Isaiæ 40
1 Consolamini, consolamini popule meus, dicit Deus vester.
Comfort ye—comfort ye my people, —Saith your God.
2 Loquimini ad cor Ierusalem, et advocate eam: quoniam completa est malitia eius, dimissa est iniquitas illius: suscepit de manu Domini duplicia pro omnibus peccatis suis.
Speak ye unto the heart of Jerusalem, And cry unto her, —That accomplished is her warfare, That accepted is her punishment, —That she hath received, at the hand of Yahweh, According to the full measure of all her sins.
3 Vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini, rectas facite in solitudine semitas Dei nostri.
A voice of one crying!—In the desert, prepare ye the way of Yahweh, —Make smooth in the waste plain a highway for our God:
4 Omnis vallis exaltabitur, et omnis mons et collis humiliabitur, et erunt prava in directa, et aspera in vias planas.
Let, every valley, be exalted, And every mountain and hill, be made low, —And, the steep ground become, level, And, the chain of hills—a plain:
5 Et revelabitur gloria Domini, et videbit omnis caro pariter quod os Domini locutum est.
Then shall be revealed the glory of Yahweh, —And all flesh shall see it together, For, the mouth of Yahweh, hath spoken!
6 Vox dicentis: Clama. Et dixi: Quid clamabo? Omnis caro foenum, et omnis gloria eius quasi flos agri.
A voice saying Cry! And one said—What should I cry? All flesh, is grass, And, all the grace thereof, like the flower of the field:
7 Exiccatum est foenum, et cecidit flos, quia spiritus Domini sufflavit in eo. Vere foenum est populus:
The grass hath withered The flower hath faded, Because, the breath of Yahweh, hath blown upon it! Surely the people is grass!
8 exiccatum est foenum, et cecidit flos: Verbum autem Domini nostri manet in aeternum.
The grass, hath withered, The flower, hath faded, —But the word of our God, shall stand unto times age-abiding!
9 Super montem excelsum ascende, tu qui evangelizas Sion: exalta in fortitudine vocem tuam, qui evangelizas Ierusalem: exalta, noli timere. Dic civitatibus Iuda: Ecce Deus vester:
To a high mountain, get ye up, O herald—band of Zion, Lift high with strength your voice, O herald—band of Jerusalem, —Lift it high, do not fear, Say to the cities of Judah—Lo! your God!
10 ecce Dominus Deus in fortitudine veniet, et brachium eius dominabitur: ecce merces eius cum eo, et opus illius coram illo.
Lo! My Lord, Yahweh, as a mighty one, doth come, And, his own arm, is about to rule for him, —Lo! his reward, is with him, And, his recompense, before him;
11 Sicut pastor gregem suum pascet: in brachio suo congregabit agnos, et in sinu suo levabit, foetas ipse portabit.
Like a shepherd, his flock, will he tend, In his own arm, will he take up the lambs, And in his own bosom, will he carry [them], —Them which are with young, will he lead to a place of rest.
12 Quis mensus est pugillo aquas, et caelos palmo ponderavit? quis appendit tribus digitis molem terrae, et libravit in pondere montes, et colles in statera?
Who hath measured, with the hollow of his hand, the waters. Or the heavens with a span, hath meted out, Or hath comprehended, in a measure, the dust of the earth, Or weighed, in scales, the mountains, Or the hills, in a balance?
13 Quis adiuvit spiritum Domini? aut quis consiliarius eius fuit, et ostendit illi?
Who hath proved the spirit of Yahweh? Or being his counsellor hath been giving him knowledge?
14 Cum quo iniit consilium, et instruxit eum, et docuit eum semitam iustitiae, et erudivit eum scientiam, et viam prudentiae ostendit illi?
With whom hath he taken counsel—And he hath given him intelligence, And instructed him in the path of justice, —And taught him knowledge, And in the way of intelligence, hath been giving him understanding?
