Isaiah 40:3-31
New American Standard Bible
3 (A)The voice of one calling out,
“(B)Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make [a]straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 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;
5 [b]Then the (C)glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And (D)all flesh will see it together;
For the (E)mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Call out.”
Then [c]he answered, “What shall I call out?”
(F)All flesh is grass, and all its [d]loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The (G)grass withers, the flower fades,
[e]When the (H)breath of the Lord blows upon it;
The people are indeed grass!
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But (I)the word of our God stands forever.
9 Go up on a (J)high mountain,
Zion, messenger of (K)good news,
Raise your voice forcefully,
Jerusalem, messenger of good news;
Raise it up, do not fear.
Say to the (L)cities of Judah,
“(M)Here is your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord [f]God will come (N)with might,
With His (O)arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His (P)compensation is with Him,
And His reward before Him.
11 Like a shepherd He will (Q)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 (R)measured the [g]waters in the hollow of His hand,
And measured the heavens with a [h]span,
And [i]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 (S)Who has [j]directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His (T)counselor has informed Him?
14 (U)With whom did He consult and who (V)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 (W)nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of (X)dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the [k]islands like fine dust.
16 Even Lebanon is not enough to [l]burn,
Nor its (Y)animals enough for a burnt offering.
17 (Z)All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and [m]meaningless.
18 (AA)To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
19 As for the [n](AB)idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith (AC)plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a (AD)tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To [o]prepare [p]an idol that (AE)will not totter.
21 (AF)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (AG)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [q]sits above the [r](AH)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (AI)grasshoppers,
Who (AJ)stretches out the heavens like a (AK)curtain
And spreads them out like a (AL)tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces (AM)rulers to nothing,
Who (AN)makes the judges of the earth [s]meaningless.
24 [t]Scarcely have they been planted,
[u]Scarcely have they been sown,
[v]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (AO)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 “(AP)To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (AQ)Raise your eyes on high
And see (AR)who has created these stars,
The (AS)One who brings out their [w]multitude by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (AT)greatness of His might and the [x]strength of His power,
(AU)Not one of them is missing.
27 (AV)Why do you say, Jacob, and you assert, Israel,
“My way is (AW)hidden from the Lord,
And the (AX)justice due me [y]escapes the notice of (AY)my God”?
28 (AZ)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The (BA)Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is (BB)unsearchable.
29 He gives strength to the (BC)weary,
And to the one who lacks might He (BD)increases power.
30 Though (BE)youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous (BF)young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who [z]wait for the Lord
Will (BG)gain new strength;
They will [aa](BH)mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or smooth
- Isaiah 40:5 Or In order that the
- Isaiah 40:6 Another reading is I said
- Isaiah 40:6 Or constancy
- Isaiah 40:7 Or Because
- Isaiah 40:10 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Isaiah 40:12 DSS reads waters of the sea
- Isaiah 40:12 Or half cubit (9 in. or 22.8 cm)
- Isaiah 40:12 Lit contained; or comprehended
- Isaiah 40:13 Or measured, marked off
- Isaiah 40:15 Or coastlands
- Isaiah 40:16 I.e., for fire on an altar
- Isaiah 40:17 Or void
- Isaiah 40:19 Or carved image
- Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
- Isaiah 40:20 Or a carved image
- Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
- Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
- Isaiah 40:23 Or void
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
- Isaiah 40:26 Lit host
- Isaiah 40:26 As in DSS and ancient versions; MT strong
- Isaiah 40:27 Lit passes by my God
- Isaiah 40:31 Or hope in
- Isaiah 40:31 Or sprout wings
Isaiah 40:3-31
New King James Version
3 (A)The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(B)“Prepare the way of the Lord;
(C)Make straight [a]in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
(D)The crooked places shall be made [b]straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The (E)glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 The voice said, “Cry out!”
And [c]he said, “What shall I cry?”
(F)“All flesh is grass,
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
But (G)the word of our God stands forever.”
9 O Zion,
You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem,
You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God shall come [d]with a strong hand,
And (H)His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, (I)His reward is with Him,
And His [e]work before Him.
11 He will (J)feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.
12 (K)Who has measured the [f]waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a [g]span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
13 (L)Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or as His counselor has taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
And (M)taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge,
And showed Him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as (N)nothing,
And (O)they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
18 To whom then will you (P)liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 (Q)The workman molds an image,
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20 Whoever is too impoverished for such [h]a contribution
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
(R)To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
21 (S)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 (T)stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a (U)tent to dwell in.
23 He [i]brings the (V)princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.
24 Scarcely shall they be planted,
Scarcely shall they be sown,
Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth,
When He will also blow on them,
And they will wither,
And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.
25 “To(W) whom then will you liken Me,
Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
(X)He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
27 (Y)Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And my just claim is passed over by my God”?
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
(Z)His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who (AA)wait on the Lord
(AB)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
- Isaiah 40:3 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX omits in the desert
- Isaiah 40:4 Or a plain
- Isaiah 40:6 So with MT, Tg.; DSS, LXX, Vg. I
- Isaiah 40:10 in strength
- Isaiah 40:10 recompense
- Isaiah 40:12 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; DSS adds of the sea; Tg. adds of the world
- Isaiah 40:12 A span .5 cubit, 9 inches; or the width of His hand
- Isaiah 40:20 an offering
- Isaiah 40:23 reduces
Isaiah 40:3-31
King James Version
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.
21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
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Isaiah 40:3-31
Revised Standard Version
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 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.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades,
when the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades;
but the word of our God will stand for ever.
9 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, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules 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 arms,
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
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,
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 as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts 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 The idol! a workman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold,
and casts for it silver chains.
20 He who is impoverished[c] chooses for an offering
wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skilful craftsman
to set up an image that will not move.
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 dwell in;
23 who brings princes to nought,
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,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hid 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 to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they 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
- Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good tidings to Zion
- Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good tidings to Jerusalem
- Isaiah 40:20 Heb uncertain
Isaiah 40:3-31
English Standard Version
3 (A)A voice cries:[a]
(B)“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
(C)make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 (D)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.
5 (E)And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
(F)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of God Stands Forever
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said,[b] “What shall I cry?”
(G)All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty[c] is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 (H)The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
The Greatness of God
9 Go on up to a high mountain,
O Zion, (I)herald of good news;[d]
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;[e]
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 (J)Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
(K)behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 (L)He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
(M)he will gather the lambs in his arms;
(N)he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
12 (O)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 (P)Who has measured[f] the Spirit of the Lord,
or what man shows him his counsel?
14 Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
(Q)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 (R)as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up (S)the coastlands like fine dust.
16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are (T)its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
17 (U)All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
18 (V)To whom then will you liken God,
(W)or what likeness compare with him?
19 (X)An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
20 (Y)He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood[g] that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
21 (Z)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?
22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are (AA)like grasshoppers;
(AB)who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23 (AC)who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
(AD)and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25 (AE)To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
(AF)He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name;
by the greatness of his might
and because he is strong in power,
not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
(AG)“My way is hidden from the Lord,
(AH)and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is (AI)the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
(AJ)his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but (AK)they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings (AL)like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one crying
- Isaiah 40:6 Revocalization based on Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Vulgate; Masoretic Text And someone says
- Isaiah 40:6 Or all its constancy
- Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Zion
- Isaiah 40:9 Or O herald of good news to Jerusalem
- Isaiah 40:13 Or has directed
- Isaiah 40:20 Or He chooses valuable wood
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
