Comfort, comfort my people’, says your God.

‘Speak to Yerushalaim’s heart, call to it
That its tour of duty is fulfilled,
that its waywardness is paid for,
That it has taken from Yahweh’s hand
double for all its wrongdoings.’

A voice is calling:
‘In the wilderness clear Yahweh’s way,
make straight in the steppe a causeway for our God.
Every ravine is to rise up,
every mountain and hill is to fall down.
The ridge is to become level,
the cliffs a valley.
Yahweh’s splendour will appear,
and all flesh will see it together,
because Yahweh’s mouth has spoken.’

A voice is saying, ‘Call’,
but someone says, ‘Call what?
All flesh is grass,
and all its commitment is like a wild flower’s.
Grass withers,
a flower fades,
when Yahweh’s wind blows on it.’
‘Yes, the people is grass;
grass withers, a flower fades – but our God’s word rises up permanently.’

Get yourself up on to a high mountain
as a bringer of news to Tsiyyon.
Raise your voice with energy
as a bringer of news to Yerushalaim.
Raise it, don’t be afraid,
say to Yehudah’s towns,
‘Here is your God,
here is the Lord Yahweh.’
He comes as the strong one,
his arm is going to rule for him.
Here, his reward is with him,
his earnings before him.
Like a shepherd who pastures his flock,
he collects lambs in his arms.
He carries them in his embrace,
guides the nursing ones.

Goldingay, John; Goldingay, John; Wright, Tom; Wright, Tom. The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba