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II. Isaiah 40—55[a]

A. The Lord’s Glory in Israel’s Liberation

Chapter 40

Promise of Salvation

[b]Comfort, give comfort to my people,
    says your God.
Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
    that her service[c] has ended,
    that her guilt is expiated,
That she has received from the hand of the Lord
    double for all her sins.

    A voice proclaims:[d]
In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord!
    Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!(A)
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,
    the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

A voice says, “Proclaim!”
    I answer, “What shall I proclaim?”
“All flesh is grass,
    and all their loyalty like the flower of the field.(B)
The grass withers, the flower wilts,
    when the breath of the Lord blows upon it.”
“Yes, the people is grass!
    The grass withers, the flower wilts,
    but the word of our God stands forever.”

Go up onto a high mountain,
    Zion, herald of good news![e]
Cry out at the top of your voice,
    Jerusalem, herald of good news!
Cry out, do not fear!
    Say to the cities of Judah:
    Here is your God!
10 Here comes with power
    the Lord God,
    who rules by his strong arm;
Here is his reward with him,
    his recompense before him.
11 Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
    in his arms he gathers the lambs,
Carrying them in his bosom,
    leading the ewes with care.(C)

Power of God and the Vanity of Idols

12 Who has measured with his palm the waters,
    marked off the heavens with a span,
    held in his fingers the dust of the earth,
    weighed the mountains in scales
    and the hills in a balance?[f]
13 Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
    or instructed him as his counselor?(D)
14 Whom did he consult to gain knowledge?
    Who taught him the path of judgment,
    or showed him the way of understanding?

15 See, the nations count as a drop in the bucket,
    as a wisp of cloud on the scales;
    the coastlands weigh no more than a speck.[g]
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,[h]
    nor its animals be enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations are as nought,
    as nothing and void he counts them.

18 To whom can you liken God?(E)
    With what likeness can you confront him?
19 An idol? An artisan casts it,
    the smith plates it with gold,
    fits it with silver chains.[i](F)
20 Is mulberry wood the offering?
    A skilled artisan picks out
    a wood that will not rot,
    Seeks to set up for himself
    an idol that will not totter.(G)

21 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
    Was it not told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood from the founding of the earth?
22 The one who is enthroned above the vault of the earth,
    its inhabitants like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a veil
    and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in,(H)
23 Who brings princes to nought
    and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
    scarcely their stem rooted in the earth,
When he breathes upon them and they wither,
    and the stormwind carries them away like straw.

25 To whom can you liken me as an equal?
    says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high
    and see who created[j] these:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
    calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
    not one of them is missing!(I)
27 Why, O Jacob, do you say,[k]
    and declare, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is God from of old,
    creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary,
    and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    abundant strength to the weak.
30 Though young men faint and grow weary,
    and youths stagger and fall,
31 They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
    they will soar on eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
    walk and not grow faint.

