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Isaiah 40:12-31
New International Version
Isaiah 40:12-31
New International Version
12 Who has measured the waters(A) in the hollow of his hand,(B)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(C)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(D)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[a](E) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(F)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(G)
or showed him the path of understanding?(H)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(I)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(J)
16 Lebanon(K) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(L) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(M) are as nothing;(N)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(O)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(P)
To what image(Q) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(R) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(S) overlays it with gold(T)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(U) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(V) that will not topple.(W)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(X)
Has it not been told(Y) you from the beginning?(Z)
Have you not understood(AA) since the earth was founded?(AB)
22 He sits enthroned(AC) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(AD)
He stretches out the heavens(AE) like a canopy,(AF)
and spreads them out like a tent(AG) to live in.(AH)
23 He brings princes(AI) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(AJ)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(AK) in the ground,
than he blows(AL) on them and they wither,(AM)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(AN)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(AO)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(AP)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(AQ)
Who created(AR) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(AS) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(AT)
not one of them is missing.(AU)
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”?(AV)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(AW)
The Lord is the everlasting(AX) God,
the Creator(AY) of the ends of the earth.(AZ)
He will not grow tired or weary,(BA)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(BB)
29 He gives strength(BC) to the weary(BD)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(BE) stumble and fall;(BF)
31 but those who hope(BG) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(BH)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(BI)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(BJ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
Isaiah 40:12-31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Isaiah 40:12-31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 Who has measured the waters of the sea[a] in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?(A)
13 Who has directed the spirit of the Lord
or as his counselor has instructed him?(B)
14 Whom did he consult for his enlightenment,
and who taught him the path of justice?
[[Who taught him knowledge
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket
and are accounted as dust on the scales;
see, he takes up the isles like fine dust.(C)
16 Lebanon would not provide fuel enough,
nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering.]][b]
17 All the nations are as nothing before him;
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.(D)
18 To whom, then, will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?(E)
19 An idol? A workman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.(F)
20 As a gift one chooses mulberry wood[c]
—wood that will not rot—
then seeks out a skilled artisan
to set up an image that will not topple.(G)
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?(H)
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 like a tent to live in,(I)
23 who brings princes to naught
and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.(J)
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.(K)
25 To whom, then, will you compare me,
or who is my equal? says the Holy One.(L)
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
mighty in power,
not one is missing.(M)
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?(N)
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.(O)
29 He gives power to the faint
and strengthens the powerless.(P)
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted,
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.(Q)
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.