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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.

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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.

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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