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Isaiah 40-43
New King James Version
Isaiah 40-43
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.
Israel Assured of God’s Help
41 “Keep (AE)silence before Me, O coastlands,
And let the people renew their strength!
Let them come near, then let them speak;
Let us (AF)come near together for judgment.
2 “Who raised up one (AG)from the east?
Who in righteousness called him to His feet?
Who (AH)gave the nations before him,
And made him rule over kings?
Who gave them as the dust to his sword,
As driven stubble to his bow?
3 Who pursued them, and passed [k]safely
By the way that he had not gone with his feet?
4 (AI)Who has performed and done it,
Calling the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the Lord, am (AJ)the first;
And with the last I am (AK)He.’ ”
5 The coastlands saw it and feared,
The ends of the earth were afraid;
They drew near and came.
6 (AL)Everyone helped his neighbor,
And said to his brother,
[l]“Be of good courage!”
7 (AM)So the craftsman encouraged the (AN)goldsmith;[m]
He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil,
Saying, [n]“It is ready for the soldering”;
Then he fastened it with pegs,
(AO)That it might not totter.
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have (AP)chosen,
The descendants of Abraham My (AQ)friend.
9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
10 (AR)Fear not, (AS)for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you
Shall be (AT)ashamed and disgraced;
They shall be as nothing,
And those who strive with you shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them—
[o]Those who contended with you.
Those who war against you
Shall be as nothing,
As a nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
14 “Fear not, you (AU)worm Jacob,
You men of Israel!
I will help you,” says the Lord
And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15 “Behold, (AV)I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth;
You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small,
And make the hills like chaff.
16 You shall (AW)winnow them, the wind shall carry them away,
And the whirlwind shall scatter them;
You shall rejoice in the Lord,
And (AX)glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none,
Their tongues fail for thirst.
I, the Lord, will hear them;
I, the God of Israel, will not (AY)forsake them.
18 I will open (AZ)rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the (BA)wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree,
The myrtle and the oil tree;
I will set in the (BB)desert the cypress tree and the pine
And the box tree together,
20 (BC)That they may see and know,
And consider and understand together,
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
The Futility of Idols
21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the (BD)King of Jacob.
22 “Let(BE) them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the (BF)former things, what they were,
That we may [p]consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
23 (BG)Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, (BH)do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
24 Indeed (BI)you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25 “I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the [q]rising of the sun (BJ)he shall call on My name;
(BK)And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
26 (BL)Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
27 (BM)The first time (BN)I said to Zion,
‘Look, there they are!’
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
28 (BO)For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 (BP)Indeed they are all [r]worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Behold! (BQ)My Servant whom I uphold,
My [s]Elect One in whom My soul (BR)delights!
(BS)I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And [t]smoking flax He will not [u]quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
(BT)And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”
5 Thus says God the Lord,
(BU)Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it,
(BV)Who gives breath to the people on it,
And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I,(BW) the Lord, have called You in righteousness,
And will hold Your hand;
I will keep You (BX)and give You as a covenant to the people,
As (BY)a light to the Gentiles,
7 (BZ)To open blind eyes,
To (CA)bring out prisoners from the prison,
Those who sit in (CB)darkness from the prison house.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My (CC)glory I will not give to another,
Nor My praise to carved images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
And new things I declare;
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Praise to the Lord
10 (CD)Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise from the ends of the earth,
(CE)You who go down to the sea, and [v]all that is in it,
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice,
The villages that Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing,
Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
And declare His praise in the coastlands.
13 The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man;
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.
He shall cry out, (CF)yes, shout aloud;
He shall prevail against His enemies.
Promise of the Lord’s Help
14 “I have held My peace a long time,
I have been still and restrained Myself.
Now I will cry like a woman in [w]labor,
I will pant and gasp at once.
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills,
And dry up all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers coastlands,
And I will dry up the pools.
16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.
17 They shall be (CG)turned back,
They shall be greatly ashamed,
Who trust in carved images,
Who say to the molded images,
‘You are our gods.’
18 “Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 (CH)Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
20 Seeing many things, (CI)but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.”
Israel’s Obstinate Disobedience
21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake;
He will exalt the law and make it honorable.
22 But this is a people robbed and plundered;
All of them are [x]snared in holes,
And they are hidden in prison houses;
They are for prey, and no one delivers;
For plunder, and no one says, “Restore!”
23 Who among you will give ear to this?
Who will listen and hear for the time to come?
24 Who gave Jacob for plunder, and Israel to the robbers?
Was it not the Lord,
He against whom we have sinned?
(CJ)For they would not walk in His ways,
Nor were they obedient to His law.
25 Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger
And the strength of battle;
(CK)It has set him on fire all around,
(CL)Yet he did not know;
And it burned him,
Yet he did not take it to (CM)heart.
