Isaiah 40
Authorized (King James) Version
40 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her,
that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned:
for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
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.
Isaiah 40
New King James Version
God’s People Are Comforted(A)
40 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
2 “Speak [a]comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
(B)For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
3 (C)The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(D)“Prepare the way of the Lord;
(E)Make straight [b]in the desert
A highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
(F)The crooked places shall be made [c]straight
And the rough places smooth;
5 The (G)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 [d]he said, “What shall I cry?”
(H)“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 (I)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 [e]with a strong hand,
And (J)His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, (K)His reward is with Him,
And His [f]work before Him.
11 He will (L)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 (M)Who has measured the [g]waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a [h]span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales
And the hills in a balance?
13 (N)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 (O)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 (P)nothing,
And (Q)they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
18 To whom then will you (R)liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 (S)The workman molds an image,
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20 Whoever is too impoverished for such [i]a contribution
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
(T)To prepare a carved image that will not totter.
21 (U)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 (V)stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a (W)tent to dwell in.
23 He [j]brings the (X)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(Y) 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;
(Z)He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
27 (AA)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.
(AB)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 (AC)wait on the Lord
(AD)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 40:2 Lit. to the heart of
- 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
Modern English Version
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, O comfort, My people,
says your God.
2 Speak kindly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare has ended,
that her iniquity has been pardoned,
that she has received of the hand of the Lord
double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him who cries out,
“Prepare the way of the Lord
in the wilderness,
make 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 rough ground become a plain,
and the rough places a plain;
5 then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.”
6 The voice said, “Cry out.”
And he said, “What shall I cry out?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its loveliness is as the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
because the Spirit of the Lord blows upon it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God shall stand forever.
9 O Zion, bearer of good news,
get yourself up onto a high mountain;
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news,
lift up your voice with strength,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
10 See, the Lord God will come with a strong hand,
and His arm shall rule for Him;
see, His reward is with Him,
and His recompense 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 has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
and meted out heaven with the span,
and calculated the dust of the earth by the 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 taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him,
and taught Him in the path of justice,
and taught Him knowledge,
and showed to Him the way of understanding?
15 Certainly the nations are as a drop in a bucket,
and are counted as the small dust of the balance;
He takes up the coastlands as a very little thing.
16 Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
nor the beasts sufficient as a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing,
and they are counted by Him as less than nothing
and meaningless.
18 To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 The workman melts a graven image,
and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold,
and casts silver chains.
20 He who is too impoverished for such an offering
chooses a tree that will not rot;
he seeks for himself a skillful workman
to prepare a graven image that shall not totter.
21 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who sits upon the circle of the earth,
and the inhabitants are as grasshoppers,
who stretches out the heavens as a curtain,
and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in.
23 He brings the princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth meaningless.
24 Scarcely shall they be planted;
scarcely shall they be sown;
scarcely shall their tree take root in the earth,
when He will also blow on them,
and they will wither,
and the whirlwind will take them away as stubble.
25 To whom then will you liken Me,
that I should be equal to him? 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;
He calls them all by name,
by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power;
not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my justice escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard,
that the everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
does not faint, nor is He weary?
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
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 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.
Isaías 40
Reina Valera Contemporánea
El Señor consuela a Sión
40 El Dios de ustedes dice:
«Consuelen a mi pueblo; ¡consuélenlo!
2 ¡Hablen al corazón de Jerusalén!
¡Díganle a voz en cuello
que ya se ha cumplido su tiempo,
que su pecado ya ha sido perdonado;
que ya ha recibido de manos del Señor
el doble por todos sus pecados.»
3 Una voz clama en el desierto:
«Preparen el camino del Señor;
enderecen en el páramo
una calzada a nuestro Dios.(A)
4 Que todo valle sea enaltecido;
que se hunda todo monte y collado;
que se enderece lo torcido
y que lo áspero se allane.
5 Se manifestará la gloria del Señor,
y la humanidad entera la verá.
La boca del Señor ha hablado.»(B)
6 Una voz decía: «¡Grita!»
Y yo respondí: «¿Y qué debo de gritar?»
«Grita que toda carne es como la hierba,
y que su belleza es como la flor del campo.
7 La hierba se seca, y la flor se marchita,
porque el viento del Señor sopla sobre ella.
