Isaiah 40

1 "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.

Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God.

2 "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins."

Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her, That her warfare hath been completed, That accepted hath been her punishment, That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.

3 The voice of one who calls out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the LORD. Make his roads straight.

A voice is crying — in a wilderness — Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, Make straight in a desert a highway to our God.

4 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low, and the uneven will be made level, and the rough places a plain.

Every valley is raised up, And every mountain and hill become low, And the crooked place hath become a plain, And the entangled places a valley.

5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity will see the salvation of God together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

And revealed hath been the honour of Jehovah, And seen [it] have all flesh together, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

6 The voice of one saying, "Cry." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.

A voice is saying, 'Call,' And he said, 'What do I call?' All flesh [is] grass, and all its goodliness [is] As a flower of the field:

7 The grass withers, the flower fades, because the LORD's breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.

Withered hath grass, faded the flower, For the Spirit of Jehovah blew upon it, Surely the people [is] grass;

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the LORD stands forever."

Withered hath grass, faded the flower, But a word of our God riseth for ever.

9 You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, "Look, your God."

On a high mountain get thee up, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, Lift up with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, proclaiming tidings, Lift up, fear not, say to cities of Judah, 'Lo, your God.'

10 Look, the LORD will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Look, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

Lo, the Lord Jehovah with strength cometh, And His arm is ruling for Him, Lo, His hire [is] with Him, and His wage before Him.

11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.

As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth [them]: Suckling ones He leadeth.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters? And the heavens by a span hath meted out, And comprehended in a measure the dust of the earth, And hath weighed in scales the mountains, And the hills in a balance?

13 Who has known the mind of the LORD, or who has instructed him as his counselor?

Who hath meted out the Spirit of Jehovah, And, [being] His counsellor, doth teach Him!

14 From whom did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?

With whom consulted He, That he causeth Him to understand? And teacheth Him in the path of judgment, And teacheth Him knowledge? And the way of understanding causeth Him to know?

15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Look, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.

Lo, nations as a drop from a bucket, And as small dust of the balance, have been reckoned, Lo, isles as a small thing He taketh up.

16 Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering.

17 All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

All the nations [are] as nothing before Him, Less than nothing and emptiness, They have been reckoned to Him.

18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him?

19 A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.

The graven image poured out hath a artisan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining.

20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will not be moved.

He who is poor [by] heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artisan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image — not moved.

21 Haven't you known? Haven't you heard, yet? Haven't you been told from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth?

Do ye not know — do ye not hear? Hath it not been declared from the first to you? Have ye not understood [From] the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in;

He who is sitting on the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants [are] as grasshoppers, He who is stretching out as a thin thing the heavens, And spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in.

23 who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

He who is making princes become nothing, Judges of earth as emptiness hath made;

24 They are planted scarcely. They are sown scarcely. Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground. He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.

Yea, they have not been planted, Yea, they have not been sown, Yea, not taking root in the earth is their stock, And also He hath blown upon them, and they wither, And a whirlwind as stubble taketh them away.

25 "To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

And unto whom do ye liken Me, And [am] I equal? saith the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is lacking.

Lift up on high your eyes, And see — who hath prepared these? He who is bringing out by number their host, To all of them by name He calleth, By abundance of strength (And [he is] strong in power) not one is lacking.

27 Why do you say, Jacob, and why do you assert, Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?"

Why sayest thou, O Jacob? and speakest thou, O Israel? 'My way hath been hid from Jehovah, And from my God my judgment passeth over.'

28 And now, haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, doesn't faint. He isn't weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? The God of the age — Jehovah, Preparer of the ends of the earth, Is not wearied nor fatigued, There is no searching of His understanding.

29 He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.

He is giving power to the weary, And to those not strong He increaseth might.

30 Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall;

Even youths are wearied and fatigued, And young men utterly stumble,

31 But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.

But those expecting Jehovah pass [to] power, They raise up the pinion as eagles, They run and are not fatigued, They go on and do not faint!