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40 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins.”

The voice of one who calls out,
    “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness!
    Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
    The uneven shall be made level,
    and the rough places a plain.
Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together;
    for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”

The voice of one saying, “Cry!”
    One said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is like grass,
    and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers,
    the flower fades,
    because Yahweh’s breath blows on it.
    Surely the people are like grass.
The grass withers,
    the flower fades;
    but the word of our God stands forever.”

You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain.
    You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength!
    Lift it up! Don’t be afraid!
    Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord Yahweh will come as a mighty one,
    and his arm will rule for him.
    Behold, 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 arm,
    and carry them in his bosom.
    He will gently lead those who have their young.

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
    and marked off the sky with his span,
    and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket,
    and weighed the mountains in scales,
    and the hills in a balance?
13 Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit,
    or has taught him as his counselor?
14 Who did he take counsel with,
    and who instructed him,
    and taught him in the path of justice,
    and taught him knowledge,
    and showed him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket,
    and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance.
    Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
    nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations are like nothing before him.
    They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

18 To whom then will you liken God?
    Or what likeness will you compare to him?
19 A workman has cast an image,
    and the goldsmith overlays it with gold,
    and casts silver chains for it.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot.
    He seeks a skillful workman to set up a carved image for him that will not be moved.

21 Haven’t you known?
    Haven’t you heard?
    Haven’t you been told from the beginning?
    Haven’t you 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 out like a tent to dwell in,
23     who brings princes to nothing,
    who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 They are planted scarcely.
    They are sown scarcely.
    Their stock has scarcely taken root in the ground.
    He merely blows on them, and they wither,
    and the whirlwind takes them away as stubble.

25 “To whom then will you liken me?
    Who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high,
    and see who has created these,
    who brings out their army by number.
    He calls them all by name.
    by the greatness of his might,
    and because he is strong in power,
    not one is lacking.

27 Why do you say, Jacob,
    and speak, Israel,
    “My way is hidden from Yahweh,
    and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?”
28 Haven’t you known?
    Haven’t you heard?
    The everlasting God, Yahweh,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint.
    He isn’t weary.
    His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak.
    He increases the strength of him who has no might.
30 Even the youths faint and get weary,
    and the young men utterly fall;
31     but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength.
    They will mount up with wings like eagles.
    They will run, and not be weary.
    They will walk, and not faint.

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