The Redeemer of Israel
43 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, (CN)for I have redeemed you;
(CO)I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 (CP)When you pass through the waters, (CQ)I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you (CR)walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
(CS)I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have (CT)loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 (CU)Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And (CV)gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the (CW)north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is (CX)called by My name,
Whom (CY)I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 (CZ)Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the (DA)deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
(DB)Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10 “You(DC) are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
(DD)“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and (DE)believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, (DF)am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no (DG)foreign god among you;
(DH)Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 (DI)Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will (DJ)reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your (DK)King.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who (DL)makes a way in the sea
And a (DM)path through the mighty waters,
17 Who (DN)brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Do(DO) not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a (DP)new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
(DQ)I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because (DR)I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 (DS)This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My (DT)praise.
Pleading with Unfaithful Israel
22 “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you (DU)have been weary of Me, O Israel.
23 (DV)You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have (DW)wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He who (DX)blots out your transgressions (DY)for My own sake;
(DZ)And I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be [y]acquitted.
27 Your first father sinned,
And your [z]mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
(EA)I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.
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 41:3 Lit. in peace
- Isaiah 41:6 Lit. Be strong
- Isaiah 41:7 refiner
- Isaiah 41:7 Or The soldering is good
- Isaiah 41:12 Lit. Men of your strife
- Isaiah 41:22 Lit. set our heart on them
- Isaiah 41:25 East
- Isaiah 41:29 So with MT, Vg.; DSS, Syr., Tg. nothing; LXX omits first line
- Isaiah 42:1 Chosen
- Isaiah 42:3 dimly burning
- Isaiah 42:3 extinguish
- Isaiah 42:10 Lit. its fullness
- Isaiah 42:14 childbirth
- Isaiah 42:22 Or trapped in caves
- Isaiah 43:26 justified
- Isaiah 43:27 interpreters
Isaiah 40-43
New International Version
Isaiah 40-43
New International Version
Comfort for God’s People
40 Comfort, comfort(A) my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly(B) to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service(C) has been completed,(D)
that her sin has been paid for,(E)
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double(F) for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way(G) for the Lord[a];
make straight(H) in the desert
a highway for our God.[b](I)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(J)
every mountain and hill(K) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(L)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(M) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(N)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(O)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(P)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers(Q) and the flowers fall,
because the breath(R) of the Lord blows(S) on them.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers(T) fall,
but the word(U) of our God endures(V) forever.(W)”
9 You who bring good news(X) to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c](Y)
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”(Z)
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes(AA) with power,(AB)
and he rules(AC) with a mighty arm.(AD)
See, his reward(AE) is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:(AF)
He gathers the lambs in his arms(AG)
and carries them close to his heart;(AH)
he gently leads(AI) those that have young.(AJ)
12 Who has measured the waters(AK) in the hollow of his hand,(AL)
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?(AM)
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?(AN)
13 Who can fathom the Spirit[d](AO) of the Lord,
or instruct the Lord as his counselor?(AP)
14 Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge,(AQ)
or showed him the path of understanding?(AR)
15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;(AS)
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.(AT)
16 Lebanon(AU) is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals(AV) enough for burnt offerings.
17 Before him all the nations(AW) are as nothing;(AX)
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.(AY)
18 With whom, then, will you compare God?(AZ)
To what image(BA) will you liken him?
19 As for an idol,(BB) a metalworker casts it,
and a goldsmith(BC) overlays it with gold(BD)
and fashions silver chains for it.
20 A person too poor to present such an offering
selects wood(BE) that will not rot;
they look for a skilled worker
to set up an idol(BF) that will not topple.(BG)
21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(BH)
Has it not been told(BI) you from the beginning?(BJ)
Have you not understood(BK) since the earth was founded?(BL)
22 He sits enthroned(BM) above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.(BN)
He stretches out the heavens(BO) like a canopy,(BP)
and spreads them out like a tent(BQ) to live in.(BR)
23 He brings princes(BS) to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.(BT)
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root(BU) in the ground,
than he blows(BV) on them and they wither,(BW)
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.(BX)
25 “To whom will you compare me?(BY)
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.(BZ)
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:(CA)
Who created(CB) all these?
He who brings out the starry host(CC) one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,(CD)
not one of them is missing.(CE)
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”?(CF)
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?(CG)
The Lord is the everlasting(CH) God,
the Creator(CI) of the ends of the earth.(CJ)
He will not grow tired or weary,(CK)
and his understanding no one can fathom.(CL)
29 He gives strength(CM) to the weary(CN)
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men(CO) stumble and fall;(CP)
31 but those who hope(CQ) in the Lord
will renew their strength.(CR)
They will soar on wings like eagles;(CS)
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.(CT)
The Helper of Israel
41 “Be silent(CU) before me, you islands!(CV)
Let the nations renew their strength!(CW)
Let them come forward(CX) and speak;
let us meet together(CY) at the place of judgment.
