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Isaiah 40
Common English Bible
Isaiah 40
Common English Bible
Comfort for God’s people
40 Comfort, comfort my people!
says your God.
2 Speak compassionately to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended,
that her penalty has been paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins!
3 A voice is crying out:
“Clear the Lord’s way in the desert!
Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!
4 Every valley will be raised up,
and every mountain and hill will be flattened.
Uneven ground will become level,
and rough terrain a valley plain.
5 The Lord’s glory will appear,
and all humanity will see it together;
the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.”
6 A voice was saying:
“Call out!”
And another[a] said,
“What should I call out?”
All flesh is grass;
all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass dries up
and the flower withers
when the Lord’s breath blows on it.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass dries up;
the flower withers,
but our God’s word will exist forever.
9 Go up on a high mountain,
messenger Zion!
Raise your voice and shout,
messenger Jerusalem!
Raise it; don’t be afraid;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 Here is the Lord God,
coming with strength,
with a triumphant arm,
bringing his reward with him
and his payment before him.
11 Like a shepherd, God will tend the flock;
he will gather lambs in his arms
and lift them onto his lap.
He will gently guide the nursing ewes.
The incomparable God
12 Who has measured the waters in the palm of a hand
or gauged the heavens with a ruler
or scooped the earth’s dust up in a measuring cup
or weighed the mountains on a scale
and the hills in a balance?
13 Who directed the Lord’s spirit
and acted as God’s advisor?
14 Whom did he consult for enlightenment?
Who taught him the path of justice and knowledge
and explained to him the way of understanding?
15 Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket,
and valued as dust on a scale.
Look, God weighs the islands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon doesn’t have enough fuel;
its animals aren’t enough for an entirely burned offering.
17 All the nations are like nothing before God.
They are viewed as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 So to whom will you equate God;
to what likeness will you compare him?
19 An idol? A craftsman pours it,
a metalworker covers it with gold,
and fashions silver chains.
20 The one who sets up an image chooses wood that won’t rot[b]
and then seeks a skilled artisan
to set up an idol that won’t move.
21 Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?
Wasn’t it announced to you from the beginning?
Haven’t you understood since the earth was founded?
22 God inhabits the earth’s horizon—
its inhabitants are like locusts—
stretches out the skies like a curtain
and spreads it out like a tent for dwelling.
23 God makes dignitaries useless
and the earth’s judges into nothing.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely is their shoot rooted in the earth
when God breathes on them, and they dry up;
the windstorm carries them off like straw.
25 So to whom will you compare me,
and who is my equal? says the holy one.
Power for the weary
26 Look up at the sky and consider:
Who created these?
The one who brings out their attendants one by one,
summoning each of them by name.
Because of God’s great strength
and mighty power, not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, Jacob,
and declare, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
my God ignores my predicament”?
28 Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the creator of the ends of the earth.
He doesn’t grow tired or weary.
His understanding is beyond human reach,
29 giving power to the tired
and reviving the exhausted.
30 Youths will become tired and weary,
young men will certainly stumble;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will fly up on wings like eagles;
they will run and not be tired;
they will walk and not be weary.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:6 MT; DSS (1QIsaa), LXX I
- Isaiah 40:20 Heb uncertain
Isaiah 40
New International Version
Isaiah 40
New International Version
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort(A) my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly(B) to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service(C) has been completed,(D)
that her sin has been paid for,(E)
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double(F) for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way(G) for the Lord[a];
make straight(H) in the desert
a highway for our God.[b](I)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(J)
every mountain and hill(K) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(L)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(M) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(N)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(O)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(P)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers(Q) and the flowers fall,
