| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Comfort, comfort My people," says your God." | 1"Comfort! Yes, comfort my people," says your God. |
| 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that her time of forced labor is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." | 2"Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her heavy service has been completed, that her penalty has been paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." |
| 3A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. | 3A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; and in the desert a straight highway for our God.' |
| 4Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain. | 4Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be lowered; the rough ground will become level, and the mountain ridges made a plain. |
| 5And the glory of the LORD will appear, and all humanity together will see it, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. | 5Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity will see it at once; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." |
| 6A voice was saying, "Cry out!" Another said, "What should I cry out?"" All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. | 6A voice says, "Cry out!" So I asked, "What am I to cry out?" "All humanity is grass, and all its loyalty is like the flowers of the field. |
| 7The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. | 7Grass withers and flowers fade away when the LORD's breath blows on them; surely the people are like grass. |
| 8The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever." | 8Grass withers and flowers fade away, when the LORD's breath blows on them, but the word of our God will stand forever. " |
| 9Zion, herald of good news, go up on a high mountain. Jerusalem, herald of good news, raise your voice loudly. Raise it, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah," Here is your God!" | 9"Climb up a high mountain, you messenger of good news to Zion! Lift up your voice with strength, you messenger to Jerusalem! Lift it up! Don't be afraid! Say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!' |
| 10See, the Lord GOD comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him. | 10Look! The Lord GOD comes with strength, and his arm rules for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his payment accompanies him. |
| 11He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing. | 11Like a shepherd, he tends his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart, and gently leads the mother sheep." |
| 12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure or weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in the scales? | 12"Who has measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens by the width of his hand? Who has enclosed the dust of the earth in a measuring bowl, or weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? |
| 13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or who gave Him His counsel? | 13Who has fathomed the Spirit of the LORD, or as his counselor has taught him? |
| 14Who did He consult with? Who gave Him understanding and taught Him the paths of justice? Who taught Him knowledge and showed Him the way of understanding? | 14With whom did he consult to enlighten and instruct him on the path of justice? Or who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of wisdom? |
| 15Look, the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are considered as a speck of dust in the scales; He lifts up the islands like fine dust. | 15"Look! The nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are reckoned as dust on the scales. Look! He even lifts up the islands like powder! |
| 16Lebanon is not enough for fuel, or its animals enough for a burnt offering. | 16Lebanon would not provide enough fuel, nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering. |
| 17All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are considered by Him as nothingness and emptiness. | 17All the nations are as nothing before him— they are reckoned by him as nothing and chaos. |
| 18Who will you compare God with? What likeness will you compare Him to? | 18"To whom, then, will you compare me, the One who is God? Or to what image will you liken me? |
| 19To an idol?--something that a smelter casts, and a metalworker plates with gold and makes silver welds for it? | 19To an idol? A craftsman makes the image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains. |
| 20To one who shapes a pedestal, choosing wood that does not rot? He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not fall over. | 20To the impoverished person? He prepares an offering— wood that won't rot— Or to the one who chooses a skilled craftsman and seeks to erect an idol that won't topple?" |
| 21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not considered the foundations of the earth? | 21"You know, don't you? You have heard, haven't you? Hasn't it been told you from the beginning? Haven't you understood from the foundations of the earth? |
| 22God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in. | 22He's the one who sits above the disk of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He's the one who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in, |
| 23He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth irrational. | 23who brings princes to nothing, and makes void the rulers of the earth. |
| 24They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground when He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble." | 24No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the earth, than he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest sweeps them away like stubble. |
| 25Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?" asks the Holy One. | 25"To whom, then, will you compare me, and to whom should I be equal?" asks the Holy One. |
| 26Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry host by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing. | 26"Lift your eyes up to heaven and see who created all these— the one who leads out their vast array of stars by number, calling them all by name— because of his great might and his powerful strength — and not one is missing." |
| 27Jacob, why do you say, and Israel, why do you assert:" My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored by my God"? | 27"Jacob, why do you say— and Israel, why do you complain— 'My predicament is hidden from the LORD, and my cause is ignored by my God.'? |
| 28Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. | 28Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The LORD is the eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary; and his understanding cannot be fathomed. |
| 29He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. | 29He's the one who gives might to the faint, renewing strength for the powerless. |
| 30Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, | 30Even boys grow tired and weary, and young men collapse and fall, |
| 31but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." | 31but those who keep waiting for the LORD will renew their strength. Then they'll soar on wings like eagles; they'll run and not grow weary; they'll walk and not grow tired." |
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