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Isaiah 40:18-25
English Standard Version
Isaiah 40:18-25
English Standard Version
18 (A)To whom then will you liken God,
(B)or what likeness compare with him?
19 (C)An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 (D)He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood[a] that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 (E)Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are (F)like grasshoppers;
(G)who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 (H)who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
(I)and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 (J)To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood
Isaiah 40:18-25
New American Standard Bible
Isaiah 40:18-25
New American Standard Bible
18 (A)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [a](B)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (C)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (D)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [b]prepare [c]an idol that (E)will not totter.
21 (F)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (G)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [d]sits above the [e](H)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (I)grasshoppers,
Who (J)stretches out the heavens like a (K)curtain
And spreads them out like a (L)tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces (M)rulers to nothing,
Who (N)makes the judges of the earth [f]meaningless.
24 [g]Scarcely have they been planted,
[h]Scarcely have they been sown,
[i]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (O)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “(P)To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:19 Or carved image
- Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
- Isaiah 40:20 Or a carved image
- Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
- Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
- Isaiah 40:23 Or void
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
Isaiah 40:18-25
New International Version
Isaiah 40:18-25
New International Version
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(A)
To what image(B) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(C) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(D) overlays it with gold(E)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(F) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(G) that will not topple.(H)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(I)
Has it not been told(J) you from the beginning?(K)
Have you not understood(L) since the earth was founded?(M)
22 He sits enthroned(N) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(O)
He stretches out the heavens(P) like a canopy,(Q)
and spreads them out like a tent(R) to live in.(S)
23 He brings princes(T) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(U)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(V) in the ground,
than he blows(W) on them and they wither,(X)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(Y)
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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.