Isaiah 40:14-21
English Standard Version Anglicised
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
(A)Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted (B)as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up (C)the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are (D)its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (E)All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 (F)To whom then will you liken God,
(G)or what likeness compare with him?
19 (H)An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 (I)He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood[a] that will not rot;
he seeks out a skilful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 (J)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?
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood
Isaiah 40:14-21
New International Version
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(A)
or showed him the path of understanding?(B)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(C)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(D)
16 Lebanon(E) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(F) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(G) are as nothing;(H)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(I)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(J)
To what image(K) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(L) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(M) overlays it with gold(N)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(O) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(P) that will not topple.(Q)
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