Y a decir verdad, el pueblo es como la hierba.
8 Sí, la hierba se seca, y la flor se marchita,
pero la palabra de nuestro Dios permanece para siempre.»(C)
9 ¡Súbete a un monte alto, mensajera de Sión! ¡Levanta con fuerza tu voz, mensajera de Jerusalén! ¡Levántala sin miedo y di a las ciudades de Judá: «¡Vean aquí a su Dios!»
10 ¡Miren! Dios el Señor viene con poder, y su brazo dominará. ¡Miren! Ya trae con él su recompensa; ya le precede el galardón.(D) 11 Cuidará de su rebaño como un pastor; en sus brazos, junto a su pecho, llevará a los corderos, y guiará con suavidad a las ovejas recién paridas.
El incomparable Dios de Israel
12 ¿Quién midió las aguas con el hueco de su mano? ¿Quién midió los cielos con la palma de su mano? ¿Quién con tres dedos juntó el polvo de la tierra, y pesó con balanza y pesas los montes y las colinas? 13 ¿Quién instruyó al espíritu del Señor? ¿Quién le enseñó o le dio consejos?(E) 14 ¿De quién recibió consejos para tener entendimiento? ¿Quién le enseñó el camino de la justicia? ¿Quién le impartió conocimientos, o le mostró la senda de la prudencia? 15 Para él, las naciones son como una gota de agua que cae del cubo; las considera como granos de polvo en las balanzas, y hace que las islas desaparezcan como polvo. 16 Para presentarle una ofrenda, no bastan todos los árboles del Líbano para el fuego, ni todos sus animales para el sacrificio. 17 En su presencia, todas las naciones no son nada; ¡él las considera inexistentes!
18 ¿Con quién pueden comparar a Dios? ¿Qué imagen pueden hacerse de él? 19 El artífice prepara la imagen tallada; el platero la recubre de oro y le funde cadenas de plata. 20 El pobre le lleva como ofrenda madera que no se apolille, y se busca un escultor hábil para que le talle una imagen que no se mueva.
21 ¿Acaso no lo saben? ¿Nunca lo han oído? ¿Nunca les dijeron desde el principio? ¿Acaso nadie les enseñó esto desde que se fundó la tierra? 22 Él tiene su trono sobre el arco de la tierra, cuyos habitantes son como langostas; él extiende los cielos como una cortina, y los despliega como una tienda de campaña. 23 Él convierte en nada a los poderosos y a los gobernantes de la tierra; 24 los trata como si nunca hubieran sido plantados, como si nunca hubieran sido sembrados, ¡como si nunca su tronco hubiera tenido raíz en la tierra! ¡Tan pronto como él sopla en ellos, se secan! ¡El torbellino los arrastra como si fueran hojarasca!
25 «¿Con quién entonces pueden compararme?», dice el Santo. 26 ¡Levanten los ojos al cielo, y miren quién creó estas cosas! Él saca y cuenta su ejército de estrellas; a todas las llama por su nombre, y ninguna de ellas falta; ¡tan grande es su poder, tan poderoso su dominio!
27 Tú, Jacob, ¿por qué dices que tu camino está oculto para el Señor? ¿Por qué, Israel, alegas que Dios pasa por alto tu derecho? 28 ¿Acaso no sabes, ni nunca oíste decir, que el Señor es el Dios eterno y que él creó los confines de la tierra? El Señor no desfallece, ni se fatiga con cansancio; ¡no hay quien alcance a comprender su entendimiento! 29 El Señor da fuerzas al cansado, y aumenta el vigor del que desfallece. 30 Los jóvenes se fatigan y se cansan; los más fuertes flaquean y caen; 31 pero los que confían en el Señor recobran las fuerzas y levantan el vuelo, como las águilas; corren, y no se cansan; caminan, y no se fatigan.
Yeshayah 40
Orthodox Jewish Bible
40 Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith Eloheichem.
2 Speak ye to the lev Yerushalayim, and preach unto her, that her tzeva’a (time of hard service, warfare) is ended, that her avon (iniquity) is nirtzah (punitively paid for, pardoned); for she hath received of the Yad Hashem kiflayim (double) in payment for all her chattot.
