Isaiah 40

CHAPTER 40

A Voice Yelling in the Wilderness

1Take comfort! take comfort! my people, says   your God. 2O priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem! Comfort her! for [²was filled up   ¹her humiliation]; [³is untied ¹her   ²sin]; for she received from the hand of the lord  double   her sins. 3A voice yelling in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the lord! [²straight ¹Make] the roads   of our God! 4Every ravine shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be lowered; and [⁴shall be ¹all ²the ³crooked paths] for straight, and the rough into [²plains ¹smooth]. 5And [⁴shall be seen ¹the ²glory ³of the lord]; and [³shall see ¹all ²flesh] the deliverance   of God, for the lord  said it. 6A voice saying, Yell! And I said, What shall I yell? All flesh is as grass, and all glory of man is as the flower of grass. 7[³is dried ¹The ²grass], and the flower fell off, for breath of God breathed in it. Truly the grass is the people. 8[³is dried ¹The ²grass], the flower fell off, but the word   of our God abides into the eon. 9[²upon ⁴mountain ³the high ¹Ascend]! O one announcing good news of Zion. Raise up high in the strength   of your voice! O one announcing good news of Jerusalem. Raise it up high! Do not fear! Say to the cities of Judah! Behold,   your God. 10Behold, the Lord. The lord  [²with ³strength ¹comes], even the arm with dominion. Behold,   his wage is with him, and the work before him. 11As a shepherd, he shall tend   his flock; and   his arm shall gather the lambs, and [³one in ⁴the womb ²the one having ¹he shall comfort].

Israel's Incomparable God

12Who measured [³with the ⁴hand ¹the ²water], and the heaven with a span, and all the earth in a handful? Who established the mountains weight, and the groves in a yoke balance scale? 13Who knew the mind of the lord? and who [²his ³counselor ¹became]? Who shall instruct him? 14Or whom did he take up advice with, and instructed him? Or who showed to him equity? Or [⁴a way ⁵of understanding ¹who ²showed ³to him]? 15Since all the nations [²as ³a drop ⁴from ⁵a pail ⁶and ⁷as ⁸the crux ⁹of a yoke balance scale  ¹were considered]; and [²as ³saliva ¹they are considered]. 16  And Lebanon is not fit for burning, and all the four-footed are not fit for a whole offering; 17and all the nations [²as ³nothing ¹are], and [²as ³nothing ¹were considered] to him. 18To whom did you liken the lord, and to what representation did you liken him? 19Has not [³an image ²made ¹the fabricator]? or the goldsmith having cast gold, gilt it over, [³for a representation ¹and carefully prepared ²it]? 20[⁵wood ¹For ⁴incorruptible ³chooses ²the fabricator], and wisely seeks how to station his image, that it should not be shaken. 21Will you not know? Will you not hear? Was it not announced from the beginning to you? Did you not know the foundations of the earth? 22He is the one controlling the curve of the earth, and the ones dwelling in it are as locusts; He is the one establishing [³as ⁴a vault ¹the ²heaven], and extending it out as a tent to dwell in; 23the one establishing rulers [²as ³nothing ¹to rule]; [³the ¹and ⁴earth ⁵as ⁶nothing ²he made]. 24For in no way shall they plant, nor shall they sow, nor shall they be rooted in the earth   of their root. He breathed upon them, and they were dried up; and a blast [³as ⁴sticks ¹shall take ²them away]. 25Now then, to whom did you liken me that I shall be exalted, said the holy one? 26Look up into the height   with your eyes, and behold! Who introduced all these things? The one bringing forth [²by ³number   ¹his cosmos] [²all things  ³by ⁴name ¹shall call] by great glory, and by the might of strength. Nothing of which  you are  unaware. 27[³not ¹For ²you should] say, O Jacob, and why did you speak, O Israel, saying, [²was concealed   ¹My way] from   God, and   my God   [²judgment ¹removed], and departed. 28And now, did you not know? Have you not heard? [²God ¹the eternal], the God   carefully preparing the tips of the earth, he shall not hunger nor tire, nor is there  a finding out   of his intelligence; 29giving [²to the ones ³hungering ¹strength], and [²to the ones ³not ⁴grieving ¹distress]. 30[³shall hunger ¹For ²younger men], and [²shall tire ¹the young], and the chosen men  [²without strength ¹will be]. 31But the ones waiting upon   God shall change in strength; they shall grow wings as eagles; they shall run and shall not tire; they shall proceed and shall not hunger.