10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

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10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,(A) and have it to the full.(B)

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10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

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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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13 Who can fathom the Spirit[a](A) of the Lord,
    or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(B)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
    and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(C)
    or showed him the path of understanding?(D)

15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
    they are regarded as dust on the scales;(E)
    he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(F)
16 Lebanon(G) is not sufficient for altar fires,
    nor its animals(H) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(I) are as nothing;(J)
    they are regarded by him as worthless
    and less than nothing.(K)

18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(L)
    To what image(M) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(N) a metalworker casts it,
    and a goldsmith(O) overlays it with gold(P)
    and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
    selects wood(Q) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
    to set up an idol(R) that will not topple.(S)

21 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?(T)
Has it not been told(U) you from the beginning?(V)
    Have you not understood(W) since the earth was founded?(X)
22 He sits enthroned(Y) above the circle of the earth,
    and its people are like grasshoppers.(Z)
He stretches out the heavens(AA) like a canopy,(AB)
    and spreads them out like a tent(AC) to live in.(AD)
23 He brings princes(AE) to naught
    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(AF)
24 No sooner are they planted,
    no sooner are they sown,
    no sooner do they take root(AG) in the ground,
than he blows(AH) on them and they wither,(AI)
    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(AJ)

25 “To whom will you compare me?(AK)
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(AL)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(AM)
    Who created(AN) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(AO) one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(AP)
    not one of them is missing.(AQ)

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?(AR)
28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?(AS)
The Lord is the everlasting(AT) God,
    the Creator(AU) of the ends of the earth.(AV)
He will not grow tired or weary,(AW)
    and his understanding no one can fathom.(AX)
29 He gives strength(AY) to the weary(AZ)
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men(BA) stumble and fall;(BB)
31 but those who hope(BC) in the Lord
    will renew their strength.(BD)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(BE)
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.(BF)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:13 Or mind

13 (A)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 (B)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 (C)nothing,
And (D)they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

18 To whom then will you (E)liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
19 (F)The workman molds an image,
The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
And the silversmith casts silver chains.
20 Whoever is too impoverished for such [a]a contribution
Chooses a tree that will not rot;
He seeks for himself a skillful workman
(G)To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

21 (H)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 (I)stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a (J)tent to dwell in.
23 He [b]brings the (K)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(L) 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;
(M)He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.

27 (N)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.
(O)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 (P)wait on the Lord
(Q)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.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:20 an offering
  2. Isaiah 40:23 reduces