Isaiah 40:24-26

New English Translation

²⁴Indeed, they are barely planted;
yes, they are barely sown;
yes, they barely take root in the earth,
and then he blows on them, causing them to dry up,
and the wind carries them away like straw.
²⁵“To whom can you compare me? Whom do I resemble?”
says the Holy One.^[a]
²⁶Look up at the sky!^[b]
Who created all these heavenly lights?^[c]
He is the one who leads out their ranks;^[d]
he calls them all by name.
Because of his absolute power and awesome strength,
not one of them is missing.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 40:25 sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.
Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “Lift on high your eyes and see.”
Isaiah 40:26 tn The words “heavenly lights” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the following lines.
Isaiah 40:26 tn Heb “the one who brings out by number their host.” The stars are here likened to a huge army that the Lord leads out. Perhaps the next line pictures God calling roll. If so, the final line may be indicating that none of them dares “go AWOL.” (“AWOL” is a military acronym for “absent without leave.”)

New English Translation (NET)

Isaiah 40:24-26 New English Translation

Footnotes

Isaiah 40:24-26

New English Translation