2 “Who has stirred(CZ) up one from the east,(DA)
calling him in righteousness(DB) to his service[e]?(DC)
He hands nations over to him
and subdues kings before him.
He turns them to dust(DD) with his sword,
to windblown chaff(DE) with his bow.(DF)
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,(DG)
by a path his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling(DH) forth the generations from the beginning?(DI)
I, the Lord—with the first of them
and with the last(DJ)—I am he.(DK)”
5 The islands(DL) have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth(DM) tremble.
They approach and come forward;
6 they help each other
and say to their companions, “Be strong!(DN)”
7 The metalworker(DO) encourages the goldsmith,(DP)
and the one who smooths with the hammer
spurs on the one who strikes the anvil.
One says of the welding, “It is good.”
The other nails down the idol so it will not topple.(DQ)
8 “But you, Israel, my servant,(DR)
Jacob, whom I have chosen,(DS)
you descendants of Abraham(DT) my friend,(DU)
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,(DV)
from its farthest corners I called(DW) you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;(DX)
I have chosen(DY) you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear,(DZ) for I am with you;(EA)
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen(EB) you and help(EC) you;
I will uphold you(ED) with my righteous right hand.(EE)
11 “All who rage(EF) against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;(EG)
those who oppose(EH) you
will be as nothing and perish.(EI)
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.(EJ)
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing(EK) at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God
who takes hold of your right hand(EL)
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help(EM) you.
14 Do not be afraid,(EN) you worm(EO) Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
for I myself will help(EP) you,” declares the Lord,
your Redeemer,(EQ) the Holy One(ER) of Israel.
15 “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,(ES)
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains(ET) and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.(EU)
16 You will winnow(EV) them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale(EW) will blow them away.(EX)
But you will rejoice(EY) in the Lord
and glory(EZ) in the Holy One(FA) of Israel.
17 “The poor and needy search for water,(FB)
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.(FC)
But I the Lord will answer(FD) them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake(FE) them.
18 I will make rivers flow(FF) on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert(FG) into pools of water,(FH)
and the parched ground into springs.(FI)
19 I will put in the desert(FJ)
the cedar and the acacia,(FK) the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers(FL) in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress(FM) together,(FN)
20 so that people may see and know,(FO)
may consider and understand,(FP)
that the hand(FQ) of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One(FR) of Israel has created(FS) it.
21 “Present your case,(FT)” says the Lord.
“Set forth your arguments,” says Jacob’s King.(FU)
22 “Tell us, you idols,
what is going to happen.(FV)
Tell us what the former things(FW) were,
so that we may consider them
and know their final outcome.
Or declare to us the things to come,(FX)
23 tell us what the future holds,
so we may know(FY) that you are gods.
Do something, whether good or bad,(FZ)
so that we will be dismayed(GA) and filled with fear.
24 But you are less than nothing(GB)
and your works are utterly worthless;(GC)
whoever chooses you is detestable.(GD)
25 “I have stirred(GE) up one from the north,(GF) and he comes—
one from the rising sun who calls on my name.
He treads(GG) on rulers as if they were mortar,
as if he were a potter treading the clay.
26 Who told of this from the beginning,(GH) so we could know,
or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’?
No one told of this,
no one foretold(GI) it,
no one heard any words(GJ) from you.
27 I was the first to tell(GK) Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’
I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.(GL)
28 I look but there is no one(GM)—
no one among the gods to give counsel,(GN)
no one to give answer(GO) when I ask them.
29 See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;(GP)
their images(GQ) are but wind(GR) and confusion.
The Servant of the Lord
42 “Here is my servant,(GS) whom I uphold,
my chosen one(GT) in whom I delight;(GU)
I will put my Spirit(GV) on him,
and he will bring justice(GW) to the nations.(GX)
2 He will not shout or cry out,(GY)
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed(GZ) he will not break,(HA)
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.(HB)
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;(HC)
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice(HD) on earth.
In his teaching(HE) the islands(HF) will put their hope.”(HG)
5 This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens,(HH) who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth(HI) with all that springs from it,(HJ)
who gives breath(HK) to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called(HL) you in righteousness;(HM)
I will take hold of your hand.(HN)
I will keep(HO) you and will make you
to be a covenant(HP) for the people
and a light(HQ) for the Gentiles,(HR)
7 to open eyes that are blind,(HS)
to free(HT) captives from prison(HU)
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.(HV)
8 “I am the Lord;(HW) that is my name!(HX)
I will not yield my glory to another(HY)
or my praise to idols.(HZ)
9 See, the former things(IA) have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce(IB) them to you.”
Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing(IC) to the Lord a new song,(ID)
his praise(IE) from the ends of the earth,(IF)
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,(IG)
you islands,(IH) and all who live in them.
