Isaiah 40 Parallel Bible Translations

Isaiah 40 ▼
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1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her twice over for all her 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 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the LORD! Make a straight highway through the wasteland 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 Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 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 glory of the LORD 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 said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a 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 The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. 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 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands 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 O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 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 Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 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 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. 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 else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? 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 is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 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 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice? 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 No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. 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 wood in Lebanon’s forests and all Lebanon’s animals would not be enough to make a burnt offering worthy of our God. 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 The nations of the world are worth nothing to him. In his eyes they count for less than nothing— mere emptiness and froth. 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 can you compare God? What image can you find to resemble 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 Can he be compared to an idol formed in a mold, overlaid with gold, and decorated with silver chains? 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 Or if people are too poor for that, they might at least choose wood that won’t decay and a skilled craftsman to carve an image that won’t fall down! 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 Haven’t you heard? Don’t you understand? Are you deaf to the words of God— the words he gave before the world began? Are you so ignorant? 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 sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him! He spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. 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 judges the great people of the world and brings them all to 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 hardly get started, barely taking root, when he blows on them and they wither. The wind carries them off like chaff. 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 will 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 up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one 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 O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? 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 Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 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 power to the weak and strength to the powerless. 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 youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 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 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 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.
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