Footnotes

  1. 40:1–55:13 Chapters 40–55 are usually designated Second Isaiah (or Deutero-Isaiah) and are believed to have been written by an anonymous prophet toward the end of the Babylonian exile. Isaiah, who is named frequently in chaps. 1–39, does not appear here; the Assyrians, the great threat during the eighth century, hardly appear; the Judeans are in Babylon, having been taken there by the victorious Babylonians; Cyrus, the Persian king, is named; he will defeat Babylon and release the captives. Second Isaiah, who sees this not as a happy circumstance but as part of God’s age-old plan, exhorts the Judeans to resist the temptations of Babylonian religion and stirs up hopes of an imminent return to Judah, where the Lord will again be acknowledged as King (52:7). Because the prophet proclaimed the triumph of Persia over Babylon, his message would have been considered seditious, and it is very likely for this reason that the collection would have circulated anonymously. At some point it was appended to Is 1–39 and consequently was long considered the work of Isaiah of Jerusalem of the eighth century. But the fact that it is addressed to Judean exiles in Babylon indicates a sixth-century date. Nevertheless, this eloquent prophet in many ways works within the tradition of Isaiah and develops themes found in the earlier chapters, such as the holiness of the Lord (cf. note on 1:4) and his lordship of history. Second Isaiah also develops other Old Testament themes, such as the Lord as Israel’s redeemer or deliverer (cf. Ex 3:8; 6:6; 15:13; 18:8).
  2. 40:1 The “voices” of vv. 3, 6 are members of the heavenly court addressing the prophet; then v. 1 can be understood as the Lord addressing them. It is also possible to translate, with the Vulgate, “Comfort, give comfort, O my people” (i.e., the exiles are called to comfort Jerusalem). The juxtaposition of “my people” and “your God” recalls the covenant formulary.
  3. 40:2 Service: servitude (cf. Jb 7:1) and exile.
  4. 40:3–5 A description of the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem (Zion). The language used here figuratively describes the way the exiles will take. The Lord leads them, so their way lies straight across the wilderness rather than along the well-watered routes usually followed from Mesopotamia to Israel. Mt 3:3 and gospel parallels adapt these verses to the witness of John the Baptizer to Jesus.
  5. 40:9 Herald of good news: i.e., of the imminent restoration of the people to their land. This theme of the proclamation of the good news occurs elsewhere in Second Isaiah; cf. also 41:27; 52:7.
  6. 40:12 The implicit answer is “the hand of the Lord” (v. 2). Waters…heavens…earth: together form the universe; cf. Gn 1:1–2. Span: the distance between the extended little finger and the thumb. Fingers: lit., “three fingers” (i.e., thumb, index, and middle).
  7. 40:15 Drop…wisp of cloud…a speck: the smallest constituent parts of the cosmic waters, heavens, and earth mentioned in v. 12.
  8. 40:16 Lebanon…fuel: the famed cedars would not be enough to keep the fires of sacrifice burning.
  9. 40:19 Chains: needed to hold the idol steady when carried in processions; cf. v. 20; Jer 10:4.
  10. 40:26 Created: see note on Gn 1:1–2:3. By name: for he is their Creator.
  11. 40:27–28 The exiles, here called Jacob-Israel (Gn 32:29), must not give way to discouragement: their Lord is the eternal God.

God’s People Are Comforted

40 Comfort, O comfort my people,
    says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that she has served her term,
    that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
    double for all her sins.

A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all people shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry out!”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All people are grass,
    their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
    when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
    surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades;
    but the word of our God will stand forever.
Get you up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, herald of good tidings;[a]
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,[b]
    lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”
10 See, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
    he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead the mother sheep.

12 Who has measured the waters 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?
13 Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
    or as his counselor has instructed him?
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.
16 Lebanon would not provide fuel enough,
    nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are as nothing before him;
    they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18 To whom then will you liken God,
    or what likeness compare with him?
19 An idol? —A workman casts it,
    and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
    and casts for it silver chains.
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.

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?
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;
23 who brings princes to naught,
    and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

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.

25 To whom then will you compare me,
    or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
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.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
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.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and strengthens the powerless.
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.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good tidings to Zion
  2. Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem
  3. Isaiah 40:20 Meaning of Heb uncertain

Comfort for God’s people

40 Comfort, comfort my people!
    says your God.
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!

A voice is crying out:
“Clear the Lord’s way in the desert!
    Make a level highway in the wilderness for our God!
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.
The Lord’s glory will appear,
    and all humanity will see it together;
    the Lord’s mouth has commanded it.”

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.
The grass dries up
    and the flower withers
    when the Lord’s breath blows on it.
    Surely the people are grass.
The grass dries up;
    the flower withers,
    but our God’s word will exist forever.

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

  1. Isaiah 40:6 MT; DSS (1QIsaa), LXX I
  2. Isaiah 40:20 Heb uncertain

The Greatness of God

40 (A)Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
(B)Speak [a]kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her [b](C)warfare has ended,
That her [c](D)guilt has been removed,
That she has received of the Lords hand
(E)Double for all her sins.”