3 The voice of him that preacheth in the midbar, Prepare ye the Derech Hashem, make straight in the Aravah a highway for Eloheinu.
4 Every gey (valley) shall be raised up, and every har and givah (hill) shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places bikah (plain, valley);
5 And the kavod Hashem shall be revealed, and all basar shall see it together; for the mouth of Hashem hath spoken.
6 The voice said, Preach. And he said, What shall I preach? All basar is khatzir (grass), and all the chesed (constancy) thereof is as the tzitz (flower, blossom) of the sadeh;
7 The khatzir (grass) withereth, the tzitz (flower, blossom) falleth; because the Ruach of Hashem bloweth upon it; surely the people is khatzir (grass).
8 The khatzir withereth, the tzitz falleth; but the Devar Eloheinu shall stand forever.
9 O Mevaseret Tziyon (O Herald, Preacher of Besorah [Good News, Gospel] Tziyon, O Lady Evangelist Tziyon), get thee up into the har gavo’ah (high mountain); O Mevaseret Yerushalayim (O Herald, Preacher of Besorah [Good News, Gospel] Yerushalayim, O Lady Evangelist Yerushalayim), lift up thy voice with ko’ach; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the towns of Yehudah, Hinei Eloheichem!
10 Hinei, Adonoi Hashem will come with chazak, and His zero’a [Moshiach, see Isaiah 53:1] shall rule for Him; hinei, His sachar (reward) is with Him, and His pe’ullah (work, recompense, retribution, penal reward [for His enemies]) before Him.
11 He shall feed His Eder like a Ro’eh; He shall gather the tela’im (lambs) with His zero’a, and carry them in His kheyk, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
12 Who hath measured the mayim in the hollow of His Hand, and meted out Shomayim with a handbreadth, and enclosed the aphar ha’aretz in a measure, and weighed the harim (mountains) in scales, and the geva’ot (hills) in a balance? [See Prov 30:4.]
13 Who hath directed the Ruach of Hashem, or being His ish etzah (counselor) hath taught Him?
14 With whom did He take counsel, and who gave Him binah, and taught Him in the orakh mishpat, and taught Him da’as, and showed Him the derech tevunot (way of understanding, intelligence)?
15 Surely the Goyim are like a drop in a bucket, and are accounted as dust of the scales; surely He taketh up the iyim (islands) like fine dust.
16 Levanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for an olah.
17 Kol HaGoyim before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and tohu.
18 To whom then will ye liken El? Or what demut (likeness) will ye compare unto Him?
19 The charash (workman, craftsman) melteth a pesel (idol, image), and the goldsmith overlayeth it with zahav, and casteth for it chains of kesef.
20 He that is so impoverished that He hath no terumah chooseth an etz that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a charash chacham (skilled craftsman) to prepare a pesel, that shall not topple.
21 Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the mosedot ha’aretz (foundations of the earth)?
22 It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are like chagavim (grasshoppers); that stretcheth out Shomayim like a curtain, and spreadeth them out like an ohel to dwell in;
23 That bringeth the roznim (rulers) to nothing; He maketh the Shoftei Eretz like tohu.
24 Indeed, they shall not be planted; indeed, they shall not be sown; indeed, their stem shall not take root ba’aretz (in the ground); and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the se’arah (storm wind) shall take them away like the kash (straw, stubble, chaff).
25 To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Kadosh.
26 Lift up your eyes marom (on high, i.e,. into the heavens), and behold. Who hath created [T.N. This chp needs to be seen also in light of Ac chp 2 and Jerusalem’s Besurah HaGeulah proclaimed there.] these things, that bringeth out their tzeva’a (host, legions) by mispar (number); He calleth them all b’shem (by name) because of the abundance of His power and the might of His ko’ach; not one [star] is missing.
27 Why sayest thou, O Ya’akov, and speakest, O Yisroel, My derech is hid from Hashem, and my mishpat is passed over and disregarded by Elohai?
28 Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the Elohei Olam, Hashem, Boreh Ketzot HaAretz (Creator of the ends of the earth), fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His tevunah (understanding, intelligence).
29 He giveth ko’ach to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth power.
30 Even the ne’arim (youths) shall faint and grow weary, and the bochurim shall utterly fall;
31 But they that wait upon Hashem shall renew their ko’ach; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not grow weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
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