| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. | 1"Comfort, O comfort My people," says your God. |
| 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. | 2"Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the LORD'S hand Double for all her sins." |
| 3A voice of one calling: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. | 3A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. |
| 4Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. | 4"Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; |
| 5And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." | 5Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." |
| 6A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" "All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. | 6A voice says, "Call out." Then he answered, "What shall I call out?" All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. |
| 7The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. | 7The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. |
| 8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." | 8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. |
| 9You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" | 9Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" |
| 10See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. | 10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him. |
| 11He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. | 11Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. |
| 12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? | 12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? |
| 13Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? | 13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? |
| 14Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? | 14With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding? |
| 15Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. | 15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. |
| 16Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. | 16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. |
| 17Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. | 17All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. |
| 18With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? | 18To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? |
| 19As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. | 19As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. |
| 20A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple. | 20He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter. |
| 21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? | 21Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? |
| 22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. | 22It 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 out like a tent to dwell in. |
| 23He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. | 23He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. |
| 24No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. | 24Scarcely have they been planted, Scarcely have they been sown, Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, But He merely blows on them, and they wither, And the storm carries them away like stubble. |
| 25"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. | 25"To whom then will you liken Me That I would be his equal?" says the Holy One. |
| 26Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. | 26Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. |
| 27Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? | 27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God "? |
| 28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. | 28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. |
| 29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. | 29He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. |
| 30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; | 30Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, |
| 31but those who hope 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 be faint. | 31Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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