(F)The voice of one calling out,
(G)Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make [d]straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the uneven ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
[e]Then the (H)glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And (I)all flesh will see it together;
For the (J)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
A voice says, “Call out.”
Then [f]he answered, “What shall I call out?”
(K)All flesh is grass, and all its [g]loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The (L)grass withers, the flower fades,
[h]When the (M)breath of the Lord blows upon it;
The people are indeed grass!
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But (N)the word of our God stands forever.

Go up on a (O)high mountain,
Zion, messenger of (P)good news,
Raise your voice forcefully,
Jerusalem, messenger of good news;
Raise it up, do not fear.
Say to the (Q)cities of Judah,
(R)Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord [i]God will come (S)with might,
With His (T)arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His (U)compensation is with Him,
And His reward before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will (V)tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in the fold of His robe;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

12 Who has (W)measured the [j]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And measured the heavens with a [k]span,
And [l]calculated the dust of the earth with a measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?
13 (X)Who has [m]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (Y)counselor has informed Him?
14 (Z)With whom did He consult and who (AA)gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge,
And informed Him of the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the (AB)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (AC)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [n]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to [o]burn,
Nor its (AD)animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 (AE)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [p]meaningless.

18 (AF)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [q](AG)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (AH)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (AI)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [r]prepare [s]an idol that (AJ)will not totter.

21 (AK)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (AL)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [t]sits above the [u](AM)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (AN)grasshoppers,
Who (AO)stretches out the heavens like a (AP)curtain
And spreads them out like a (AQ)tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces (AR)rulers to nothing,
Who (AS)makes the judges of the earth [v]meaningless.
24 [w]Scarcely have they been planted,
[x]Scarcely have they been sown,
[y]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (AT)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 (AU)To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (AV)Raise your eyes on high
And see (AW)who has created these stars,
The (AX)One who brings out their [z]multitude by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (AY)greatness of His might and the [aa]strength of His power,
(AZ)Not one of them is missing.

27 (BA)Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
“My way is (BB)hidden from the Lord,
And the (BC)justice due me [ab]escapes the notice of (BD)my God”?
28 (BE)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The (BF)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is (BG)unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the (BH)weary,
And to the one who lacks might He (BI)increases power.
30 Though (BJ)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous (BK)young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [ac]wait for the Lord
Will (BL)gain new strength;
They will [ad](BM)mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:2 Lit to the heart of
  2. Isaiah 40:2 Or hard service
  3. Isaiah 40:2 Or penalty of guilt accepted as paid off
  4. Isaiah 40:3 Or smooth
  5. Isaiah 40:5 Or In order that the
  6. Isaiah 40:6 Another reading is I said
  7. Isaiah 40:6 Or constancy
  8. Isaiah 40:7 Or Because
  9. Isaiah 40:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  10. Isaiah 40:12 DSS reads waters of the sea
  11. Isaiah 40:12 Or half cubit (9 in. or 22.8 cm)
  12. Isaiah 40:12 Lit contained; or comprehended
  13. Isaiah 40:13 Or measured, marked off
  14. Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands
  15. Isaiah 40:16 I.e., for fire on an altar
  16. Isaiah 40:17 Or void
  17. Isaiah 40:19 Or carved image
  18. Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
  19. Isaiah 40:20 Or a carved image
  20. Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
  21. Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
  22. Isaiah 40:23 Or void
  23. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  24. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  25. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  26. Isaiah 40:26 Lit host
  27. Isaiah 40:26 As in DSS and ancient versions; MT strong
  28. Isaiah 40:27 Lit passes by my God
  29. Isaiah 40:31 Or hope in
  30. Isaiah 40:31 Or sprout wings

Comfort for God’s People

40 Comfort, comfort(A) my people,
    says your God.
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.

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)
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.
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)

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.
The grass withers(Q) and the flowers fall,
    because the breath(R) of the Lord blows(S) on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers(T) fall,
    but the word(U) of our God endures(V) forever.(W)

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

  1. Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
  2. Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
  3. Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
  4. Isaiah 40:13 Or mind