15 Ecce Gentes quasi stilla situlae, et quasi momentum staterae reputatae sunt: ecce insulae quasi pulvis exiguus.
Lo! nations, Are us a drop on a bucket, And as fine dust on a balance, are accounted, —Lo! islands, like an atom, can he hoist;
16 Et Libanus non sufficiet ad succendendum, et animalia eius non sufficient ad holocaustum.
And, Lebanon, is not sufficient to burn, —Nor, the beasts thereof sufficient for an ascending-sacrifice!
17 Omnes gentes quasi non sint, sic sunt coram eo, et quasi nihilum et inane reputatae sunt ei.
All nations, are as nothing before him, —A thing of nought or a waste, are they accounted unto him?
18 Cui ergo similem fecisti Deum? aut quam imaginem ponetis ei?
Unto whom then can ye liken GOD? Or, what likeness, can ye compare unto him?
19 Numquid sculptile conflavit faber? aut aurifex auro figuravit illud, et laminis argenteis argentarius?
The image, hath been cast by an artificer, And a goldsmith, with gold, overlayeth it, —And, chains of silver, he worketh.
20 Forte lignum, et imputribile elegit: artifex sapiens quaerit quomodo statuat simulacrum, quod non moveatur.
The needy offerer, of a tree that will not rot, maketh choice, —A skilled artificer, seeketh he out for himself to construct an image that shall not totter,
21 Numquid non scitis? numquid non audistis? numquid non annunciatum est vobis ab initio? numquid non intellexistis fundamenta terrae?
Have ye never taken note? Have ye never heard? Hath it not from the beginning, been told you? Have ye not been led to discern, from the foundations of the earth?
22 Qui sedet super gyrum terrae, et habitatores eius sunt quasi locustae: qui extendit velut nihilum caelos, et expandit eos sicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum.
It is he who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, While the inhabitants thereof are, as grass-hoppers, —Who stretcheth forth, as a curtain, the heavens, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;
23 Qui dat secretorum scrutatores quasi non sint, iudices terrae velut inane fecit:
Who delivereth dignitaries to nothingness, —Judges of earth, like a desolation, hath he made:
24 et quidem neque plantatus, neque satus, neque radicatus in terra truncus eorum: repente flavit in eos, et aruerunt, et turbo quasi stipulam auferet eos.
Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely hath their stock, begun to take root in the earth, When he hath just blown upon them and they have withered, And, a whirlwind, as though they had been chaff, carrieth them away.
25 Et cui assimilastis me, et adaequastis, dicit sanctus?
Unto whom then, can ye liken me, or can I be equal? Saith the Holy One.
26 Levate in excelsum oculos vestros, et videte quis creavit haec: qui educit in numero militiam eorum, et omnes ex nomine vocat: prae multitudine fortitudinis et roboris, virtutisque eius, neque unum reliquum fuit.
Lift on high your eyes—and see who hath created these, That bringeth forth, by number, their host, —To all of them by name, doth call, Because of the abundance of vigour and alertness of strength, not one, is missing!
27 Quare dicis Iacob, et loqueris Israel: Abscondita est via mea a Domino, et a Deo meo iudicium meum transivit?
Wherefore, shouldest thou say, O Jacob, or speak, O Israel, —Hidden is my path from Yahweh, And from my God, my vindication, will pass?
28 Numquid nescis, aut non audisti? Deus sempiternus Dominus, qui creavit terminos terrae: non deficiet, neque laborabit, nec est investigatio sapientiae eius.
Hast thou not known, Hast thou not heard, That The God of age-past time—Yahweh The Creator of the ends of the earth Fainteth not neither groweth weary—There is no searching of his understanding:
29 Qui dat lasso virtutem: et his, qui non sunt, fortitudinem et robur multiplicat.
Giving to him that fainteth, strength, And to him that hath no vigour, he causeth, power to abound?
30 Deficient pueri, et laborabunt, et iuvenes in infirmitate cadent.
Youths both faint and grow weary, And, young warriors—they fall, they fall;
31 Qui autem sperant in Domino, mutabunt fortitudinem, assument pennas sicut aquilae, current et non laborabunt, ambulabunt et non deficient.
But, they who wait for Yahweh, shall renew their strength, They shall mount on strong pinion like eagles, —They shall run and not grow weary, They shall walk and not faint.
