set up.”

Another messenger says,“ Cry out.” And I said,“ What should I cry?”“ Cry out,‘ All people are like grass. They don’t stay faithful to me any longer than wildflowers last.The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass.

When they die, they return to the ground. On that day their plans come to nothing.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. The church was strengthened and grew larger. That’s because they worshiped the Lord and the Holy Spirit helped them.