because the breath(R) of the Lord blows(S) on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers(T) fall,
but the word(U) of our God endures(V) forever.(W)”
9 You who bring good news(X) to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c](Y)
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(Z)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes(AA) with power,(AB)
and he rules(AC) with a mighty arm.(AD)
See, his reward(AE) is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:(AF)
He gathers the lambs in his arms(AG)
and carries them close to his heart;(AH)
he gently leads(AI) those that have young.(AJ)
12 Who has measured the waters(AK) in the hollow of his hand,(AL)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(AM)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(AN)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d](AO) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(AP)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(AQ)
or showed him the path of understanding?(AR)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(AS)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(AT)
16 Lebanon(AU) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(AV) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(AW) are as nothing;(AX)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(AY)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(AZ)
To what image(BA) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(BB) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(BC) overlays it with gold(BD)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(BE) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(BF) that will not topple.(BG)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(BH)
Has it not been told(BI) you from the beginning?(BJ)
Have you not understood(BK) since the earth was founded?(BL)
22 He sits enthroned(BM) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(BN)
He stretches out the heavens(BO) like a canopy,(BP)
and spreads them out like a tent(BQ) to live in.(BR)
23 He brings princes(BS) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(BT)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(BU) in the ground,
than he blows(BV) on them and they wither,(BW)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(BX)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(BY)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(BZ)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(CA)
Who created(CB) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(CC) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(CD)
not one of them is missing.(CE)
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?(CF)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(CG)
The Lord is the everlasting(CH) God,
the Creator(CI) of the ends of the earth.(CJ)
He will not grow tired or weary,(CK)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(CL)
29 He gives strength(CM) to the weary(CN)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(CO) stumble and fall;(CP)
31 but those who hope(CQ) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(CR)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(CS)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(CT)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
- Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
以赛亚书 40
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
以赛亚书 40
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
神的安慰
40 你们的 神说：
“你们要安慰，要安慰我的子民！
2 你们要向耶路撒冷说慈爱的话，
又要向它宣告：他们的苦难已经满足了，
他们的罪孽已经还清了，
他们因着自己的一切罪，
已经从耶和华的手里受到过重的刑罚。”
预言在旷野有预备主道的
3 有声音呼喊说：
“你们要在旷野清理耶和华的路，
在沙漠修直我们 神的大道。
4 一切深谷都要填满，
一切山冈都要削平；
险峻的要改为平地，
崎岖的要改为平原。
5 耶和华的荣耀必要显现，
所有的人都必一同看见，
因为这是耶和华亲口说的。”
6 有声音说：“你呼喊吧！”
他问（“他问”或参照《死海古卷》和《七十士译本》翻译为“我说”）：“我呼喊甚么呢？”
“所有的人尽都如草；
他们的荣美都像野地的花。
7 草必枯干，花必凋谢；
因为耶和华的气吹在上面；
真的，这民的确是草！
8 草必枯干，花必凋谢，
唯有我们 神的道永远长存。”
神乃善牧
9 报好信息给锡安的啊！
你要登上高山。
报好信息给耶路撒冷的啊！
你要极力扬声。
要扬声，不要惧怕！
要对犹大的众城说：
“看哪，你们的 神！”
10 看哪！主耶和华必像大能者临到，
他的膀臂要为他掌权；
看哪！他给予人的赏赐在他那里，
他施予人的报应在他面前。
11 他必像牧人牧养自己的羊群，
像用膀臂聚集羊羔，
抱在自己的怀中，
慢慢引导乳养小羊的。
神伟大无比
12 谁曾用掌心量过海水，
用手掌测过苍天呢？
谁曾用升斗量过大地的尘土，
用秤称山岭，
用天平称冈陵呢？
13 谁曾测度耶和华的灵，
或作过他的谋士教导他呢？
14 他与谁商议，谁使他有聪明？
谁把正确的路指教他，把知识指教他，
又把明智的路教导他呢？
15 看哪！万国都像水桶里的一滴，
又被看作天平上的微尘。
看哪！他举起众海岛，好象微细之物。
16 黎巴嫩的树林不够当柴烧，
其中的走兽也不够作燔祭。
17 万国在他跟前好象不存在，
在他看来，只是乌有和虚空。
18 你们把谁来跟 神相比呢？
你们用甚么形象来与 神并列呢？
19 至于偶像，是匠人铸造的，
铸匠用金子把它包裹，
用银子为它做银炼。
20 贫穷献不起这供物的，
就拣选不朽坏的树木，
为自己寻找巧匠，
立起不会动摇的偶像。
21 你们不曾知道吗？你们不曾听见吗？
不是从起初就已经告诉过你们吗？
自从大地的根基立了以来，你们还不曾明白吗？
22 神坐在大地的圆穹之上，
地上的居民好象蚱蜢，
他铺张诸天如铺张幔子，
展开众天像展开可以居住的帐棚。
23 他使诸侯都归于无有，
使地上的审判官成为虚空。
24 他们才刚刚栽上，
刚刚种上，
他们的树头刚刚在地里扎根，
他一吹在其上，他们就枯干了，
旋风把他们像碎秸一样吹去。
25 那圣者说：“你们把谁来跟我相比，
使他与我相等呢？”
26 你们向天举目吧！
看是谁创造了这些万象？
是谁按着数目把万象领出来，
一一指名呼唤？
因他的大能大力，
连一个也不缺少。
勉励人民信靠 神
27 雅各啊！你为甚么这样说；以色列啊！你为甚么埋怨说：
“我的道路向耶和华隐藏，
我的案件被我的 神忽略了”？
28 你不知道吗？你没有听过吗？
永在的 神、耶和华、地极的创造主既不疲乏，也不困倦；
他的知识无法测度。
29 疲乏的，他赐气力，
无力的，他加力量。
30 就是年轻人也会疲乏困倦，
强壮的人也会全然跌倒。
31 但那些仰望耶和华的人，
必重新得力；
他们必像鹰一样展翅上腾；
他们奔跑，也不困倦，
他们行走，也不疲乏。
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Chinese New Version (Simplified) (CNVS)
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.