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

21 (F)Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood (G)from the foundations of the earth?
22 It is He who [d]sits above the [e](H)circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like (I)grasshoppers,
Who (J)stretches out the heavens like a (K)curtain
And spreads them out like a (L)tent to live in.
23 It is He who reduces (M)rulers to nothing,
Who (N)makes the judges of the earth [f]meaningless.
24 [g]Scarcely have they been planted,
[h]Scarcely have they been sown,
[i]Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the (O)storm carries them away like stubble.
25 (P)To whom then will you compare Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 (Q)Raise your eyes on high
And see (R)who has created these stars,
The (S)One who brings out their [j]multitude by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the (T)greatness of His might and the [k]strength of His power,
(U)Not one of them is missing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:19 Or carved image
  2. Isaiah 40:20 Or set up
  3. Isaiah 40:20 Or a carved image
  4. Isaiah 40:22 Or is enthroned
  5. Isaiah 40:22 Or vault
  6. Isaiah 40:23 Or void
  7. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  8. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  9. Isaiah 40:24 Or Not even
  10. Isaiah 40:26 Lit host
  11. Isaiah 40:26 As in DSS and ancient versions; MT strong

18 And to whom will you liken God?
    And to what likeness will you compare him?
19 A craftsman pours out the idol,
    and a goldsmith[a] overlays it with gold,
        and he smelts chains of silver.
20 The one who is too impoverished for a gift chooses wood that will not rot;
    he seeks a skillful artisan for himself to set up an image that will not be knocked over.
21 Have you not known?
    Have you not heard?
Has it not been told to you from the beginning?[b]
    Have you not understood from the foundation of the earth?
22 He is the one who sits above the circle of the earth,
    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
the one who stretches out the heavens like a veil
    and spreads them out like a tent to live in,
23 the one who brings[c] princes to nothing;
    he makes rulers of the earth like nothing.
24 Indeed, hardly are they planted; indeed, hardly are they sown;
    indeed, hardly has their shoot taken root in the earth
when[d] he blows on them and they wither,
    and the tempest carries them like stubble.

25 “And to whom you will compare me, and am I equal?” says the holy one.

26 Lift your eyes up on high, and see! Who created these?
    The one who brings out their host by number.
He calls all them by name.
    Because he is great of power
        and mighty of power, no man is missing.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:19 Literally “refiner”
  2. Isaiah 40:21 Literally “head”
  3. Isaiah 40:23 Or “gives”
  4. Isaiah 40:24 Or “also”