Isaiah, 40

1. 'Console my people, console them,' says your God.

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

2. 'Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and cry to her that her period of service is ended, that her guilt has been atoned for, that, from the hand of Yahweh, she has received double punishment for all her sins.'

2. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

3. A voice cries, 'Prepare in the desert a way for Yahweh. Make a straight highway for our God across the wastelands.

3. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be levelled, every cliff become a plateau, every escarpment a plain;

4. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

5. then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed and all humanity will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.'

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

6. A voice said, 'Cry aloud!' and I said, 'What shall I cry?' -'All humanity is grass and all its beauty like the wild flower's.

6. A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

7. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on them. (The grass is surely the people.)

7. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people is grass.

8. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains for ever.'

8. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.

9. Go up on a high mountain, messenger of Zion. Shout as loud as you can, messenger of Jerusalem! Shout fearlessly, say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God.'

9. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

10. Here is Lord Yahweh coming with power, his arm maintains his authority, his reward is with him and his prize precedes him.

10. Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.

11. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

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

12. Who was it measured the water of the sea in the hollow of his hand and calculated the heavens to the nearest inch, gauged the dust of the earth to the nearest bushel, weighed the mountains in scales, the hills in a balance?

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

13. Who directed the spirit of Yahweh, what counsellor could have instructed him?

13. Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has instructed him?

14. Whom has he consulted to enlighten him, to instruct him in the path of judgement, to teach him knowledge and show him how to understand?

14. Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

15. See, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, they count as a grain of dust on the scales. See, coasts and islands weigh no more than fine powder.

15. Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the isles like fine dust.

16. The Lebanon is not enough for the burning fires nor its animals enough for the burnt offering.

16. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

17. All the nations are as nothing before him, for him they count as nothingness and emptiness.

17. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

18. To whom can you compare God? What image can you contrive of him?

18. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

19. The craftsman casts an idol, a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it.

19. The idol! a workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains.

20. Someone too poor to afford a sacrifice chooses a piece of wood that will not rot; he then seeks out a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not totter.

20. He who is impoverished chooses for an offering wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skilful craftsman to set up an image that will not move.

21. Did you not know, had you not heard? Was it not told you from the beginning? Have you not understood how the earth was set on its foundations?

21. 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. He who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, the inhabitants of which are like grasshoppers, stretches out the heavens like a cloth, spreads them out like a tent to live in.

22. 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 like a tent to dwell in;

23. He reduces princes to nothing, the rulers of the world to mere emptiness.

23. who brings princes to nought, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

24. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the soil, than he blows on them and they wither and the storm carries them away like chaff.

24. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

25. 'To whom can you compare me, or who is my equal?' says the Holy One.

25. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.

26. Lift your eyes and look: he who created these things leads out their army in order, summoning each of them by name. So mighty is his power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer.

26. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

27. How can you say, Jacob, how can you repeat, Israel, 'My way is hidden from Yahweh, my rights are ignored by my God'?

27. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hid from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?

28. Did you not know? Had you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, he created the remotest parts of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary, his understanding is beyond fathoming.

28. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable.

29. He gives strength to the weary, he strengthens the powerless.

29. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

30. Youths grow tired and weary, the young stumble and fall,

30. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

31. but those who hope in Yahweh will regain their strength, they will sprout wings like eagles, though they run they will not grow weary, though they walk they will never tire.

31. but they who wait for the LORD 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.