Isaiah 40

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

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

2 Speak ye kindly to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.

Speak ye [comfort] to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out unto her, that her time of sorrow is accomplished, that her iniquity is atoned for; for she hath received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

A voice calleth out, In the wilderness make ye clear the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made a straight path, and the rough places a plain:

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see it: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed; and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is as the flower of the field:

A voice saith, Proclaim; and he saith, What shall I proclaim? all flesh is grass, and all its goodliness is as the flower of the field:

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the breath of the Lord hath blown upon it; surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God will stand firm for ever.

9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, go up upon the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Upon a high mountain get thee up, thou that bringest good tidings to Zion; lift up with strength thy voice, thou who bringest good tidings to Jerusalem; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, [here is] your God!

10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Behold, the Lord Eternal will come with might, and his arm ruleth for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Like a shepherd will he feed his flock: with his arm will he gather the lambs, and in his bosom will he carry them, will he lead gently those that suckle their young.

12 Who hath comprehended the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

Who hath measured in the hollow of his hand the waters, and meted out the heavens with the span, and comprised in a measure the dust of the earth, and weighed in the scale-beam the mountains, and the hills in balances?

13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?

Who hath meted out the Spirit of the Lord? and [who was] his counsellor that he could have given him information?

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

With whom took he counsel, that he gave him understanding, and taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and caused him to know 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.

Behold, nations are as a drop out of a bucket, and as the small dust of the balance are they accounted: behold, isles are like the flying dust.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.

And Lebanon is not sufficient for burning, and its beasts do not suffice for burnt-offering.

17 All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

All the nations are as naught before him; less than nothing, and vanity are they accounted to him.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare him to?

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

The graven image the artificer hath cast and the goldsmith hath overspread it with gold, and fabricated [on it] silver chains.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh for himself a skilful workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

He that is skilled in the choice chooseth a wood that will not rot; he seeketh unto himself a skilful 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?

Know ye not? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not paid attention to the foundations of the earth?

22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

[It is he] that dwelleth above the circle of the earth, while its inhabitants are as grasshoppers; that stretched 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.

That bringeth princes to naught; rendering 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.

Yes, they were not yet planted; yea, they were not yet sown; yea, their stem had not yet taken root in the earth: when he but breathed upon them, and they withered, and the storm-wind carrieth them away as stubble.

25 To whom then will ye liken me, or to whom shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal to? 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.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these? he that bringeth out their host by number; that calleth them all by name; from the Mighty One not one escapeth.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over by my God?

Why wilt thou say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my cause hath passed from the cognizance of 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.

Dost thou not know? hast thou not heard? The God of everlasting is the Lord, is the Creator of the ends of the earth; he will not be faint and weary; unsearchable is his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

He giveth to the faint strength; and to the powerless he imparteth much might.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

Though youths should grow faint and be weary, and young men should utterly stumble:

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; they shall walk, and not faint.

Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acquire new strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk, and not become faint.