Isaiah 40:18-26
Expanded Bible
18 To whom can you compare God?
To what image can you compare him?
19 An idol is ·formed [cast] by a craftsman,
and a goldsmith ·covers [overlays] it with gold
and ·makes [forms; refines] silver chains for it.
20 A poor person cannot ·buy those expensive statues [make such an offering],
so he finds a tree that will not rot.
Then he finds a skilled craftsman
to make it into an idol that will not fall over.
21 ·Surely you [L Do you not…?] know. ·Surely you have [L Have you not…?] heard.
·Surely [L Has not…?] from the beginning someone told you.
·Surely you [L Do you not…?] understand ·how the earth was created [or from the foundations of the earth].
22 ·God sits on his throne [L He sits] above the ·circle [horizon] of the earth,
and ·compared to him, [L its] people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the ·skies [heavens] like a ·piece of cloth [canopy; curtain]
and spreads them out like a tent to ·sit under [or live in].
23 He makes rulers ·unimportant [nothing]
and the judges of this world ·worth nothing [insignificant; useless].
24 ·They are like plants that are placed in the ground [L Indeed, they are barely planted],
·like seeds that are planted [L indeed, they are barely sown].
·As soon as they begin to grow strong [L Indeed, they barely take root],
he blows on them and they ·die [wither],
and the ·wind [storm; whirlwind] blows them away like ·chaff [straw].
25 The Holy One [1:4], says, “To whom can you compare me?
Is anyone equal to me?”
26 Look up to the ·skies [heavens].
Who created ·all these stars [L these]?
He leads out the ·army [hosts] of heaven one by one
and calls ·all the stars [L them all] by name.
Because ·he is strong and powerful [L of his great strength and mighty power],
not one of them is missing.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
