Isaiah 40

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, Saith your God.

"Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.

2 Speak ye encouragement to Jerusalem, and declare to her, That her hard service is ended; That her iniquity is expiated; That she hath received from the hand of Jehovah Double for all her sins.

"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of YHWH's hand double for all her sins."

3 A voice crieth: “Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God!

The voice of one who calls out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of YHWH. Make his roads straight.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, And every mountain and hill be made low; The crooked shall become straight, And the rough places plain.

Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low, and the uneven will be made level, and the rough places a plain.

5 For the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it!”

And the glory of YHWH will be revealed, and all humanity will see the salvation of God together; for the mouth of YHWH has spoken."

6 A voice said, Proclaim! And I said, What shall I proclaim? All flesh is grass, And all its comeliness as the flower of the field.

The voice of one saying, "Cry." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, When the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it. Truly the people is grass.

The grass withers, the flower fades, because YHWH's breath blows on it. Surely the people are like grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, But the word of our God shall stand forever.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of YHWH stands forever."

9 Get thee up on the high mountain, O thou that bringest glad tidings to Zion; Lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest glad tidings to Jerusalem; Lift it up; be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, "Look, your God."

10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah shall come with might, And his arm shall rule for him; Behold, his reward is with him, And his recompense before him.

Look, YHWH will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him. Look, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather up the lambs in his arms, And carry them in his bosom, And gently lead the nursing ewes.

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. He will gently lead those who have their young.

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, And meted out the heavens with his span, And gathered the dust of the earth into a measure, And weighed the mountains in scales, And the hills in a balance?

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

13 Who hath searched out the spirit of Jehovah, Or, being his counsellor, hath taught him?

Who has known the mind of YHWH, or who has instructed him as his counselor?

14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, And taught him the path of justice, And taught him knowledge, And showed him the way of understanding?

From whom did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?

15 Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, And are accounted as the small dust of the balance; Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing,

Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Look, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient for fire, Nor its beasts for a burnt-offering.

Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its animals sufficient for a burnt offering.

17 All the nations are as nothing before him; They are accounted by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

All the nations are like nothing before him. They are regarded by him as less than nothing, and vanity.

18 To whom then will ye liken God, And what likeness will ye compare unto him?

To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

19 The workman casteth an image, And the smith overlayeth it with gold, And casteth for it silver chains.

A workman has cast an image, and the goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it.

20 He that is too poor to make an oblation Chooseth a piece of wood that will not rot; He seeketh for himself a skilful artificer, To prepare an image that shall not be moved.

He who is too impoverished for such an offering chooses a tree that will not rot. He seeks a skillful workman to set up an engraved image for him that will not be moved.

21 Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have ye not considered the foundations of the earth?

Haven't you known? Haven't you heard, yet? Haven't you been told from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth, And the inhabitants are to him as grasshoppers; That stretcheth out the heavens as a canopy, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;

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 That bringeth princes to nothing, And reduceth the rulers of the earth to vanity.

who brings princes to nothing; who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

24 Yea, scarcely are they planted, scarcely are they sown, Scarcely hath their stem taken root in the ground, When He bloweth upon them and they wither, And the whirlwind beareth them away like stubble.

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 ye liken me, And to whom shall I be compared? Saith the Holy One.

"To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and behold! Who hath created these? He draweth forth their host by number, He calleth them all by name; Through the greatness of his strength and the mightiness of his power, Not one of them faileth to appear.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these, who brings out their host 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.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, “My way is hidden from Jehovah, My cause passeth by before my God”?

Why do you say, Jacob, and why do you assert, Israel, "My way is hidden from YHWH, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?"

28 Do ye not know? Have ye not heard? Jehovah is an everlasting God, The creator of the ends of the earth; He fainteth not, nor is he weary; His understanding is unsearchable.

And now, haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, YHWH, the Creator of the farthest parts of the earth, doesn't faint. He isn't weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He giveth power to the faint; To the feeble abundant strength.

He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.

30 The youths shall faint and be weary, And the young warriors shall utterly fall.

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall;

31 But they that trust in Jehovah 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.

But those who wait for YHWH will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.