11 Let the wilderness(II) and its towns raise their voices;
let the settlements where Kedar(IJ) lives rejoice.
Let the people of Sela(IK) sing for joy;
let them shout from the mountaintops.(IL)
12 Let them give glory(IM) to the Lord
and proclaim his praise(IN) in the islands.(IO)
13 The Lord will march out like a champion,(IP)
like a warrior(IQ) he will stir up his zeal;(IR)
with a shout(IS) he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.(IT)
14 “For a long time I have kept silent,(IU)
I have been quiet and held myself back.(IV)
But now, like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.(IW)
15 I will lay waste(IX) the mountains(IY) and hills
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn rivers into islands
and dry up(IZ) the pools.
16 I will lead(JA) the blind(JB) by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light(JC) before them
and make the rough places smooth.(JD)
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake(JE) them.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’(JF)
will be turned back in utter shame.(JG)
Israel Blind and Deaf
18 “Hear, you deaf;(JH)
look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind(JI) but my servant,(JJ)
and deaf like the messenger(JK) I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant(JL) with me,
blind like the servant of the Lord?
20 You have seen many things, but you pay no attention;
your ears are open, but you do not listen.”(JM)
21 It pleased the Lord
for the sake(JN) of his righteousness
to make his law(JO) great and glorious.
22 But this is a people plundered(JP) and looted,
all of them trapped in pits(JQ)
or hidden away in prisons.(JR)
They have become plunder,
with no one to rescue them;(JS)
they have been made loot,
with no one to say, “Send them back.”
23 Which of you will listen to this
or pay close attention(JT) in time to come?
24 Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?(JU)
Was it not the Lord,(JV)
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow(JW) his ways;
they did not obey his law.(JX)
25 So he poured out on them his burning anger,(JY)
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames,(JZ) yet they did not understand;(KA)
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.(KB)
Israel’s Only Savior
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created(KC) you, Jacob,
he who formed(KD) you, Israel:(KE)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed(KF) you;
I have summoned you by name;(KG) you are mine.(KH)
2 When you pass through the waters,(KI)
I will be with you;(KJ)
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,(KK)
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.(KL)
3 For I am the Lord your God,(KM)
the Holy One(KN) of Israel, your Savior;(KO)
I give Egypt(KP) for your ransom,
Cush[f](KQ) and Seba(KR) in your stead.(KS)
4 Since you are precious and honored(KT) in my sight,
and because I love(KU) you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid,(KV) for I am with you;(KW)
I will bring your children(KX) from the east
and gather(KY) you from the west.(KZ)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south,(LA) ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters(LB) from the ends of the earth(LC)—
7 everyone who is called by my name,(LD)
whom I created(LE) for my glory,(LF)
whom I formed and made.(LG)”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,(LH)
who have ears but are deaf.(LI)
9 All the nations gather together(LJ)
and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold(LK) this
and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,(LL)” declares the Lord,
“and my servant(LM) whom I have chosen,
so that you may know(LN) and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god(LO) was formed,
nor will there be one after me.(LP)
11 I, even I, am the Lord,(LQ)
and apart from me there is no savior.(LR)
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god(LS) among you.
You are my witnesses,(LT)” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Yes, and from ancient days(LU) I am he.(LV)
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”(LW)
God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness
14 This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer,(LX) the Holy One(LY) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives(LZ) all the Babylonians,[g](MA)
in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(MB) your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator,(MC) your King.(MD)”
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,(ME)
17 who drew out(MF) the chariots and horses,(MG)
the army and reinforcements together,(MH)
and they lay(MI) there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(MJ)
18 “Forget the former things;(MK)
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(ML)
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(MM)
and streams in the wasteland.(MN)
20 The wild animals(MO) honor me,
the jackals(MP) and the owls,
because I provide water(MQ) in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed(MR) for myself(MS)
that they may proclaim my praise.(MT)
22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
you have not wearied(MU) yourselves for[h] me, Israel.(MV)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(MW)
nor honored(MX) me with your sacrifices.(MY)
I have not burdened(MZ) you with grain offerings
nor wearied you with demands(NA) for incense.(NB)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(NC) for me,
or lavished on me the fat(ND) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
and wearied(NE) me with your offenses.(NF)
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions,(NG) for my own sake,(NH)
and remembers your sins(NI) no more.(NJ)
26 Review the past for me,
let us argue the matter together;(NK)
state the case(NL) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(NM) sinned;
those I sent to teach(NN) you rebelled(NO) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
I consigned Jacob to destruction[i](NP)
and Israel to scorn.(NQ)
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
- Isaiah 40:9 Or Zion, bringer of good news, / go up on a high mountain. / Jerusalem, bringer of good news
- Isaiah 40:13 Or mind
- Isaiah 41:2 Or east, / whom victory meets at every step
- Isaiah 43:3 That is, the upper Nile region
- Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
- Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
- Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.