Isaiah 40 Parallel Bible Translations

Isaiah 40 ▼
swipe to see more →
GWT
God's Word Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 |Comfort my people! Comfort them!| says your God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 |Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and announce to it that its time of hard labor is over and its wrongs have been paid for. It has received from the LORD double for all its sins.| 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. Speak 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.
3 A voice cries out in the desert: |Clear a way for the LORD. Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley will be raised. Every mountain and hill will be lowered. Steep places will be made level. Rough places will be made smooth. 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. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 Then the LORD's glory will be revealed and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken.| And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
6 A voice called, |Call out!| I asked, |What should I call out?| |Call out: All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like a flower in the field. 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. A 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.
7 Grass dries up, and flowers wither when the LORD's breath blows on them. Yes, people are like grass. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
8 Grass dries up, and flowers wither, but the word of our God will last forever.| The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
9 Go up a high mountain, Zion. Tell the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Jerusalem. Tell the good news! Raise your voice without fear. Tell the cities of Judah: |Here is your God!| Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” You 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!”
10 The Almighty LORD is coming with power to rule with authority. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him. Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
11 Like a shepherd he takes care of his flock. He gathers the lambs in his arms. He carries them in his arms. He gently helps the sheep and their lambs. He will tend 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. He 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.
12 Who has measured the water of the sea with the palm of his hand or measured the sky with the length of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a bushel basket or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills on a balance? 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? Who 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?
13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or instructed him as his adviser? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?
14 Whom did he consult? Who gave him understanding? Who taught him the right way? Who taught him knowledge? Who informed him about the way to understanding? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Whom 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?
15 The nations are like a drop in a bucket and are considered to be like dust on a scale. The weight of the islands is like fine dust. Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Surely 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.
16 All the trees in Lebanon are not enough to burn an offering. Its wild animals are not enough for a single burnt offering. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
17 All the nations amount to nothing in his presence. He considers them less than nothing and worthless. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.
18 To whom, then, can you compare God? To what statue can you compare him? To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?
19 Craftsmen make idols. Goldsmiths cover them with gold. Silversmiths make silver chains for them. An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.
20 The poorest people choose wood that will not rot and search out skillful craftsmen to set up idols that will not fall over. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. A 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.
21 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? Haven't you been told from the beginning? Don't you understand the foundations of the earth? Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? Do 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?
22 God is enthroned above the earth, and those who live on it are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the sky like a canopy and spreads it out like a tent to live in. 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; He 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.
23 He makes rulers unimportant and makes earthly judges worth nothing. who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 They have hardly been planted. They have hardly been sown. They have hardly taken root in the ground. Then he blows on them and they wither, and a windstorm sweeps them away like straw. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. No 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.
25 |To whom, then, can you compare me? Who is my equal?| asks the Holy One. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Look at the sky and see. Who created these things? Who brings out the stars one by one? 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. 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. Lift 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.
27 Jacob, why do you complain? Israel, why do you say, |My way is hidden from the LORD, and my rights are ignored by my God|? Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God|?
28 Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The eternal God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't grow tired or become weary. His understanding is beyond reach. 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. Do 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.
29 He gives strength to those who grow tired and increases the strength of those who are weak. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even young people grow tired and become weary, and young men will stumble and fall. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won't become weary. They will walk and won't grow tired. 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. but 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page